text: Execution
  * Weapons systems safety awareness and compliance.
  * Soldier confidence in assigned weapons systems and leader confidence in individual and collective
  readiness.
  * Risk management processes and procedures.
  4-15. The foundation of unit live-fire proficiency is proficiency with individual and crew-served weapons.
  Units then progressively train to proficiency at the fire team, squad, platoon, and company levels. Battalions
  conduct combined arms live-fire training with proficient companies. Brigades do the same with their
  proficient battalions, ultimately employing joint fires when resources allow.
  4-16. Live-fire training progresses in three stages:
  * Prerequisite training.
  * Weapons qualification (such as individual, crew served, and platform).
  * Live-fire.
  (See appendix I for more information on live-fire training.)
  SIMULATIONS
  4-17. Commanders conduct training in a live environment as much as possible. There are times when
  conducting training in a strictly live environment is not possible or practical. Simulations allow unlimited
  sets and repetitions to train and retrain skills allowing individuals and units to enter live training at a much
  higher level of proficiency and competency. With a simulation’s continued use, units can better sustain levels
  of proficiency. Senior leaders ensure simulations remain relevant, challenging, and are included in
  qualification standards. Examples of training simulations include—
  * Aviation simulators.
  * Unit conduct of fire trainers.
  * Driver training simulators.
  * Call for fire trainers.
  * Constructive and virtual (to include gaming) training support.
  4-18. Simulations allow commanders to plan training and think innovatively. They give commanders the
  ability to leverage multiple technologies to link live, virtual, and constructive training environments to best
  replicate an expanded operational environment. For example, simulations enhance the command and staff
  experience at mission training complexes by integrating real-time external inputs to replicate a more complete
  operational picture.
  4-19. Every installation manages simulation resources for unit use—commanders know the simulations
  available and incorporate their use as they plan and execute training. Simulations are an integral component
  to live, virtual, and constructive training environments. (See appendix J for more on training environments.)
  LEVERAGING MULTIECHELON TRAINING AND LIVE, VIRTUAL,
  AND CONSTRUCTIVE TRAINING
  4-20. Commanders use all available training environments to maximize realism to multiechelon training.
  This is especially important in an era of declining training budgets, limited training resources, and available
  time to train. Commanders must be knowledgeable of and integrate all possible assets available to make
  training as realistic and challenging as possible. This integration of multiechelon training and use of live,
  virtual, and constructive training resources takes leadership, foresight, and detailed planning and execution.
  4-21. As an example, some units deploying to the National Training Center (known as NTC) conduct
  multiechelon training by incorporating live and constructive simulation training and distributed learning
  capabilities back to home station, to include additional division enablers. This technique incorporates live
  training and leverages significant technological capabilities of constructive simulations while geographically
  dispersed. Such an integrated technique adds a dimension of realism not possible or practical by training in
  a live environment only.