Artificial intelligence and digital simulation tools are transforming how the military trains its future medical workforce. Military doctors, nurses, medics, and U.S. Navy corpsmen can now rehearse battlefield care in the field, trauma bays, or even downrange: repeating each task until it feels natural, all without touching a patient.
U.S. Air Force Maj. Meki Bocage, deputy chief of the Defense Health Agency’s medical modernization and simulation division, summed up the advantages of these tools, saying, “Simulation tools allow the medical workforce to get their sets and reps with realistic simulators and equipment.” She pointed out the newest models, “create live-resuscitation scenarios, and provide immediate, human, realistic responses.”
Many of these simulation products were on display for leaders across the DHA and Military Health System during the Medical Modeling, Simulation, and Pre-Hospital Innovation Expo at the Defense Health Headquarters in Falls Church, Virginia, on July 15, 2025. The event brought together more than 20 companies to demonstrate the latest in digital technology.
The event provides MHS leaders the opportunity to speak with vendors and innovators to discuss the future and how their products may enhance military health care in one place. Bocage said, “The expo allows leadership to see what innovative medical modernization and simulation capabilities that are out there and available.”
Real combat trauma leaves no room for hesitation or mistakes, yet most uniformed clinicians do not get needed battlefield injury training daily, usually only treating everyday illnesses between deployments. Simulation offers unlimited training on complex tasks without harming patients or wasting supplies, and in a shorter time frame.
U.S. Army Col. Ryan Bible, deputy assistant director of DHA’s education and training directorate, called the shift “a game changer,” noting, “the ability to get real-world experience based on a significant pool of data …we get years’ worth of trauma experience in a matter of minutes using this technology.” Virtual platforms extend that realism, where loops within the same scenario turn rare battlefield events into routine muscle memory.
New Tools and the 2025 MHS Digital Transformation Strategy
The MHS strategy lists four main lines of effort: modernize military medical infrastructure, develop digital care models, develop a digitally competent medical workforce, and integrate artificial intelligence and data management. Digital tools advance each goal.
Bible said, “There’s a direct line to the digital transformation strategy … it helps ensure that it’s synergistic across the enterprise, from point of injury to definitive care.”
He stressed the importance of “having a provider that benefits from the AI and simulation tools we have … you no longer have the days of a young doctor out there practicing medicine without real-world experience.”
Simulation checks every box, he says. Virtual reality labs modernize the infrastructure. Portable headsets let medics rehearse battlefield care wherever they are and in between patient visits. Data captured from every training repetition feeds dashboards that enhance learning and training scenarios and turn instructors into data scientists. Algorithms fueled by the new data can predict when skills may need to be polished, and enhanced medics can stay ahead of their training.
Global Learning Environment
MHS leaders envision a “dynamic learning environment,” according to the strategy, where medical personnel in a military hospital or clinic, on a ship, or on the battlefield can join the same scenarios or hear identical vitals and receive feedback within seconds.
“We want to create a comprehensive and holistic learning ecosystem that spans from hospital to battlefield,” said U.S. Army Col. Paul Kwon, chief of DHA’s medical modernization and simulation division. “That continuum of care—from point of injury through the definitive roles of care—is essential for supporting a ready medical force.”
Digital simulation does more than entertain; it produces biometric and task data. Kwon explained how gamified modules run on low-bandwidth tablets, so a corpsman on night watch can treat a blast victim, upload results, and receive a custom refresher before dawn. “The flexibility slashes travel costs and lets units train without pulling clinicians from clinics,” said Kwon.
Turning Practice into Readiness
Every digital pulse and airway attempt generates metrics and data, said Jacqueline Haven, DHA Academy lead. “This data can then lead to more specific training interventions that advance your skills development in a way that’s very targeted to your specific needs. The analytics give us targeted, skill-based training interventions. That’s powerful. It’s not just better training—it’s smarter training,” she said.
Military leaders can now see which medics need a certain training refresher and schedule a shorter drill instead of sending them to a week-long course, and predictive dashboards will soon alert leaders before skills may slip.
Simulation also answers a mandate from the National Defense Authorization Act to adopt best practices from civilian trauma centers while lowering costs. “Simulation training … saves costs. It saves resources. It saves time. It can be at the point of need,” said Kwon. The approach cuts live-tissue labs, reduces bio-waste, and avoids ethical concerns.
Scenarios once limited by space or travel budgets now play out anywhere a secure network reaches remote clinics, forward operating bases, and aboard hospital ships.
Advanced simulation works as a “digital health force multiplier,” said Bible, noting that, ultimately, these digital tools ensure the health and safety of the warfighter is in the hands of thoroughly trained medics. “It cuts preventable deaths and gives every trainee as many tries as needed.”
“Simulation training saves time, saves money, and saves lives,” said Kwon. “And most importantly—it ensures the health and safety of our warfighters are in the best hands possible.”