Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD – U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense (MRICD) has collaborated with the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center (DEVCOM CBC) to continually enhance a tactical decision game used to train medical and CBRN personnel in chemical decontamination.

The game, HHour, is a training aid that helps instructors educate participants. The training aid provides personnel the ability to be able to understand the components of a patient decontamination station and how to assemble and execute the decontamination mission both in the classroom and in a training environment.

Dan Boehm, a field medical education specialist for MRICD, Chemical Casualty Care Division is the creator of the HHour concept and game mechanisms. Peter Bryant, a functional area lead for interactive software and visual media from the Chemical Biological Center, reimagined the game and provided graphic support.

“The game is never going to replace full on training, but it imitates a real decontamination scenario and provides the opportunity for personnel to refresh their skills,” said Bryant. “The power of using games to instruct people is incredible, not only for comprehension but for retention and repeatability.”

HHour is versatile and can be tailored to meet the needs of multiple audiences, but is intended primarily for medical personnel, CBRN personnel, noncommissioned officers, and chemical officers. The game has been used to train military personnel across the spectrum of the armed forces as well as health care providers and response personnel from DoD and other federal and state government agencies involved in decontamination operations.

The tactical decision-making game benefits the warfighter because it takes a complicated process and breaks it down into steps that are easier to understand. The game allows for a practical approach to providing accurate and timely treatment to manage chemical warfare agent patients, ultimately saving lives.

“HHour is powerful; it forces you to make quick decisions,” said Boehm. “The game provides a real-world sense of what you would do in a real decontamination situation.”

The team plans to continually modify the tactical decision game. In the future, they plan to create a virtual realm where educators can provide real-time training to remote sites. The team is working closely with the Medical Center of Excellence and there is a high degree of interest in writing many of the elements of the game into an upcoming Army training publication.

“Ultimately, the main purpose of the tactical training game is to help us better prepare the warfighter to execute their mission. If their mission requires establishment and operation of a patient decontamination site, I don’t know of any other training aid that will better prepare service members,” said Boehm.