How does the U.S. military train its soldiers for new forms of armed conflict, all within the constraints of diminished defense budgets? Increasingly the answer is cutting-edge video game technology. Corey Mead takes us behind the scenes at training sessions where soldiers play multiplayer “missions” that test combat skills, develop unit cohesion, and teach cultural awareness. He immerses himself in 3-D battle simulations so convincing that they leave his heart racing. And he shows how the military, which has shaped American education more than any other force over the last century, is now influencing the adoption of games as learning tools—and recruitment come-ons. As he reveals, school districts in all fifty states are rolling out virtual high school courses built on the hugely popular America’s Army, a game created by the military to identify potential recruits and sell them on joining up. Mead also details how the military uses games to prepare soldiers for their return to the home front and to treat PTSD. Throughout, he offers frank insights on whether games are the best way to make our soldiers battle-ready and keep them healthy.

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