In 2024, the U.S. Army National Guard determined that Soldiers were struggling to pass their individual weapons qualification exam on the first attempt. Field trainers sought a solution that would give teams additional, realistic practice opportunities before taking the official assessment.

A fully immersive, 20-minute, VR training experience was provided, along with one Articulate Storyline course that integrated 360-camera stills. The final VR product featured a first‑person target‑shooting experience that allowed Soldiers to rehearse the full exam sequence. An implementation guide was also provided in the package that included discussion questions leaders could use to further learning after completing the VR training.

Carolyn conducted multiple interviews with U.S. Army National Guard leadership to understand the performance gaps and training environment. She determined that a virtual reality (VR) training solution would best support Soldiers by immersing them in the exam setting and allowing them to practice target engagement according to official qualification standards.

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​To ensure accuracy and authenticity, Carolyn reviewed relevant Army doctrine outlining the exam requirements and collaborated with numerous stakeholders to validate training protocols. She then developed a comprehensive storyboard detailing all instructional and UX design elements for the VR product, which was approved by leadership prior to development.

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Working with a Virtual Reality developer (Unity), and Army leadership, Carolyn oversaw the design, development of the VR end-product.

The VR product was well received by leadership, and successfully promoted through the Army’s LMS.

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Carolyn received two awards from Booz Allen for this project, including the Silver Award and Passionate Service Award.