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Tactical Combat Casualty Care Training in the U.S. Military: A Comparative Cost Assessment Between Virtual Reality
Jodie Mangor1, Cheryl Lockhart1, Jennifer S Polson1
1SimX, Inc., San Jose, CA 95113-1605, United States.
Military Medicine
|August 6, 2026
Summary
Virtual reality (VR) medical training is significantly more cost-effective and time-efficient than traditional manikin-based simulation for Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) training. VR offers a scalable solution for military medical training, reducing costs by approximately 90% and increasing trainee throughput by 3.8-fold.
Area of Science:
- Operational Medicine
- Medical Simulation
- Virtual Reality Training
Background:
- Military operational medicine faces increasing complexity and training burdens.
- Traditional manikin-based Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) training is resource-intensive and difficult to scale.
- Virtual Reality (VR) shows promise as a cost-efficient and time-efficient training modality, with comparable learning outcomes in certain domains.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a direct per-learner cost and time-efficiency analysis comparing VR simulation with manikin-based simulation for a TCCC capstone scenario.
- To address the lack of standardized cost comparisons between VR and traditional medical simulation methods.
Main Methods:
- Analyzed annual cost and operational data from a military medical simulation training site for a TCCC Level II capstone scenario.
- Utilized a direct per-learner, per-scenario comparison of VR and manikin-based simulation.
- Annualized capital and maintenance costs, allocated proportionally by platform utilization.
- Calculated per-learner costs and total class time, projecting over a 3-year period with constant assumptions.
Main Results:
- VR simulation costs were approximately 90% lower per learner compared to manikin-based simulation under an incremental cost model.
- VR simulation enabled an approximately 3.8-fold increase in modeled trainee throughput when including setup, execution, and teardown times.
- VR simulation significantly reduced total class time for the standardized TCCC capstone scenario.
Conclusions:
- VR simulation is a more cost-efficient and time-efficient option for a standardized TCCC capstone scenario compared to manikin-based simulation.
- VR offers a scalable solution for scenario-based military medical training, especially in resource-constrained environments.
- VR training can complement manikin-based simulation for developing tactile psychomotor skills.
