U.S. Military Wants More Digital Training

U.S. Army officials are pushing for the military to use more smartphones, video games, and virtual reality to appeal to young soldiers.

In an effort to appeal to young soldiers and to teach them in ways they're accustomed to, some high-ranking officials in the U.S. Army are pushing for the military to embrace popular technologies like smartphones, video games, and virtual worlds. The tools are considered inexpensive compared to larger equipment and also serve as a highly realistic training experience. Already the military is using video games to recruit and train soldiers. A smartphone app contest for soldiers was recently held by the Army, which helped create apps for bugle calls, sniper awareness, and capture avoidance. Currently, the budget for video games and smartphones for military training is relatively low at only $10 million to $20 million.