Centcom To Host Counter IED Conference This Week

Posted Oct 17, 2011 by Howard Altman

Updated Oct 17, 2011 at 11:59 AM

With improvised explosive devices a leading killer of U.S. servicemembers, the Department of Defense has invested a lot of time, money and energy into finding ways to defeat IEDs.

As part of that effort, U.S. Central Command is hosting the 3rd Annual Counter Improvised Explosive Device Conference this week at its headquarters on MacDill Air Force Base.

The theme of this year’s conference, which runs form Oct. 18 – 21, is Counter IED Training, according to a Centcom media release.

The goal is to “share and develop best practices, expose attendees’ to cutting-edge training technologies and to explore joint training opportunities,” according to the release. 

According to the release:

Highlighting this conference are Mobile Counter IED Trainers from the Joint Improvised Explosives Device Defeat Organization.  These mobile virtual reality trainers provide an immersive, self-paced training environment that includes narrative story lines in video format, virtual characters and hand-on “Re vs. Blue”, game-based simulation.