MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- The streets of March Air Reserve Base were littered with broken glass and debris. It was crowded with sometimes hostile, sometimes peaceful locals. Cpl. John P. Pollson, an infantryman with 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, felt at home and yet a bit anxious.
This was Matilda Village, a mock-up of what Marines may see when they deploy to Iraq.
"This exercise is great," Pollson said. "They've provided us with the most realistic environment they could. The boredom experienced in war-time situations was really a huge aspect of what we experienced here, but when stuff happened, it really happened."
Pollson's battalion was the first among several battalions with the 1st Marine Division training for Security and Stabilization Operations before redeployment to Iraq.
The brains of the 1st Marine Division and Marine Corps War Fighting Laboratory's Project Metropolis came together to create a simulated life for the Marines waiting their turn to deploy again to Iraq. But, this time it isn't all-out war Marines expect to carry out.
They plan to provide a safe environment for the Iraqis to take over control of a stable Iraq.
"It was good we had this training," said Lance Cpl. David Henry Sorg, and infantryman with 3/7. "SASO is teaching us not to use full force. Before we were taught how to just take out a building and destroy it. Now I can go into a building and actually be polite, maybe not even kill anyone."
Mosques, cafes, police stations and many other buildings were implemented to add a bit more believability to the nearly 400 vacant homes from March Air Reserve Base.
Vehicles were also turned into police cars and taxicabs.
The training provided an opportunity for many of the Marines to get a feel for what life will be like in the up coming months.
"This training is really just a chance for all of the guys coming straight from the School of Infantry to familiarize themselves with what life will be like in Iraq," said Lance Cpl. John L. Bullock, an infantryman with 3/7.
"This stuff is pretty dead on though with all of the role players acting like Iraqis and all, but the most difficult thing is the sleep deprivation," he said.
Many Marines felt as though they were already capable of operating successfully in Iraq, but many were surprised and very happy to have experienced new roles and opportunities they didn't expect to be presented to them.
"I really did learn a lot of different ideas on how to operate," said Bullock, "I can approach things with better view points and different angles now."
Some Marines were even given the opportunity to lead for the first time and were happy to have been given the chance during realistic training.
"I had the chance to be a squad leader and lead a patrol," said Sorg. "I found out how difficult it could be to be responsible for other peoples lives and have to come up with a plan of attack and coordinate the approach."