CAPT at 2007 Expeditionary Warfare School  Career Course

“...overall value the CAPT contributed to your current fire support training?”

80 Responses from 96 Captains Using the Training System 

 Choices                       Quantity          Percentage       Cumulative

Greatly                             26                   33%                 33%

Substantially                     51                   64%                 96%

Marginally                          3                     4%                100%

Detracted                          0                     0%                100%

2007 EWS Captain Comments: 

General value the CAPT offers to assist your unit develop and maintain core competencies:

Not printed in any order.

1. Assists in geometry of fires, sequencing and GTL deconfliction – will use to train FOs to build quick fire plans
2. Very valuable / easy to understand and manipulate
3. Great value.  Understand in a visual the timing with plan
4. Great to work on visualizing the procedures
5. Helps see big picture, also run program and see mistakes
6. Great Tool.  Would have benefited me learning this material 7 years ago.  Will help me train my lieutenants.
7. Very good, but students need a better base before beginning.
8. Reinforcement of concepts, knowledge base build SA / knowledge base at all levels regarding fire planning.
9. Very good – focuses on basics and strictly enforces combined arms rules.
10. Yes
11. I think it is great and should be part of the FDC and link with C2PC, AFATDS, Falcon View, TBMCS, and ATO.
12. Great simulation for training.
13. Seeing the various parts come together.
14. Great piece of gear.
15. It is an incredible training tool that helped me build profound SA.
16. It’s an excellent tool.  It provides immediate feedback and helped me to understand the process better.
17. Excellent
18. Outstanding tool for developing SA in making quick fire plan.
19. Great value.
20. Good – especially for visualization of your plan and serves as a second set of eyes to point out conflicts with your plan.
21. Having no prior exposure, this tool significantly enhanced my understanding of planning fires.  The ability to correct yourself and adjust accordingly contributed to my understanding.
22. Outstanding
23. Tremendous value, it really helps visualize the timing and execution of the plan and is very easy to use.
24. Great program.
25. Exceptional value! Program focuses training and fire support rules instead of learning software specifics.
26. Good visual representation allows us to see the limits of the quick fire plan.
27. Very valuable.
28. Good basic and initial instruction.
29. Gives an excellent 3-D picture in developing fires.
30. Provides valuable training to battery liaison teams and company FiST.
31. Very good.
32. This would allow aviation units to visualize how fires support maneuver.
33. Good program.  User friendly only a few adjustments required.
34. A lot of value.
35. Good tool for learning.  I knew nothing walking into this.
36. A very good tool to use in conjunction with rehearsals.
37. Good for learning the fundamentals of constructing a quick fire plan and supporting maneuver.
38. Good procedurally.
39. Good program to develop procedures and SOP.
40. Very valuable – I finally understand deconfliction.
41. Great tool to refine fire plans, not an initial trainer, but useful to refresh and enhance.
42. Outstanding tool for development of FiST and FSC.
43. Good “hands on” training tool.
44. I think it will greatly assist FiST training.  I also think it could be used to train aircrew working up for FAC(A).  Would be a great briefing tool.
45. Shows how to use different systems to engage targets.
46. Good tool for hip pocket training for FiSTs.
47. Very precise measures.
48. Wish I had one five years ago.
49. As an assault pilot, I don’t plan fires, but the effects do impact my routing.  Ability to import from CAPT to PFPS/JMPS would be helpful.
50. It is a useful tool, the program did lock up a few times.
51. Good value by allowing students to experiment with geometries during development.  Quick fire plan feedback is a great tool to learn from errors.
52. Very good for training, especially initial training in FiST skill; shows visual.
53. Useful tool for instruction and planning.
54. For two guys with little FiST/FSC experience its very good for practicing newly taught techniques – makes us think.
55. Excellent refresher on fires geometries.
56. Anytime you can visualize your mission with real time events and limits it is priceless.
57. From limited use – the program is very good.
58. Good easy to use.
59. Somewhat valuable.
60. Good overall theme training. 

