What’s the story?
The U.S. Army National Guard has launched ‘Disasterville,’ a mixed reality experience for high schools to simulate emergency response missions.
Why it matters
The program provides students with a technical look at how communication and problem-solving are used to manage large-scale domestic disasters.
The bigger picture
The Disasterville tour highlights how immersive tech can be deployed as a nationwide roadshow to provide educational experiences to members of the public.
March 5, 2026 – The U.S. Army National Guard, a component of the U.S. Army that provides domestic emergency response and federal support, has recently launched a nationwide tour featuring a mixed reality (MR) experience designed for high school students. The ‘Disasterville’ initiative utilizes hands-on simulations to demonstrate how National Guard personnel respond to natural disasters and domestic emergencies.
According to the organization, Disasterville features three 10-minute “immersive missions” that transform high school gyms into mission-oriented disaster zones. Students work in teams while wearing virtual reality (VR) headsets to complete specific objectives based on real-world scenarios, including:
- Wildfire: Teams work to extinguish fires encroaching on residential areas, rescue animals, and navigate hazards such as falling trees.
- Flood Zone: Participants use a virtual Zodiac boat to locate and evacuate survivors and avoid hazards following a hurricane.
- Earthquake: Students use specialized tools, such as the Jaws of Life, to rescue civilians and clear debris following a train derailment involving hazardous materials.
The program aims to provide students with an overview of, and highlight the skill sets required for disaster response. By participating in these high-tech missions, students are guided through simulations that require communication and problem-solving to address threats to communities and landscapes.
The Army National Guard added that the experiences give students a front-row seat to the role of National Guard personnel in disaster response “as the presence of natural disasters continues to rise in communities and around the country.”
Disasterville is scheduled to visit select high schools throughout February and March in Detroit, Michigan; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Omaha, Nebraska.
Image / video credit: U.S. Army National Guard / YourUpdateTV
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Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix, where he has spent years immersed in the XR ecosystem, tracking its evolution from early prototypes to the technologies shaping the future of human experience. While primarily covering the latest AR and VR news, his interests extend to the wider world of human augmentation, from AI and robotics to haptics, wearables, and brain–computer interfaces.