(I was recently invited by the US Army to view their training facilities at Ft Irwin in the Mojave Desert. Though I would post some of the article as there are quite a few military families in the area who would like to get a glimpse of how their loved ones are being trained and prepared to go overseas. Click the link below to view the full article as well as a slideshow of pictures from my visit)
Ft. Irwin California -- The narrow street of the village is bustling with life. Merchants call out to passersby in Pashto as they present their wears from carts under the hot desert sun. Men sit outside their homes and businesses, talking and listening to music as women wearing modest clothing and head scarves make their way toward the market.
There is a rumbling in the distance and soon the people of the village can see the dark shapes of armored vehicles approaching the edge of town.. While some decide to go inside, many continue to go about their business. Soon the rumble becomes a roar as three of the heavily armed vehicles begin to slowly roll down the street.
There is a massive explosion just to the left of the vehicle. People scream as the gunfire erupts from a rooftop above the village. Troops quickly emerge from the back of the transport with guns drawn. There is a second concussion as an improvised explosive device (or IED) detonates in a nearby car throwing a debris and dirt up into the air. When the smoke clears there is a man lying in the street with a large gash on his head. He cries out for help as the troops exchange fire with insurgents hiding in one of the buildings.
Welcome to Medina Wasl, where such chaos is commonplace. What sets this small village apart from others is that it is not located in some exotic part of the world, but in the Mojave Desert of Southern California.
Medina Wasl is one of twelve mock “villages” located at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin California, a remote military base roughly fifty miles from Barstow. The base uses these faux cities, complete with actors and special effects to create a realistic environment to train and prepare troops for deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan....
