Graphic training aids

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Graphic training aids (GTAs) are materials that help people train and learn. They come as models, displays, slides, books, pictures, and media presentations.

In World War II, GTAs were in high demand because many new recruits meant faster, better training. Trainers often used large replicas of weapons, like an M1 Garand rifle, as a hands-on reference in class. Exploded-view drawings of rifles were also used to show how parts fit together.

In the Vietnam era, GTAs even used comics. For example, a GTA called M16A1 Operation and Preventive Maintenance taught soldiers how to maintain an M16, with art by Will Eisner, and it was popular with young infantry.

Army GTAs, field manuals, and other training materials are produced by organizations such as the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), the Army Training Support Center (ATSC), G3, and the Training Aids Service Center (TASC).

Beyond the military, many GTAs exist for civilian training, especially safety and workplace training, produced by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).