Beyond Combat: Turning a Gymnasium Into a Disaster Zone

Addison Trail High School students battled wildfires, navigated flooded neighborhoods and searched through earthquake debris Oct. 2, all without leaving their school gymnasium.
The students participated in Welcome to Disasterville, an Army virtual reality experience that places participants in simulated natural disasters and challenges them to respond as a team. While the technology gave students an opportunity to experience disaster response virtually, the event also introduced them to a side of military service they may not normally associate to the military.
For Staff Sgt. Robert Pelczarski, showing students that distinction was an important part of bringing the experience to Addison Trail.
Pelczarski said events like Disasterville are a way to show students missions they may not see associated with other branches of the military, particularly the National Guard’s role in natural disaster relief.
“The military isn’t a bunch of Soldiers in combat,” Pelczarski said, explaining that military service includes career paths in more than 140 fields and opportunities in multiple locations throughout the country.
As both a state and federal force, the National Guard can be called upon to support communities during domestic emergencies, including natural disasters like earthquakes, floods and wildfires. Pelczarski said the Guard’s state mission gives Soldiers an opportunity to respond when communities need assistance, and Disasterville allows students to experience a representation of those missions.
“The National Guard has a state mission to respond to natural disasters,” Pelczarski said. “We are here to show them they have that opportunity.”
That opportunity became real as students put on virtual reality headsets and entered one of three simulated emergencies: a wildfire, flood or earthquake.
Working in teams of five, students were fitted for a headset and guided throughout 8 to 10 minute scenarios to complete each mission. Instead of simply watching a video or demonstration , students physically interacted with equipment and their surroundings while responding to situations unfolding through their headsets.
In the flood scenario, students climbed into a boat and used oars to navigate around obstacles while searching for survivors. Headlamps assisted them as they moved through the simulated flooded environment and located people needing help.
The wildfire scenario placed students in the path of spreading fires. Students worked with hoses and other equipment to extinguish fires and protect the surrounding area.
During the earthquake scenario, students maneuvered through damaged structures and used simulated rescue equipment, including the jaws of life, while attempting to reach survivors and bring them to safety.
The scenarios are designed to do something a traditional classroom presentation cannot. The virtual reality headset allows students to actively experience the mission.
Pelczarski described the scenarios as a chance for students to get “firsthand experience” with something they may actually be called upon to do if they choose to serve.
“Bringing augmented reality into the classroom gives something a PowerPoint can’t,” Pelczarski said.
The physical elements surrounding the students added another layer to the virtual experience.
As students worked through the scenes, event staff members rocked the boat and sprayed mist towards the students giving them an added lifelike experience.
Autumn Goffigan, a tour manager with the agency partnered with the Army National Guard to provide the Disasterville experience, said the simulations are based on real world disaster experiences.
“All of the experiences are based off real experience,” Goffigan said.
She said allowing students to move through those situations helps them get a sense of what responding to an emergency can feel like and understand that helping their communities is something they can potentially do themselves.
The scenarios also reflect emergencies that have affected communities across the country. Pelczarski pointed to recent wildfires and flooding as examples of why the missions portrayed through Disasterville are relevant to the National Guard.
For the students, however, the experience was about more than learning how Soldiers respond to a disaster. It offered a different perspective on what serving in the military can mean.
Pelczarski said some students arrived with preconceived ideas about military service.
“Most are excited to participate,” Pelczarski said “A few of them had preconceived notions. They were excited to see it in a different light.”
That different light includes the ability to pursue a civilian career while simultaneously serving in the National Guard and serving their community in a non-combat environment.
That light may be particularly relevant to students who have had limited exposure to the military.
Addison Trail High School recently established its Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC) program, which includes juniors and seniors. Bringing Disasterville to the school gave students a firsthand look at military service beyond the traditional image of combat and allowed the opportunity for them to learn by doing.
For Pelczarski, exposing students to those experiences is part of showing them the range of possibilities available through military service.
For a student who primarily associates a military uniform with combat, seeing Soldiers serve during those emergencies can provide a broader picture of the Guard’s mission. The disasters were simulated, but the missions they represented were not.
And for students who may have walked into the gymnasium with one idea of what it means to wear the uniform, Pelczarski hoped the experience showed them there is much more to military service than they may have previously imagined.

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