Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center
Virtual Combat Support Training Range (vCSTR) — scaling expeditionary readiness for Agile Combat Employment
The Challenge
The Air Force's shift to Agile Combat Employment (ACE) fundamentally changed what readiness means. Instead of operating from large, fixed installations, Airmen must now deploy to dispersed, austere locations across the Pacific — smaller teams, fewer resources, and no guarantee of dedicated support personnel.
This creates a cross-training problem at scale. A mechanic or logistics specialist may need to conduct post-attack reconnaissance (PAR) sweeps, or support base defense. Under ACE, every Airman must be certified on combat support tasks outside their primary specialty — integrated defense, base recovery after attack, UXO identification, and rapid airfield damage repair.
The Air Force's AFFORGEN cycle requires units to certify these skills before deployment. But physical Combat Support Training Ranges are limited — only two sites at initial operating capability, with four more planned. Units cannot repeatedly travel to these national assets for the repetitions needed to build proficiency. The constraint is not willingness to train. It is access and throughput.
The Solution
AFIMSC partnered with Street Smarts VR through the AFWERX Challenge Commercial Solutions Opening to develop the virtual Combat Support Training Range (vCSTR) — an on-demand, immersive training capability designed to supplement physical range access.
vCSTR covers AFFORGEN 100–200 level tasks and Ready Airman Training across the core ACE skillsets: command and control, integrated base defense (including small arms, combined arms, and drone threats), base recovery after attack, post-attack reconnaissance, and rapid airfield damage repair. The system deploys as a portable kit that units can operate themselves — no instructor cadre required, no travel to a centralized facility.
The contract was awarded August 27, 2024. Development focused on replicating the high-pressure, multi-tasking environment of combat support operations — where Airmen must communicate, coordinate, and execute under conditions that cannot be safely created at home station.
The Outcome
In September 2024, Airmen from the 23rd Air Task Force tested vCSTR during a three-day training event. Feedback from Airmen and leadership was positive regarding the system's ability to replicate complex combat support tasks safely and at scale.
"The system is beneficial for multitasking and communication skills under high-pressure scenarios."
— Master Sgt. Cody Medsker, 23rd Air Task Force
AFIMSC is now exploring vCSTR's evolution into a credentialed, enterprise-wide training capability — moving beyond supplemental training toward formal qualification and certification aligned with AFFORGEN requirements.