U.S. Army Expands Use of Video Games for Training

U.S. Army Expands Use of Video Games for Training

A newly issued U.S. Army field manual has put people on notice: Video games are serious training tools. In its first revision since 9/11, the U.S. Army field manual for Training and Full Spectrum Operations mentions gaming 32 times, describing it as as a key ingredient in replicating "an actual operational environment."

Released in December 2008, the new doctrine is another reminder of how gaming is rapidly redefining military recruitment and training.

The push to use games as a recruiting tool dates back to 2002, when the Army released "America's Army" -- a free, downloadable video game that gave people a virtual peak into soldiering. Since then, the game has registered 9.7 million regular users worldwide, and military leaders suggest that a third of the cadets entering the Army's West Point academy have played the first-person shooter game. It has also been praised as a cheaper alternative to television ads, which may not reach the targeted audience: 14- to 16-year-olds.

Keep reading for free!

Get instant access to the rest of this article by submitting your email address below. You'll also get access to three articles of your choice each month and our free newsletter:

Or, Subscribe now to get full access.

Already a subscriber? Log in here .

What you’ll get with an All-Access subscription to World Politics Review:

A WPR subscription is like no other resource — it’s like having a personal curator and expert analyst of global affairs news. Subscribe now, and you’ll get:

  • Immediate and instant access to the full searchable library of tens of thousands of articles.
  • Daily articles with original analysis, written by leading topic experts, delivered to you every weekday.
  • Regular in-depth articles with deep dives into important issues and countries.
  • The Daily Review email, with our take on the day’s most important news, the latest WPR analysis, what’s on our radar, and more.
  • The Weekly Review email, with quick summaries of the week’s most important coverage, and what’s to come.
  • Completely ad-free reading.

And all of this is available to you when you subscribe today.

More World Politics Review