What functionality / displays used by the CAPT would you like to see enhanced or changed?

Not printed in any order. 

1. RW and Attack - Modify Attack
2. Max ord computations for stay above / stay below.  Real world scenario map adaptation, ie Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Africa
3. Rules
4. Changes on the screen has to be easier.
5. SDZs effects
6. Edit FW / RW attacks
7. ZSU correct range, anywhere near it even outside the threat ring creates a problem.
8. Change FW attack input data to mirror nine line.
9. Ability to graphically see the shape and size of weapon system SDZs for planning purposes.
10. Ability to edit moves / attacks vice having to delete.
11. Hellfire SDZ is ridiculous.  The Final Attack Cone (FAC) is backwards, should go clockwise, i.e. readings should be input 350-020 not 020-350.
12. Change an attack without deleting it.
13. Override for failed rules such as unit behind terrain feature inside SDZ.
14. Rules readout is difficult to follow.  Recommend adding summary at bottom of readout.
15. Add modify button for arty and mortar attack. 
16. Ability to modify vs delete.
17. Have a modify RW Attack button.
18. Would be helpful to have accounted for SDZs and also have Threat Rings incorporate terrain relief.
19. Re-evaluate the need for redundant marks.
20. I would like to be able to modify RW attacks without deleting the attack completely.  I would like a “no lower than” option for RW.  “An undo” button would be nice.
21. An urban fires version which would reflect the current operating environment.
22. All us to modify all attacks, RW, etc. In modify FW Attack, can’t adjust TOT time.
23. SDZs for PGMs.
24. Would like to be able to modify attacks instead of having to delete the attack.
25. Be able to link a company FiST quick fire plan or scheduled fires to adjacent companies and higher (battalion).
26. Add the ability to put in Stay Below.  A quick reference for arty round trajectory.
27. Ability to display accurate SDZs on map in order to obtain a “workable” firing point / BP / FAC.
28. Display stand alone SDZs.  Click and draw to check geometry.
29. Requirement to use two marks removed.
30. BP controls / more stay left of northing, etc.
31. Multiple routes for maneuver units.
32. Modify attacks for arty and mortars.
33. TOW SDZ becomes smaller, save changes on the Attacks vice deleting.
34. Larger map with Battle Board.
35. More accurate depiction of SDZs.  Hellfire wrong shape. 
36. Should be able to modify attacks more easily.  Suggestion: drag and drop attack / marks on timeline with mouse.
37. Make GTL thicker and easier to see.  Being able to modify RW attack without deleting it.  A right click function on the timeline to modify attacks.
38. Some type of effect besides suppression should be added.
39. Being able to modify the attack without deleting the entire attack.
40. Within the FWCAS Attack Window it would be beneficial to have some explanation / clarification of FAC vs FAH in order to avoid confusion (i.e. When inputting XXX to YYY are we to enter the actual run-in heading or the radials they represent from the target?)
41. Something that measures BDA.
42. I would like to see weapon effects on target such that targets can be destroyed.
43. Modify capability for existing attacks.  Allow grid location selection with mouse to occur without zoom in zoom out scroll function (default to pointer for that function).  Allow same option to select time off  timeline to fill in time sequencing for attacks.  Adding to this allow user to click and drag units on map to modify attacks as well as drag on time line to modify times for attacks.  Add ability to hide attacks or slow / speed up movements to be able to easily evaluate the effects of changing elements of the plan without deleting and rewriting those portions.  Example – What would happen if suppression stopped at X time.
44. Ability to modify attacks instead of having to delete and redo.
45. I would like to be able to position the SDZs independent of inputting an attack.  I would like to be able to drag BPs and waypoints.
46. Modify affects and routes instead of cancel.
47. Maybe a drawdown box for times.
48. RW features need to be matured.
49. Add modify move, add modify attack buttons.  Now if you mess up you have to delete instead of fix mistake.
50. RW route editor.
51. Click and drag on map.  Need to manipulate the time line.
52. Ability to edit FW and RW attacks.  Ability to minimize attack window and utilize other main window functions.
53. Ability to modify planned attacks rather than delete them.
54. Edit attacks / moves / FW routes.
55. Need to make a delete option for RW route modification.
56. Manipulate on the timeline itself.  Drag to change, double click to modify.  Add two buttons 1 – modify attack, 2 – modify RW attack.
57. Ability to modify attack vice delete.
58. SDZs more realistic. i.e. hellfire and addition of global maps vice just 29 Palms.
59. Ability to modify RW Attack.  Ability to determine radar line of sight.  Connectivity to C2PC.

