Roadside Bombs & IEDs (catch all)

[nichols]

@ Ray,

All good points.....so how would you teach situational awareness? I'm thinking about using an end user modifiable simulation.

[slapout9]

I have been to several LE courses on IED searching and detection. One technique the instructors used was this. Every time we left the classroom on break or lunch they would lock up the classroom. When we came back you had to tell what had been moved or added or taken away, they had several simulated devices they would place around the room, also outside in a field situation around cars sidewalks,etc.

Another technique is to establish what a normal situation looks like by taking a picture!! if it is blown up 8x11 the detail is very good and you can spot something that has been moved or added. I don't know how this would work in a large patrol area, but buildings,room,etc. work well. It was amazing how fast you will learn. Works best if several pictures are taken over time periods.

If this helps there are some other things you can do. Let me know.

[Ray]

@ Ray,

All good points.....so how would you teach situational awareness? I'm thinking about using an end user modifiable simulation.

Train on mock ups of the type of situations that they troops are to face.

Well, you got to go back to the basics, since everyone thinks he know it all.

Why are things seen? Shape, shadow, shine, silhouette etc etc. The troops must be trained to observe these practically on mock ups of the type pf area they are to operate in. They must also learn how to avoid them.

(one of the things I have seen in the videos of Iraq is that quite a few soldiers cross the road/ open spaces in an ostrich type of huddle. This is dangerous. While they run and cross, they should be looking rapidly all around, while his buddy covers the move. Any movement, glint etc, the man hits the dust by running, crawling, observe and then fire back).

I am not aware of the problems in Iraq, but the problems that they face could be got from the troops there and such type of situation reproduced for troops to be inducted.

Situational awareness will evolve with such practical training.

The more the training, the better the responses.

We have such training facilities and troops are put through their paces before being inducted.

We have dummy bombs, grenades and the works and the person who is slow is "dead"!

To be frank, even it if sound silly, I have observed that repeating the actions sort of drills into the man/ officer a sort of reflex action in the person and the casualties become less. And our body armour is immensely crude and cumbersome compared to yours and yet the reflexes become good!