Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Marines to train in Los Angeles for urban combat

SAN DIEGO — Dozens of Marines will raid buildings and dodge paintballs shot from modified M-15s in downtown Los Angeles as part of a routine exercise to prepare troops for urban combat, officials said Thursday.

Los Angeles residents may notice anywhere from two to six military helicopters buzzing over the metro area next week, but Capt. Brian Block said no one will be able to see the raids being held at several undisclosed locations in the city because they will be off limits to the public for safety reasons.

"It's not going to look like 'Apocalypse Now' by any stretch of the imagination," Block said.

The Marine Corps has held similar training in recent years in Atlanta, Memphis and other cities. The military worked closely with the Los Angeles Police Department and notified property owners so no one will be caught off guard, Block said.

No residents live in the spots where the pseudo-combat will take place, Block said. The military will bring in actors to role play, and troops will be hit with paintballs.

The training is part of a two-week military exercise that starts Friday and involves about 2,400 Marines and sailors from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit ahead of its deployments to the Western Pacific and Middle East in spring of 2015. The exercise ends Dec. 16.

The Los Angeles portion will take place over a couple of days, Block said, but he would not provide specifics so the public does not try to get to the sites to witness the training. The other exercises will take place at military bases in California, at a site outside Las Vegas, and another outside Flagstaff, Ariz.

Conducting training in different cities helps troops hone their skills by giving them a realistic urban setting not found on military bases, where service members also carry out raids in mock villages, officials said.

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