Navy using mission simulator to recruit new talent
MIAMI - It's not quite an arcade game, but it gives Nolan Chase a real feel of a rescue mission.
"This is a tracking suit so you can actually feel what's going on around you," Chase said. "It's pretty interesting."
It's reminding him why he wanted to join the military, but he doesn't want to drive boats, he wants to fix planes.
"Stuff like this, extractions don't always have to be on the water, they can definitely be in helicopters and planes or whatever," Chase said. "And that's something I'd really like to do.
The simulator is called the Nimitz. It's on an eighteen-wheeler that travels the country.
It is part of the Navy's approach towards connecting with young people, as they recruit the next generation of STEM students, which stands for science technology engineering and mathematics.
The atmosphere of an arcade is how they get their attention.
"We're more likely to get individuals to come out and participate and at the end of that presentation, we can then talk to you about stem programs that we offer in the Navy.
Chief Petty Officer Cyril Totimeh says the Navy really needs more engineers for nuclear propulsion, which is how aircraft carriers and submarines are powered.
If someone signs up, they usually go to school for two years, which is all paid for by the Navy.
"You're taught by MIT professors," Totimeh said. "You're taught about power, reactor, its state of the art, cutting edge."
While Samuel Docteur knows how to use his upper body strength at the Nimitz, he'd like to use a different muscle, his brain. With that, he can help expand the use of robots in the Navy.
"I'm really focused on like keeping the damage, the risk of people dying to a minimum," Docteur said. "By replacing that with robotics instead."
And Chase wants to continue his family tradition of serving. He'll follow his father and grandfather's footsteps in working with Military machines.
"I inspire to fly or work on some sort of aircraft," Chase said. "And I think keeping that tradition going is definitely a great motivator."