Crucible Of Combat: Training At Ft. Irwin Before Afghanistan Deployment

The National Training Center at Fort Irwin in California is a training ground for soldiers preparing for deployment to Afghanistan. The base features mock Middle Eastern villages, complete with mosques, marketplaces, and houses, to simulate the environment in Afghanistan. The training includes full-immersion combat simulation, with realistic horrific injuries and amputees portraying victims. The exercises are designed to prepare soldiers for a range of situations they may encounter in Afghanistan, such as clearing a structure containing civilians and combatants, interacting with locals, and responding to IED explosions. The length of training at Fort Irwin before deployment to Afghanistan is not explicitly stated, but it is mentioned that soldiers undergo training scenarios and that the base processes around 10 training rotations per year.

Training at Ft. Irwin includes simulated warzones, with fake citizens, economies, and societies

The Ft. Irwin training area also includes expansive gunnery ranges and tank battle arenas. The soldiers learn to navigate through civilians, insurgents, criminal networks, and military forces. Training rotations incorporate complex scenarios that expose the units to detailed hybrid threats. Units must face a near-peer opposing force while taking on an insurgent force. At the same time, they must assist local towns and villages in any way possible.

Training scenarios expose units to a realistic version of their worst day ever

Training scenarios at Fort Irwin expose units to a realistic version of their "worst day ever". The National Training Center at Fort Irwin is home to several mock villages built to create realistic training environments for troops due to be deployed overseas. The mock villages are meant to simulate urban environments that soldiers might encounter in Afghanistan.

The training scenarios include the detonation of IEDs, rocket attacks, suicide bombings, as well as practice with crowd control, interaction with locals, and providing aid. The mock combat includes exposure to realistic horrific injuries, with real-life amputees portraying victims who have had limbs blown off, complete with gory prosthetics and fake blood.

The exercises are part of what is called full-immersion combat simulation. They use training dummies and even hire people who have had amputations to simulate victims in a combat scenario. The soldiers also prepare for a situation that has been deadly for both soldiers and civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan: clearing a structure that contains a mix of civilians and combatants.

The training is tailored to specific situations these soldiers will face in Afghanistan: from the realistic villages and cities to the stark terrain and the bloody fighting. The mock villages at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif., are meant to simulate urban environments that soldiers might encounter in Afghanistan.

Training includes simulated IED detonations, rocket attacks, suicide bombings, crowd control, interaction with locals, and providing aid

Training at Fort Irwin includes simulated IED detonations, rocket attacks, and suicide bombings. The base features mock villages with mosques, shops, and marketplaces, where soldiers can practice responding to these threats. The exercises are designed to be as realistic as possible, with amputees playing the role of victims and fake blood and gore used to simulate injuries.

In addition to these combat scenarios, soldiers also receive training in crowd control, interaction with locals, and providing aid. This includes practicing cultural sensitivity and learning how to distinguish between civilians and combatants. The training covers a range of situations, from peaceful coexistence to violent ambushes.

The goal of this comprehensive training program is to prepare soldiers for the diverse challenges they may face in Afghanistan, ensuring they are ready to handle both military and humanitarian aspects of their mission.

Training includes exposure to realistic horrific injuries, with real-life amputees portraying victims

Training for war in Afghanistan can be a daunting task for any soldier, and the Ministry of Defence needs to ensure its troops are as battle-ready as possible. To create a realistic training environment, the MoD enlisted the help of Amputees in Action, an agency that provides amputees as extras for film and television industries.

Amputee actors and special effects artists from Amputees in Action help soldiers prepare for war by simulating extreme casualty situations. The impact of seeing amputees in a "hyper-realistic" situation prepares recruits for war and takes away the initial shock of encountering serious trauma injuries.

The training scenarios are designed to be as realistic as possible, with amputee actors made up to look like injured soldiers. The horrific injuries include severed limbs with exposed bones, gory prosthetics, and fake blood.

The use of amputee actors in training exercises has been found to be highly effective in desensitising trainees to the shock of encountering serious trauma injuries. By exposing soldiers to these realistic scenarios, the training prepares them to carry out best practice procedures instinctively, even in the most horrific situations.

The Ministry of Defence's efforts to create a realistic training environment demonstrate their commitment to ensuring their troops are well-prepared for the challenges they will face in Afghanistan.

Training includes simulated media and social media, with fake journalists and social media sites

Training at Fort Irwin includes simulated media and social media, with fake journalists and social media sites. The training is designed to be as realistic as possible, and soldiers are exposed to various challenges and scenarios that they might encounter in a real-world deployment.

The National Training Center (NTC) at Fort Irwin features fake journalists who badger soldiers for public explanations and fake social media sites that spread a constant mix of information in real-time. The social media sites are named "Tweeter" and "Fakebook", mimicking popular platforms Twitter and Facebook. These elements are designed to simulate the challenges of modern warfare, where information spreads rapidly and can influence public perception.

In addition to simulated media and social media, the training at Fort Irwin also includes mock villages, insurgents, and civilian actors portraying locals, police, and insurgents. The training scenarios are designed to expose soldiers to a realistic version of their "worst day ever". This includes simulations of IED detonations, rocket attacks, suicide bombings, crowd control, interaction with locals, and providing aid.

The training at Fort Irwin is constantly evolving to reflect the changing nature of warfare. For example, with escalating tensions between the US and Russia, actors who previously portrayed people from the Middle East are now portraying Ukrainians and Russians. The training scenarios also incorporate elements such as chemical weapons (simulated with tear gas) and drone swarms to prepare soldiers for modern battlefield challenges.

The NTC at Fort Irwin offers a unique and immersive training experience for soldiers before their deployment to areas such as Afghanistan. By including simulated media and social media, the training helps soldiers develop the skills needed to navigate the complexities of modern warfare, where information and public perception can play a significant role.

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