http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...021302437.html

Virtual Reality Prepares Soldiers for Real War
Washington Post (02/14/06) P. A1; Vargas, Jose Antonio

For a generation of soldiers raised on video games, real-life combat can seem more like an outsized simulation of "Halo" or "Full Spectrum Warrior" than a physical reality. The Army acknowledges that Ctl+Alt+Del is as ingrained as the alphabet in today's soldier and it has capitalized on that fact in its training. While they cannot replace field experience, simulations have become an integral part of today's military training, and have indeed changed warfare itself. "The technology of games has facilitated a revolution in the art of warfare," said David Bartlett, who heads the Pentagon's computer-related training, pointing to an increase in battle preparedness that comes from playing first-person shooter games. Objective comparisons between soldiers of one generation and another are typically anecdotal and inherently problematic, though military experts agree that modern soldiers do have a more thorough knowledge of weapons than previous generations. Video games are a favorite pastime for many soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan on their off hours. "Over there in Iraq, I think playing those games helped," said Sgt. Sean Crippen. "It kept me on my toes. It taught me what to do and what not to do." Other observers point to the reality gap between video games and real combat, claiming that many soldiers weaned on first-person shooting scenarios find the genuine article to be much more wrenching. Some battle-hardened soldiers abandon shooting games when they return home, claiming that the games only bring them back to a level of violence they had hoped to forget. By contrast, others play them as avidly as they did before the war, admiring features such as the realistic simulation of a soldier's heartbeat as the enemy approaches.