Military Training

When most people hear “military training,” the first thing they think of is boot camp (officially known as Basic Training). But the Military is committed to providing cutting-edge training throughout an individual’s time in the Service.

After new recruit or officer training, servicemembers typically go to advanced training, which is functional training for their assigned occupational fields. Advanced training is a classroom environment similar to college or junior college. In fact, the American Council on Education certifies more than 60 percent of advanced training courses as college credit. Training schools are located throughout the country, and training lasts from a few weeks to a few months, depending on the complexity of the subject matter.

The U.S. Armed Forces offer training using a variety of methods to enhance the learning experience and provide the right training at the right time to servicemembers. Often, a blended-learning approach is used to provide students with the benefit of more than one mode of instruction.

Instructor-Led Training

Many courses are offered in the military through residence programs and instructor-led classroom and field training. Although the Military offers the latest in eLearning technologies, sometimes there is no substitute for having a real person in front of you who can answer your questions. The instructors who train our military forces are highly qualified and strive to provide students with the knowledge they need to succeed.

Distance Learning

With advances in computer technology, the Military has been on the leading edge of producing learning experiences that can be provided anytime and anywhere to a large, dispersed community of learners. Distance learning allows servicemembers to take a wide variety of courses via the Internet or CD-ROMs to enhance their skills and advance in their careers. Through interactive multimedia instruction (IMI), students can experience various levels of interactivity, ranging from basic knowledge transfer to complex decision making.

Simulations

The Military uses advanced modeling and simulations to provide realistic training environments that allow servicemembers to practice skills and decision making in situations that would be costly or dangerous to execute in the real world. The Military often uses realistic computer-generated battlefield models and other types of simulations to support joint-force training. Such models can be used to practice the movement or coordination of forces, for example.

Role Playing

The Military uses role-playing exercises to teach decision making in complex situations involving people representing a variety of positions. In these exercises, students adopt a specific assigned role and other actors/participants may be brought in to represent different roles, personalities, motivations and backgrounds.

Practical Exercises

In many career fields, practical exercises provide valuable hands-on experience that enables the student to gain proficiency and confidence performing a particular set of skills. Practical exercises are an important part of many training programs, especially those involving scientific, technical, mechanical or maintenance-and-repair skills.