What functionality /displays would you like to see added to the CAPT?

Not printed in any order. 

1. Maneuver engagement zones – direct fire SDZs / fire cones.  Compatibility with military C2 programs – C2PC, Effect Fire Coord, AFATDS
2. Battle Board Fill Out
3. BDA
4. Integrate FBCB2, C2PC
5. Make it time sensitive on higher difficulty levels to make it more realistic.  Allow for easier editing of all inputted data (modify attacks).
6. I would like to see application for assault support.  Need maps of other areas.
7. Allow option to modify RW Attacks.
8. Add oblique view in play mode vise a top-down only.
9. More maps.
10. Modify arty / 81 / ground attack.
11. Integrate with Falcon View.  Probably could use Falcon View engine to incorporate elevation data.
12. Stay Below for RW.
13. Move SDZs to obtain a safe firing point.  Be able to adjust firing times by sliding the timeline.
14. Integrate with Falcon View and PFPS.
15. Accurate SDZs.
16. 60mm mortars.
17. Better Hellfire SDZ for RW CAS made my brain hurt.
18. Be able to modify the Battle Board.  Set up in order to support various unit SOPs.
19. Have an MSD / Threat Ring toggle so you can turn them on and off as you want to see them.  Observe terrain effects.
20. Ability to evaluate vertical threat ring range (SAMs, ADA).  Ability to determine ordinate at a point where aircraft cross GTL.  Ability to use Stay Belows.
21. Integrate FAC planning with Falcon View.
22. Ability to use laser marks.
23. Stay Below
24. Laser guided weapons (LMAW, GBU-12) with MULE / GLTD as a FS agency to provide a mark.  Import routes or checkpoints form Falcon View / integrate.
25. The ability to use measuring tools while the add attack menus are open.
26. Zoom in to CIB for urban training.  More weapons selection for aviation fires.  Perhaps a combat version with Psub(i), collateral damage estimates, etc.,  Aviation delivery parameters to include dive angle or straight and level delivery.  Lock on after launch Hellfire with FiSTs selectable target designation with laser.  Ord tool to calculate ORD on trajectory.  Make CPs and IPs interchangeable.  Incorporate keyhole.
27. Under check plan have recommendations for corrections.  Graphics more like a video game once a plan is executed.  Insert CFF / 9 Line for completion.
28. More simplicity in the tool bar.
29. Cross functionality with C2PC and PFPS / Falcon View
30. I would like to set the route for moving units by clicking on the route.
31. Accurate SDZs.
32. A max ord graphical display.
33. Need to add SBF / ABF capability.
34. Integration into C2PC, ability to institute plan changes.
35. Height on the threat rings.  Example, an AV-8B can stay above the ZSU-23 threat.  CAPT does not recognize that.
36. Ability to click on quick fire plan diagram and modify time lines.  Slide / stretch timeline and marks.  Template SDZ to utilize prior to creation of Attack.
37. Incorporate the threat rings with terrain.  Also incorporate this program with C2PC or PFPS (Falconview).
38. A feature that includes terrain effects / contours.  Similar to the Canadian TACOPS.