MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER, TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. -- A simple road trip is not so simple in the Marine Corps.

Instead of worrying about gas prices, Marines encounter an array of improvised explosive devices, rocket-propelled grenades, land mines and small-arms fire.

That’s why 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment’s “Combat Train” took part in the convoy operations course, Jan. 30. The pre-deployment exercise is designed to enhance the skills of Marines and Sailors in convoy maneuvers and readiness, making hazardous treks from one point to another safer.

“Combat Train” is a mixture of motor transportation Marines and Truck Company Marines currently supporting the battalion’s revised combined-arms exercise known as 'Mojave Viper.'

“It’s a realistic course. It’s as close to combat as you can get when it comes to this type of training,” said Lance Cpl. Michael A. Romano, motor transport operator, Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Bn, 8th Marines.

The 20-kilometer course allows convoys to use live-fire tactics to tackle multiple electronic pop-up targets, roll through mock urban environments using heavy machine guns, and avoid simulated road hazards through miles of dusty trails using communication and coordination.

“This live fire convoy course allows us to utilize our assets with Blue Force Tracker … convoy planning, and casualty evacuations,” said 1st Lt. John L. Wintz, truck platoon commander, 1st Platoon, Truck Company, Headquarters Battalion, 2nd Marine Division. “It’s the only long-distance, live-fire convoy training that Combat Train will be able to do as a unit before Iraq.”

Truck Company is currently attached to 3rd Bn., 8th Marines. The majority of the platoon was with battalion from January 2005 to August 2005 during their last deployment to Iraq.

Romano, whose vehicle was nearly hit with three RPGs last year in Iraq, believes taking this course was good preparation for his next deployment.

“It kept me alert at all times and reminded me that we can be attacked from any direction,” said Romano, a 20-year-old from Long Island, N.Y. “It showed me that I always have to be on the alert because anything could happen.”

Before the course, the team prepared themselves by running through immediate action drills, and chalk talks coupled with a full dress rehearsal, said Wintz, the convoy commander.

During the three-hour course, the convoy encountered a land mine, two RPG attacks, an IED along with an ambush, and small-arms fire.

In one scenario, the convoy approached an abandoned vehicle along the roadside, the Marines in the convoy provided security as engineers attempted to disable what appeared to be a vehicle-borne, improvised explosive device. They eventually used high-explosive rounds to detonate the device.

“It was an adrenaline rush, but I had to control myself in order to push forward,” said Cpl. Jonathan W. Fulton, a vehicle commander for Truck Company.

Fulton, whose coming up on his third deployment, knows that using live ammunition and being part of a simulated IED attack will help give the Marines and new guys a good grasp of what they could see in Iraq.

It’s an intense course because the Marines were able to provide security by sending real rounds toward actual targets, said Lance Cpl. Willmer O. Canas, a motor transport Marine and machine gunner for the lead vehicle, H&S Company, 3rd Bn., 8th Marines.

Canas, a 25-year-old from Tampa Bay, Fla., said the training was on point with experiences he dealt with in Iraq.

Rotary-wing close air support was also incorporated into the course.

“The most unique part of the training was the ability to use air support just like what we used in country,” said Cpl. Alberto Sanchez, a radio operator for Truck Company. “I used the air support to attack enemy locations, medical evacuations, reconnaissance, and to provide security.”

Sanchez, a 20-year-old from Waltham, Mass., was in charge of a lot of the communication aspects of the training.

The course allowed Wintz to evaluate the training and to target areas to improve on, but more importantly the course allowed two units to merge into one team.

“This was a good chance to work together and to get to know one another… and put everyone on the same sheet of music,” said Fulton, a 22-year-old from Parkland, Fla.

Wintz knows the Marines will take home a lot from this exercise.

“This was a great opportunity to build on our experiences from our last deployment, and it allowed us to work as a team, said Wintz, a 25-year-old from Statesville, N.C.

The exercise built the confidence of these Marines before they deploy next month, he said.