Advanced Tactical Training (D5)

During the First Cylon War it was quickly realized that the Cylons made better pilots than most Colonials. When Admiral Stryker unified the armed forces of the Twelve Colonies he ordered that a team be assembled to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the Viper MkI in combat as well as the training received by their pilots. The report concluded that the current Viper MkI had several disadvantages over the standard Cylon Raider and the result was the ubiquitous Viper MkII. The report also concluded that a specialized training unit be established to train instructors who could return to their squadrons and pass on their new skills to their subordinates. This was temporarily known simply as Advanced Tactical Training (A.T.T.) but no suitable replacement was ever agreed upon and the name has remained.

Syllabus
The syllabus is tailored to three specific groups - Vipers, Raptors and Tactical Officers.

Term 1
The training starts at the Abry Military Academy on Caprica where the candidates go through a 'weeding out' process similar to 'plebe summer'. Here they undergo physical and mental challenges to put the candidate into the right frame of mind in order to become effective weapons of war able to fight the Cylons toe-to-toe. This usually lasts up to two weeks.

Term 2
This takes place on Canceron and involves simulated battle scenarios ranging from 1v1 combat to full scale battles with Raptors and even capital ships. The term lasts over five weeks and grows in difficulty with each simulated mission. Candidates learn how to fight within a heavy ECM environment and often without commands from commanding officers to see how well they handle it.

Term 3
The candidates return to the Abry Academy for one week of revision before their final exam. If they are successful then they graduate and get to wear the prestigious A.T.T. pin on their dress uniforms.

Graduates
Scott Tolan and Alex 'Griffon' Adonia are both A.T.T. graduates. Artimus Bowman applied for the course but was rejected. However, after saving Scott Tolan's life when the Raptor they were flying was sabotaged, Tolan gave him his first A.T.T. pin as a thank you and stated he "deserved to have it".