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Marine Combat Exercise 'Disneyland For Grunts': Modern warfare simulated at Victorville airport

San Bernardino County Sun | August 6, 2002 | Vince Lovato 

 

VICTORVILLE -- Three desperate Marines were pinned down against a brick wall that was once the patio of a house as enemy fire buzzed inches above their heads.

They had been fighting house-to-house, street-to-street in 90-degree heat for hours, terminating enemies and liberating civilians.

But now, they were caught in a crossfire.

As one Marine sprayed cover fire, another threw a smoldering canister into the street near an overturned car. After a few seconds, the war-torn area was engulfed in a white haze.

Suddenly, one of the Marines shouted, ``One, two, three! Go now! Go now!'' and the three crouched and ran to nearby cover protected only by the heavy veil of smoke.

Once to safety, an amphibious assault vehicle fired a 50‚mm weapon over their heads and into the house where the enemy forces had taken cover.

One of the Marines turned to ask a military observer what had happened, to which the observer replied, ``Those three troops are dead.''

Fortunately for the three deceased soldiers, they were part of a realistic urban-training exercise conducted by the Marines Corps Warfighting Laboratory on Monday at Southern California Logistics Airport, formerly George Air Force Base.

More than 1,200 Marines are training for two weeks using 300 abandoned houses and apartments on the east part of the former base to test the latest in urban fighting weapons, tactics and technology, spokesman Phillip Thompson said.

The 3rd Battalion of the 7th Corps from the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms has 200 to 500 soldiers engaging in mock battles, Thompson said.

The two-week training is part of Millennium Dragon 2002, which is focusing on the type of urban warfare the Corps expects to see more of in the 21st century.

Millennium Dragon is part of Millennium Challenge, a U.S. Joint Forces Command training operation involving all branches of the U.S. military. The Army is conducting its Challenge exercises with about 4,000 troops at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin.

``This is very realistic, especially with what's going on in the Middle East,'' said Maj. John Franklin, who is coordinating part of the training.

``This is very similar to what the Israeli troops are facing'' in the Middle East, he said.

The housing has been in decay for more than 10 years with broken window panes and doors crookedly dangling from hinges. Trees and limbs often lean against or on top of houses.

A few demolished cars are scattered throughout the training areas. The Marines even contracted with a temporary labor company to provide 42 civilians who wander the war-ravaged streets, Thompson said.

One actor played a delusional man walking his imaginary dog, which was a stick. Two other actors played cable news reporters.

``Most of us are patriots who want to do a small part to serve our country,'' said mock cable news reporter Lorretta Evelyn of Hesperia. ``It's just like a vote: It's one tiny voice.''

During the training, the Marines are killing or capturing enemy troops while preserving the civilian population during a peace-keeping operation.

``That makes targeting more complicated, because they can't advance through a building and kill everyone,'' Franklin said. ``They have to separate civilians from the bad guys like they will have to do in a city.''

Despite high-tech equipment designed to reduce casualties and make a clearer distinction between friends and foes in the field, ``there is still no replacement for a Marine on the ground,'' Franklin said. ``The technology will help, but ultimately, the Marines still have to make the distinction.''

Franklin said the training, technology and coordination with other branches of the military ``makes us effective with a smaller group because we can bring these elements together.''

The Marines are using a special combat-simulation ammunition described as ``paint balls on steroids.''

Like a large-scale paint-ball war, the Marines are enjoying the training.

``The grunts love this,'' Franklin said. ``It really looks like a war zone here. In fact, some of them call this Disneyland for Grunts.''

The training concludes with a 96-hour combined arms experiment that brings together all training and technology elements of Millennium Dragon 2002.