To better prepare its troops for modern urban warfare, the U.S. Marine Corps has opened a training center in the Southern California desert that’s nearly the size of downtown San Diego.

 

Known as the Combined Arms Military Operations on Urban Terrain (CAMOUT), the $170 million mock city near Twentynine Palms covers 274 acres, includes 1,560 buildings, 1,866 feet of tunnels, 38 basement hideouts and 81 concealed “spider holes.” It can handle as many as 15,000 Marines and sailors engaging in combat and humanitarian training.

 

In addition to the trainees, CAMOUT features about 1,000 role players who serve as mock residents who either work with or against the Marines to reflect real-world scenarios.

 

The unveiling of the new training center this week was marred by tragedy when a military-trained dog was killed by an improvised explosive device (IED). The black lab, Sergeant Bud, died when he tripped an IED he had been trained to locate.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

 

Troops Get Urban Combat Training in Massive Mock City (by Erica Felci, Palm Springs Desert Sun)

Canine Combat Member Killed in Military Training Exercise (KPSP News)

Mock City Rises at Marine Base for Urban Training (by Julie Watson, Associated Press)