They are working on the on base solar array that powers the base. Now there are a bunch of Marines that look more like miners with headlamps wondering around base.

The picture mentioning land nav looks like something from a "day after" doomsday movie. Very desolate!

No doubt- I was thinking lunar landscape!

It definitely felt like the end of the world every time I went there. I was a Hawaii Marine!

It reminds me so much of West Texas.

Me too. Saw a lot of coyotes in the hills tonight during a run. They were making al kinds of noise. don't think they liked me in their turf.

California is full of coyotes, I used to tag along with a trapper there when I was a kid. Coyotes and bobcats. I really miss it.

A handful of coyotes make so much noise you would swear there were hundreds.

Today we spent hours of classroom time learning landnav followed by some defensive position planning. We did some defensive positioning sketches and a lot of map overlays for routes. We will put this all to use in the culminating event of the course that involves 6 check points in a movement to an objective, 10 miles away, we must defend from an opposing force. We followed this up with some field rehearsals.

We have to take an indirect route through the mountains and desert flats and have a position set up and ready for another squad (12 Marines plus a squad leader) consisting of three fire teams (4 Marines a piece) attacking our position with SESAM rounds.

I am going to be a squad leader for the defensive team.

I will secure the objective and eliminate the attackers with extreme prejudice. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Sounds great JJ . I talked a a recruiter today. But I won't hijack your thread.

You can hijack my thread an time sir.

We have been concentrating on IED detection this week. Monday was all class time and today we spent today in the field patrolling the desert canyons. My squad managed to get through our route unscathed until the very end of our patrol. Then, yours truly stepped on a pressure plate and was blown up in a cloud of baby powder. I guess learning the lessons on complacency just because you can see the FOB (forward operating base), is best learned here when the worst that can happen is a nose full of white boogers.

Our instructor said we did a decent job since we successfully found and avoided three IEDs and switched to our alternate route when we can to a scary looking choke point. He told us the choke point, which was a narrow canyon pass, had multiple IEDs in it. We avoided getting the entire squad covered in baby powder.

Yes, Marines train with baby powder. Not a word Randy!