Virtual reality is being used by Air Advisors assigned to the 818th Mobility Support Advising Squadron to improve their reading comprehension programme and advance their advisory positions.
Air Advisor Staff Sgt. Hamed Beugre of the 818th Mobility Support Advisory Squadron claimed that language maintenance is one of the principal facets of making the 818th edition of the MSAS language initiative a success. He emphasised that it has also allowed his compatriots the opportunity of generating realtionships with partners from Africa. Elaborating further, he said that the prospect of members maintaining their capabilities of interacting with their counterparts is quite vital to ensuring favourable outcomes for their missions.
The Oculus Quest 2 virtual reality (VR) headsets and handheld controllers, which come with four components of African French immersive experiences, are currently in the ownership of the 818th MSAS.
Before embarking on a combat mission, the programme offers model phases that give air consultants the opportunity to commit errors and learn about language and heritage elements specific to Africa.
According to Beugre, personnel may rely on the VR offering rehearse certain situations that they could come across in Africa. These include negotiating police checks, doing hotel check-ins and placing food orders. He believes that the offering enables the participant to brush up on any remaining skills before travelling to the continent as well as practice their language skills.
Key leader involvement in West African and North African nations, checkpoint procedures on country roads in West African nations, meetings on air bases in West African regions, and disagreements with African peers over assessment reports are among the themes covered.
The Dr. Clive Roberts Language Lab, situated in Bldg. 1907, was inaugarated in September 2019 to give Airmen a more effective pathway for picking up French language skills and mastering them. This is also the place where the personnel can currently access the programme. It provides both conventional and novel methods of enhancing one’s French skills, including games, books, study booths, TV shows in the language.
The 818th MSAS Airmen visit over 20 separate countries in the continent of Africa annually to conduct multiple networking and information sharing assignments. They need to be able to communicate fluently to complete their assignments.
Air advisers during COVID-19 made a conclusion that it was crucial to develop methods for personnel to preserve and enhance their communication skills without the opportunity in-person training. The Oculus virtual reality technology has provided them with a remedy to that difficulty..
US Air Force Tech. Sgt. Guillaume Allardice, an air adviser with the 818th MSAS stated that the purpose of this VR training is to provide air advisers with the necessary skills to handle challenging situations in missions conducted in a different tongue, which in this instance French.
Although it hasn’t been fully implemented across the squadron since the 818th MSAS purchased the VR technology some months back, the personnel are optimistic about the influence it will have on upcoming operations. Beugre has expressed his enthusiasm about the programme.
