Letter from our chairman - Jim Blake

Dear Sir/Ma’am,

The initiatives for advancing the Synthetic Training Environment (STE) are the U.S. Army’s highest priority as we move into 2019. The current training environment
lacks the ability to allow soldiers to provide realistic, collective training, anywhere at any point in time, and requires monumental overhead to operate.

Readiness is the Army’s Number ONE priority, and the STE is the key to achieving a well-trained force. The STE has the potential to completely change future strategies
for warfighter training and tactics. As part of the initial development for STE, the Department of Defense is looking for a complete technology solution for reconfigurable virtual collective trainers that operate on a common global terrain capability. The current virtual Combined Arms Tactical Trainers are expensive to maintain, are based within facilities, and
currently contain incomplete global terrain capability. We must find solutions that allow our soldiers to train in an affordable, challenging, persistent environment.

Through repetition (experiential learning), we will ensure our soldiers maintain our dominance over any adversary. Through thought leadership from across the Department of Defense, Academia, and Private Sectors, the Synthetic and Simulation Training Summit will provide the chance to learn, share, and connect whilst strengthening readiness and resilience.

So, if you have a role in providing the simulation, virtual, or synthetic training environment or are an interested industry partner, be sure to mark your calendars to attend this summit!
I look forward to meeting you and in increasing our collective understanding of our challenges and opportunities to provide the STE our leadership is counting on!

Respectfully,
Dr. James ( Jim) T. Blake
Chairman of Synthetic and Simulation Training Summit
Independent Consultant | J T Blake LLC
Former Program Executive Officer for Simulation, Training
and Instrumentation (PEO STRI)