101st CAB Tests VR-Based NeuroTrainer to Boost Cognitive Readiness

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. – Helicopter pilots in the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade are continually finding ways to improve their cognitive abilities to meet the mental demands of flying. In July of this year, the Department of War identified specialized units to test the NeuroTrainer cognitive development system and determine its effectiveness for integration into aviation training. The 101st CAB kicked off its 32-week pilot test of NeuroTrainer, Oct. 20, 2026.

“There’s a great deal of interest in cognitive performance at the Department of War,” said Noah Rolland, chief executive officer of NeuroTrainer. “Everyone will acknowledge how important the brain is, so the question then isn’t just how do we train the brain, but how do we know we’re doing something that is effective? And that’s the quest we are on.”

NeuroTrainer is an Oculus-based trainer designed to prime or awaken the brain for tasks that demand significant mental effort. For the 101st CAB, such tasks include low-level flight or nighttime air assault missions. The 101st CAB Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) team, who are monitoring the tests, believes the system could help identify mental barriers of pilots.

“I think this device could bring awareness to some of the underlying issues affecting our pilots,” said Victor Rodriguez, cognitive performance specialist for the 101st CAB H2F. “The performance results could help us recognize when to discuss stress, oversaturation, or emotional regulation with them to help them improve.”

The pilot test at Fort Campbell will mirror DoW directed assessments occurring at other units such as the Navy Aviation Weapons School, Air Force Special Operations Squadron, and the 75th Ranger Regiment. Participants think that the system presented a moderate challenge.

“It had a little bit of a learning curve to start,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Eric Low, a CH-47 Chinook maintenance test pilot who tested the NeuroTrainer. “Once you start to get the hang of it, it felt like a video game. I like how it challenged different aspects of hand-eye coordination and the ability to track multiple objects at the same time.”

The first phase of the assessment is the design validation period in which 101st CAB Soldiers will take part in a group onboarding session and have individualized familiarization training before being evaluated in a helicopter simulator. Assessment planners trust the unit was the best pick to collect feedback from rotary-wing experts.

“The 101st is at the tip of the spear for innovative and developing technology,” said Chief Warrant Officer 5 Derrick Nunley, the coordinator for the pilot testing. “We run missions on every aircraft platform, have the only heavy lift battalion in the Army, and do air assault missions better than any other unit, so this is the premier unit to help determine if this system can be a valuable tool to add to the aviation inventory.”

Ultimately, the testing will help the DoW to decide if the NeuroTrainer can enhance the aviation mission and build aircrew members mental resiliency.

“It’s beneficial for Soldiers to work on their cognitive ability and grow so they can be more adaptable to their environment,” said Rodriguez. Their job is unpredictable, so mental performance is crucial for them to be ready to fight.”

“In modern military flight, the challenge on the human being increases every year,” said Rolland. “We can’t train pilots to be better or faster by just doing what we’ve done in the past. We’re pushing more information and hardware into the cockpit, so pilots are looking and listening to multiple layers of data. This is getting to a point where the human being is the slowest part of the process. We want to keep humans in the loop and can only do that if we improve their processor, which is the brain.”

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