MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- Staff Sgt. Michael A. Zaruba rubbed his shoulder. Through his uniform, he could feel the welt rising -- the lasting impact of being shot by a simulated paint round from an M-16A2 service rifle.
"You know when you get shot," Zaruba said. "It keeps the game honest and it makes them take the game more seriously. No one wants to be shot, even just by a (simulated round made of paint)."
Zaruba wasn't even playing the game. He just happened to be caught in the crossfire while serving as the range safety officer for 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion's Marines while they practiced dismounted patrols and urban combat Nov. 12 at the Camp Pendleton, Calif. Military Operations in Urban Terrain facility.
It's a skill the battalion singled out for increased training with the news that Marines are returning to Iraq in the spring.
The battalion's previous experience in Operation Iraqi Freedom led it to start new training programs based on lessons learned in combat.
"They need to be placing more attention in the training. It keeps the Marines more proficient," Zaruba said.
"If these guys aren't shooting mortars off, they need to be able to fulfill any mission they are tasked with."
This time, the training is taking on a greater sense of realism. Marines are equipped with adapters for their rifles and face masks for eye protection.
That's where the simulation ends, though. Everything else is as real as the Marines can make it.
"Since we came back, we've been getting a lot more physical," said Lance Cpl. David B. DePass, a light armored vehicle crewman. "When we went over there, we saw the errors, the things that we could perfect."
A platoon-sized element moved into the MOUT facility to clear a small group of resistance fighters. The "enemy" forces -- a role filled by 1st LAR Marines -- hid inside the maze of alleys and crumbling buildings.
Every corner was a danger area. Every window, door and dark room was a potential killing zone.
"All the new guys we got haven't been through war, and this is as close as we can get them to it," DePass said. "We've been doing it a lot. Now we have to pass it on to the next generation of Marines."
The crack of rifle fire pierced the afternoon skies. Marines shouted for cover fire as assault teams stormed through buildings, searching out the elusive enemy.
Marines and enemy took hits -- the stinging punishment for failure to seek cover.
"It's also important to do this type of training, because if we have to dismount our LAVs, we'll have to set security for the vehicle," said Lance Cpl. Fabian Campos, an LAV crewman. "You can never know too much about your job.
"As scouts with an LAV unit, we usually do maintenance, and it's important to do that type of training."
For the battalion's new joins who did not deploy, the training is a rare opportunity to apply newfound infantry skills to a real-world scenario.
"It's good training," Campos said. "We get to brush up on stuff we learned at the School of Infantry and boot camp."
Even those who experienced war firsthand found the training beneficial.
"It gives you a different kind of perspective on the way things are," DePass said.
"Coming out to the field puts you in a different mindset."