By Dr. Randall W. Hill, Jr, Executive Director of the USC Institute for Creative Technologies, Vice Dean of the Viterbi School of Engineering, and the Omar B. Milligan Professor in Computer Science (Games and Interactive Media).
After graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point, Dr. Randall W. Hill Jr served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army, with assignments in field artillery and military intelligence, before earning his Masters and PhD in Computer Science from USC. He then worked at NASA JPL in the Deep Space Network Advanced Technology Program, before joining the USC Information Sciences Institute to pursue models of human behavior and decision-making for real-time simulation environments. This research brought him to ICT as a Senior Scientist in 2000, and then promoted to Executive Director in 2006. Dr. Hill is a member of the American Association for Artificial Intelligence and has authored over 80 technical publications.
In his first statement to the US military [Secretary Hegseth’s Message to the Force] Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth laid out his mandate: “Achieve Peace through Strength. We will do this in three ways — by restoring the warrior ethos, rebuilding our military, and reestablishing deterrence.” In his first meeting with the heads of the US military academies (including my own alma mater, West Point), Secretary of Defense Hegseth spoke directly to those tasked with building the Next Generation of military leaders, emphasizing the following qualities: “Leadership, standards, excellence, war fighting, and readiness.” The Iraq and Afghanistan war Veteran then went on to say: “We must restore the warrior ethos to the Department of Defense — and it starts with our future leaders.”
Secretary Hegseth’s sentiment is clear: the armed forces must reinvigorate the warrior ethos. This principle, which underscores the values of courage, discipline, and integrity, is fundamental to ensuring our military remains a formidable force. However, instilling these qualities requires more than just traditional training methods—it necessitates an evolution in how we cultivate leadership skills.
Leadership in the military is not an innate trait; it is a skill honed through rigorous training, real-world experience, and innovative educational methodologies. Throughout my career, I have sought to understand and develop the tools that shape effective leaders. From my early days as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army to my current role as Executive Director of the USC Institute for Creative Technologies (ICT), I have remained steadfast in my belief that military leadership is both an art and a science—one that can be refined through cutting-edge technological advancements.
Which is where we come in at the USC Institute for Creative Technologies.
The Department of Defense Mandate for ICT
Established in 1999, USC Institute for Creative Technologies (ICT) is a Department of Defense (DoD) University Affiliated Research Center (UARC) and a division of USC Viterbi School of Engineering. Our mandate was, and remains, to create immersive training systems to improve decision-making, build better leaders, and support the acquisition of other foundational skills.
25 years later, ICT has 17 Labs, and conducts award-winning R&D in: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Computer Graphics, Geospatial Sciences, Human Performance, Learning Sciences, Modeling, Simulation & Gaming, Mixed Reality (MxR), Medical VR, Narrative and Virtual Humans. We build concepts, demos and prototypes which are cost-effective, agile and adaptive. Through our relationships with industry and branches of the Department of Defense, we get access to next generation government data sets to advance human computer interaction.
Because we are based in L.A. we draw on regional strengths, with our proximity to strategic military bases including the National Training Center, Camp Pendleton and the Navy’s China Lake, as well as the technology industry in Silicon Beach. ICT is committed to supporting Army gaps and priorities such as: Human-Machine Integrated Formations (HMIF); Low Overhead Next Gen Constructive Sims to Support LSCO; Simulation Support to MDO (EW, Cyber); Wargaming for Upper Echelons; Support to Recruiting; and General Use of AI.
As a trusted agent, the UARC plays an important program management role, undertaking the following tasks: Defining Requirements; Source Selection (non-voting); Collaboration with Program Executives and Programs of Record; Subject Matter Expertise (SME) support to government organizations.
Many ICT projects have become DoD POR (Programs of Record) including research which led to: One World Terrain; DisasterSim; ELITE; JFETS; Mobile C-IED Trainer (MCIT); Tactical Questioning IEWTPT; ELECT-BiLat; UrbanSim (Games for Training POR).
One of our longest-running projects is the Emergent Leader Immersive Training Environment (ELITE).- and worth examining in the light of Secretary of Defense Hegseth’s inaugural speech.
The ELITE Training Platform: Revolutionizing Leadership Development
At ICT, our mission is to leverage technology to enhance military training. One of our most significant contributions in this domain is the Emergent Leader Immersive Training Environment (ELITE). ELITE is a state-of-the-art instructional platform designed to provide soldiers with realistic and interactive training scenarios, utilizing virtual human role-players and advanced artificial intelligence-driven feedback mechanisms. It’is currently managed by the Mixed Reality (MxR) Lab, under the leadership of MxR Director David Nelson, and David Cobbins, a US Army veteran (combat medic), is ELITE’s Project Leader.
Traditional military training has long relied on classroom instruction, role-playing exercises, and mentorship programs. While effective, these methods have limitations in scalability, consistency, and accessibility. ELITE addresses these gaps by offering:
- Realistic Scenarios – Soldiers engage with AI-powered virtual characters that replicate real-world interactions, from counseling subordinates to handling complex ethical dilemmas.
- Structured Feedback – The system provides real-time assessments and coaching, allowing users to refine their leadership approaches dynamically.
- Flexibility and Accessibility – ELITE can be utilized in both classroom settings and online, enabling soldiers to train at their own pace and revisit challenging concepts as needed.
The impact of ELITE has been profound. Since December 2022, over 2,000 soldiers and civilians have received training certifications via the ELITE-WEB system. Mobile training teams have introduced over 1,000 professionals to the platform, and the Army Research Institute (ARI) validated its effectiveness in an independent evaluation. The program is now an integral part of leadership courses at institutions such as West Point.
The Future of Military Leadership Training
As the nature of warfare evolves, so too must our methods for preparing military leaders. The future of ELITE lies in its continuous development, incorporating emerging technologies such as natural language processing, adaptive learning algorithms, and mobile optimization.
Our goal is to create an even more immersive and responsive training environment—one that mirrors the complexities of modern leadership challenges.
Furthermore, ELITE represents a broader shift toward integrating virtual human technology into leadership development. By combining research in behavioral sciences with advanced simulation capabilities, we can equip future military leaders with the skills they need to navigate high-stakes environments with confidence and precision.
Leaders Enhanced & Applied Doctrine System [LEADS]
The ICT team which developed ELITE has also recently completed a prototype of the Leaders Enhanced & Applied Doctrine System [LEADS] application. This is an interactive simulated role-playing training environment for next gen commanding officers, giving them the skills to operate effectively and according to doctrine in Large Scale Combat Operations. ICT worked closely with both the Command and General Staff College (CGSC) and the Mission Command Center of Excellence (MCCOE) to develop narrative scenario-based lessons that support learning objectives and formal user-study design.
LEADS is under consideration for the Army Expeditionary Warrior Experiment (AEWE) 2026, a large-scale military exercise where soldiers test and evaluate new technologies and equipment within combat scenarios, focusing on future expeditionary warfare needs. LEADS will enable Army leadership to evaluate effectiveness in knowledge acquisition and retention in LSCO/MDO contexts, informing future development and integration into Army training programs.
Building Next Gen Military Leaders
Building military leaders is an ongoing endeavor—one that requires innovation, dedication, and a willingness to adapt. At ICT, we remain committed to advancing the frontiers of training and education, ensuring that our armed forces are prepared for the challenges of tomorrow.
Through platforms like ELITE, and LEADS, we are not just training soldiers; we are shaping the next generation of leaders who will uphold the highest standards of excellence and integrity in service to their country.
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