And now...the Marines...just got through watching ABC World News and they did a segment about this story...

Very interesting timing, eh?

This was going on a lot late last year...now, all of a sudden, it's going on again, just in time for September 1.

[fair use - for educational/research purposes only]

===================================================================

http://abcnews.go.com/onair/CloserLook/wnt990819_woodruff_story.html

Marines Train for a New Type of Mission

Marines are using small towns in America to train to fight the war of the 21st century  when the enemy could be anywhere. (ABCNEWS)

By Bob Woodruff ABCNEWS.com

M O N T R O S S, Va., Aug. 19  The Marines were preparing today for what they call the war of the next millennium.

On one level, that means doing what Marines have always done: flying into hostile territory, moving quickly in small groups and securing the ground so other soldiers can follow.

But todays exercise was different. The war zone: Montross, Va, population 359.

Using tourist maps, the Marines took over the firehouse and the high school as curious residents watched. There are terrorists that are being played by Marines that are all over the town, explains one. War Games

This is something new for the Marines. In the past year they have begun staging war games in small-town America to practice a very new type of mission. They call it the three-block war.

The three prongs of the three-block war are peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance and low- to mid-intensity combat, says Capt. Ted Novak.

On this kind of mission, a Marine might feed the people, keep the peace, and come under fire  all in a single day. The best place to train for this is in real towns, not on military bases.

There are real people, there are real businesses. People going about their daily routines, dogs barking at night, says Capt. Winston Heron.

In the war of the 21st century, the enemy could be anywhere. There are no front lines, no uniforms, and no safe places to hide. The Marines must learn how to fight that war without losing too many soldiers.

===============================end=============

-- Michael Taylor (mtdesign3@aol.com), August 19, 1999

Answers

Don't worry a bit about this. If the Marines deploy in your town, they will follow official government pronouncements and only stay for three days or till they cross over the bump in the road, which ever occurs first.

-- smfdoc (smfdoc@aol.com), August 19, 1999.

Urban Warrior revisited?

Check the TBY2K archives under "Military."

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), August 19, 1999.

Using tourist maps, the Marines took over the firehouse and the high school

Well at least they're not using those outdated CIA maps anymore...

-- a (a@a.a), August 19, 1999.

roflmao a -

man...can you imagine? the marines could have wondered into Chinese territory this time!

It does sound like Urban Warrior, doesn't it? Scenes were exactly the same, Marines walking down streets in a small town, taking up positions. People, average Joes, just standing there jaws down around their navals. They even did some mock arrests.

a Marine might feed the people, keep the peace, and come under fire  all in a single day

humm...

Mike

===============================================================

-- Michael Taylor (mtdesign3@aol.com), August 20, 1999.

Michael...

I saw this too, and was dumbfounded.. and somewhat relieved that somebody's doing something...

The thing that made an impression on me was when one of the troops in Kosovo mentioned that they are judge, jury, counselor, clerk, everything, the one and only decision makers... about everything!! By the way, it looks like they are doing a great job, but they are not dealing with Americans... we have E-G-O!!!

Very interersting story... fits right in with y2k... thanks... really...

keep the faith

-- booann (cantsay@lovemyjob.edu), August 20, 1999.

Yep, that's Urban Warrior all right, initiated back in 1996 by now retired Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Charles Krulak. Urban Warrior is the second of a three phase, five-year experimental process named Sea Dragon (joint Navy and Marine Corps), which looks at and evaluates new weapons, procedures, structures, and organizations. (Ain't the Web grand?)

Good overview from Air Force Magazine, December 1998: War in the Urban Jungles

Excerpt:

...The Marine Corps has taken the most aggressive stance in tackling the issue of urban warfare. For the past two years the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab at Quantico, Va., has conducted a series of experiments dubbed Urban Warrior. The goal of the program, which will conduct final phase exercises early next year, is to find innovative concepts, tactics, and technologies that will aid Marines in future urban operations.

"We Can Get Beat"

"Why are we spending two years on Urban Warrior?" asked Krulak. "Because that's where we can get beat. We don't know how to fight there."

Much of the focus of Urban Warrior has been directed at trying to better understand the urban environment and the unique challenges it presents to military commanders and forces...

-- Mac (sneak@lurk.hid), August 20, 1999.

Bye bye posse comitatus.

-- OR (orwelliator@biosys.net), August 21, 1999.