The Marine Corps is experimenting with a novel approach to training its personnel: using video games to enhance cognitive performance and leadership skills. This program, called Research into Competency Acquisition with Novel E-gaming (R-CANE), is a partnership between the Marine Corps, Virginia Tech, and the University of Memphis, funded by the Office of Naval Research. The goal is to improve cognitive performance and natural intelligence, rather than just traditional training. The program uses a modified version of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 7, with custom-designed levels that vary in difficulty and mission. Marines are grouped into teams of six, with one leading the other five, and they work together to complete missions, facing challenges that require collaboration and adaptation under pressure. The gameplay footage shows Marines clearing an office building before facing a sudden shift in mission, forcing the team to move to an extraction point. The increased pressure quickly creates chaos, with players being killed and respawned to continue the mission, requiring rapid communication and adaptation under stress. Throughout the exercise, observers monitor player reactions, positioning, and communication, and a large language model (LLM) trained with military policy generates prompts for an after-action review. The goal is to get the Marines to engage in reflection and metacognition to help concretize potential learnings from the gameplay scenario. The program has been met with skepticism, but it has also been praised for its innovative approach to training. Master Sgt. Christine Monroig, the staff noncommissioned officer in charge at the sergeant school, initially skeptical of the program, came to see its value after experiencing it firsthand. She recognized its potential to enhance communication, decision-making, adaptability, and cognitive performance in a dynamic and engaging environment. The program is currently only available at the sergeant school in Quantico, with a capacity for 25 students, but the Marine Corps plans to expand it to other bases. The long-term goal is to build an LLM capable of monitoring exercises and conducting after-action reviews for individual Marines, as well as to evolve into direct military training applications, particularly for drone operations. The program's success and potential applications suggest that video game-based learning could be a valuable tool for military training, with the potential to enhance cognitive performance and leadership skills in a variety of contexts.
