Army National Guard Launches Disasterville: First Mixed-Reality Experience to Put Students on the Frontlines of Disaster Relief Missions

At a Glance

• This spring, the U.S. Army National Guard is bringing Disasterville – a new mixed-reality experience – to high school students nationwide, demonstrating how National Guard Soldiers respond to natural disasters and emergencies through hands-on simulations.
• Disasterville immerses students within full-scale, mission-oriented disaster zones, including wildfires, floods, and earthquakes, to team up and tackle each disaster the same way as the Guard, by combining communication, physical endurance, and ingenuity to save lives, landscape, and their communities.
• Disasterville introduces students to the types of careers available in the Army National Guard – a unique component within the U.S. Army where Soldiers have the flexibility to serve their country as well as pursue their civilian personal and professional passions.
• Guard Soldiers maintain a civilian job or pursue education while serving in the Army part-time.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As natural disasters become an increasing presence in communities around the country, the Army National Guard is launching Disasterville, a new mixed-reality experience that gives high school students a front-row seat to what it takes to prepare and respond when disaster strikes. Disasterville is the first major experiential buildout of the “Uncommon in Calling” campaign, which launched in May 2025 to illustrate the types of “uncommon” individuals the country leans on to get the job done.

“Many young Americans are unaware of the wide-ranging skills of Army National Guard Soldiers and their critical role in disaster response,” says Staff Sgt. Adam Szabo, State Media Services Program & Marketing NCO with the National Guard Bureau’s Marketing and Advertising Branch. “Disasterville aims to bridge that gap by putting students in the center of the high-impact missions that National Guard Soldiers lead in communities across the country. We hope to introduce the next generation to the skills-training and real-world impact that awaits them in the Guard.”

Students Team Up to Learn New Skills, Save Lives, and Communities

Leveraging advanced technology typically found at high-end amusement parks, Disasterville features three 10-minute missions most common to Army National Guard response efforts. Working together in teams of five, each mission draws on the communication, physical endurance, and decision-making skills of trained Soldiers as they power up and are called to service at the following sites:

• WILDFIRE. Amid a raging wildfire, teams work together to push back fires encroaching on a home in Disaster Canyon. Students will put out small wildfires, combine forces to push back larger flare-ups, save animals, and dodge falling trees.
• FLOOD ZONE. After a major hurricane, civilians are fighting to stay above water on the streets they call home. Students will board their Zodiac and use headlamps to find and safely evacuate survivors while avoiding dangerous wildlife and other lurking hazards.
• EARTHQUAKE. After a devastating earthquake, a train carrying hazardous chemicals and passengers derails, pinning civilians and spilling dangerous material, poisoning the air. Time ticks down as students arm themselves with the jaws of life to rescue survivors and clean up debris, all before the train gives way under its own weight.

Transforming High School Gyms into Disaster Zones with Advanced Technology

Disasterville utilizes advanced mixed-reality technology with augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) graphics mapped to large plywood structures, creating a free-roam virtual neighborhood experience in high school gyms. Students wear virtual reality headsets with multiplayer, local-network tracking to engage with classmates in-game as the structures around them become devastated buildings, debris, rough terrain, and hazards, and they must rescue people in need. The technology also features advanced hand tracking, eliminating the need for game controllers and allowing students to interact with others and physically use in-game props and Army National Guard rescue tools like oars, hoses, chainsaws, and the jaws of life.

“Disasterville is more than VR,” says Lieutenant Colonel Ted Dunham, Chief of the U.S. Army National Guard Marketing Branch. “We spent three years improving our immersive experiences so we could be sure we’re bringing students as close to the thrill of the mission and realities of the challenges that Guard Soldiers face as they serve their neighbors and country. The simulated missions take job shadowing to a whole new level in a world that powerfully blends physical and virtual environments.”

Disasterville was brought to life with the help of extended reality (XR) industry expert Dale Carman. Carman is the co-founder and executive creative director at Groove Jones, which has over 25 years of experience in feature films, immersive tech, and branded productions.

Following an initial preview at the BEYA STEM Conference in Baltimore, Md., from February 12-14, 2026, Disasterville will tour to select high schools and National Guard armories throughout February and March in the following cities: Washington, D.C.; Detroit, Mich.; Indianapolis, Ind.; and Omaha, Neb. At each tour stop, a specialized tour crew will ensure the safety of and guide participants through each mission. Army National Guard recruiters will also be available to connect with students and answer questions about Guard service.

For more information on the Army National Guard, visit NationalGuard.com.

Supplementary Information

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is Disasterville, and how does the experience work?
A: Disasterville is a new mixed-reality experience from the U.S. Army National Guard touring the nation, transforming gymnasiums into full-scale, mission-oriented disaster zones to show students how National Guard Soldiers respond to natural disasters and emergencies through hands-on simulations. Students wear Meta Quest 3 headsets with multiplayer, local-network tracking to engage with classmates in-game as the structures around them become devastated buildings, debris, rough terrain, hazards, and people in need. Students are guided firsthand through high-tech, virtual missions, working together in teams to tackle three disaster zones — wildfire, flood zone, and earthquake — the same way as the Guard, by combining communication, physical endurance, and ingenuity to save lives, landscape, and their communities.

Q: Where will Disasterville be traveling?
A: Disasterville will tour to select high schools and National Guard armories throughout February and March in the following cities: Washington, D.C.; Detroit, Mich.; Indianapolis, Ind.; and Omaha, Neb. At each tour stop, a specialized tour crew will ensure the safety of and guide participants through each mission. Army National Guard recruiters will also be available to connect with students and answer questions about Guard service.    

Q: What do Army National Guard Soldiers do? Where and how do they serve?
A: With a presence in 54 states and territories, the Army National Guard is a unique component of the U.S. Army where Soldiers serve part-time to support communities in their home state by responding to domestic emergencies and at the federal level as standby support for Active Duty Soldiers. Serving at least one weekend a month and two weeks a year, National Guard Soldiers have the flexibility to pursue their civilian personal and professional passions.

Q: Where can I learn more about opportunities in the Army National Guard?
A: For more information on the opportunities in the National Guard, visit NationalGuard.com.

About the Army National Guard (ARNG):
With a presence in 54 states and territories, the Army National Guard is a unique component of the U.S. Army where Soldiers support communities in their home state by responding to domestic emergencies and at the federal level as standby support for Active Duty Soldiers. Army National Guard Soldiers have the flexibility to serve part-time across medical, aviation, law enforcement, transportation, and engineering fields and beyond, while also pursuing their personal and professional goals through a civilian career or higher education. For more information on the opportunities in the National Guard, visit NationalGuard.com.

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SOURCE U.S. Army