• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

US Military

  • Branches
    • Army
    • Navy
    • Air Force
    • Marine Corps
    • Coast Guard
    • National Guard
    • Air National Guard
    • Find A Recruiter
  • Find A Recruiter
  • Military Benefits
    • GI Bill
    • VA Loans
    • Military Scholarships
    • Military Friendly Colleges
    • Money
  • Jobs
    • Military Pay Chart
    • Veteran Jobs
    • Civilian Jobs
  • VA Loan Rates
  • Military News
    • Top News
    • Benefits
    • Careers
    • Education
    • Featured Columnists
      • Larry Fowler
      • Scott Ostrow
      • Kim Lengling
      • Dr. Sasha Toperich
      • Rick Stewart
  • USM Shop
  • GI Bill
  • VA Loans
  • Military Scholarships
  • Top Military-Friendly Colleges and Universities in America

Army Games Recruit and Train New Soldiers

October 6, 2012 By admin

The men and women working at your local Army recruitment center can probably afford to take longer lunches these days. Instead of spending long hours talking to potential recruits about their career options and current skills, they can direct them to army games like “America’s Army,” a video game designed to compete with commercial titles like “Modern Warfare 2.”

Join the Army – start here.

Making Army Games for Recruits

“America’s Army” isn’t exactly like other shoot-’em-up, take-no-prisoners video games that often glorify military battles. “America’s Army” doesn’t give players more points for shooting the enemy. Instead, the game focuses on the Army’s core values and career options.

This might not sound like quite as much fun as games that encourage players to blow up everything in sight, but many players love it. The game has more than 11 million registered players who have collectively logged over 260 million hours of game time since 2002.

There is some concern that “America’s Army” offers a skewed version of the military. Critics have complained that it still makes the military lifestyle seem exciting, when, in reality, much of it is spent training, waiting, and focusing on minute details. No, “America’s Army” doesn’t force players to sit on a boat for two days waiting for orders, but traditional recruiting options don’t do that either.

Training New Recruits With Army Games

Army games don’t stop at recruitment. The army now uses video games to train new members. In fact, it uses noncommercial versions of “America’s Army” in addition to military training programs like “Virtual Battlespace 2.”

In many cases, young soldiers now get to experiment with weapons in virtual environments before they even get to pick up actual versions.

Some of these training games, however, are quite real. Defense companies like Motion Reality and Raytheon don’t design the programs so young soldiers can have fun blasting their buddies. The games actually prepare them for battle.

One of the most advanced military games developed so far is a simulator called VIRTSIM. In this training simulator, soldiers don’t sit in front of computer monitors. They wear full gear and virtual reality goggles that immerses them in the experience. The equipment worn during the simulation delivers a mild shock when a soldier gets shot. It even lets soldiers throw grenades and other objects.

Preparing Soldiers for Battle

These intensive games are designed to prepare soldiers for battle by helping them learn how to use weapons and defensive techniques during stressful situations. Nothing, of course, can fully prepare someone for the battlefield, but army games that use virtually reality can give young soldiers some insight into what they might experience. This could help them remain calm while under attack so they can use their training more effectively.

Critics who argue that virtual reality cannot truly show the horrors of war are absolutely right. But it can give soldiers some experiences that will hopefully help them cope with intense situations.

With recruiting, training, and virtual reality simulations, army games have become an increasingly important aspect of the armed forces.

Join the Army – start here.

Filed Under: Army, US Military

[related_posts_by_tax format="thumbnails" limit_posts="100" image_size="sidebar-thumbnail" public_only="true" posts_per_page="6"]

Primary Sidebar

USMilitary.com Career Guide

Sign up to receive USMilitary.com email updates and to hear what's going on with all military branches!

Featured Columnists

Larry Fowler

Larry Fowler is the publisher of USMilitary.com Network one of America's premier privately owned

Autobiography Compares Living Faithfully With Navy SEAL Training (BUD/S).

Scott Ostrow

Lt Col (Dr.) Scott A. Ostrow retired from the Air Force in September 2005 and has been teaching

Must Read: The Truth About The ASVAB Test Prep From The Man Who Wrote The Book

Kim Lengling

Kim Lengling is a Air Force Veteran whose passion is to help support veterans and their

The Moving Wall: Women Who Paid The Ultimate Price For Their Country

Dr. Sasha Toperich

Dr. Sasha Toperich is the Senior Executive Vice President at Transatlantic Leadership

Sarraj’s Dangerous Dance With Power

Rick Stewart

Rick Stewart is a former United States Air Force Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE)

Announcing American Patriots Unsung Magazine

Nathan B. Nelson

Capt (ret) Nathan B. Nelson is the Director of Military Affairs for the 1st Congressional district

Three Critical Considerations for Every Veteran Prior to Leaving Active Duty

Laquan Daniels

Laquan Daniel is a military recruiting expert with over 17 years of specialized experience in the

Important News For Military Transitioning Veterans

Veteran Buzz

Hire Military Veterans

Which Companies Are Most Likely to Hire Military Veterans?

July 30, 2018 By Ben Ehinger

High-Paying Jobs for Military Veterans

5 High-Paying Jobs for Military Veterans

July 2, 2018 By Ben Ehinger

High Paying Jobs Not Requiring a Degree

June 28, 2018 By Ben Ehinger

Footer

  • Advertise With Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Write For US
  • Link to Us

Recent

  • The Unraveled Pandemic Of Navy SEAL Posers
  • Apache Attack Helicopter Pilot: To Maintain a Watchful Eye, “Above the Best”
  • A Few Benefits You May Not be Aware of As a Military Child
  • Experts Predict Artificial Intelligence Will Transform Warfare
  • Autobiography Compares Living Faithfully With Navy SEAL Training (BUD/S).

Search

© Copyright 2021 USMillitary
Web Design by Goebel Media Group


THIS IS A PRIVATE WEBSITE THAT IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE U.S. GOVERNMENT, U.S. ARMED FORCES, OR DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. U.S. GOVERNMENT AGENCIES HAVE NOT REVIEWED THIS INFORMATION. THIS SITE IS NOT CONNECTED WITH ANY GOVERNMENT AGENCY.

​Tips
Discounts
News

​

​

Join the USMilitary.com Newsletter Today!

By subscribing you agree to our terms & conditions

x