World War II era training was conducted on a grassy firing range (a known distance, or KID, range), on which the soldier shot at a bulls eye target. After he fired a series of shots the target was checked, and he was then given feedback that told him where he hit. Modern training uses what are essentially B. F. Skinners operant conditioning techniques to develop a firing behavior in the soldier. This training comes as close to simulating actual combat conditions as possible. The soldier stands in a foxhole with full combat equipment, and man shaped targets pop up briefly in front of him. These are the eliciting stimuli that prompt the target behavior of shooting. If the target is hit, it immediately drops, thus providing immediate feedback. Positive reinforcement is given when these hits are exchanged for marksmanship badges, which usually have some form of privilege or reward (praise, recognition, three day passes, and so on) associated with them. Traditional marksmanship training has been transformed into a combat simulator. - Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, On Killing
Posted on: Mon, 12 May 2014 14:27:39 +0000
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