On 11/16/01 1:13 AM, "dwayne" <dwayne@pobox.com> wrote:
> James Rogers wrote:
>> I can say for sure that the U.S. military trains for it. Extensively.
>
> The entire army or just elements within it?
Essentially all line troops now receive substantial urban warfare training,
and have for many years now. This essentially includes the entire Marine
Corps and all the various types of Infantry divisions in the Army (Light,
Mechanized, Airborne).
>From a soldiering standpoint, urban warfare training (MOUT training, in
military parlance) rates high on the fun factor scale (mostly because it is
hardcore and mission-oriented infantry stuff -- "boys and their toys"), and
the enthusiasm breeds competence. If it was universally despised training
(like NBC training), the skills of the average soldier would be more
questionable. Having done substantial MOUT training myself (in structurally
realistic miniature cities), I can say that it is some of the most enjoyable
training the line soldiers have to do. It also builds good instincts for
the dynamics of urban street warfare; many of the core heuristics for urban
warfare run counter to most people's assumptions, and realistic training
serves to shatter these illusions and reinforce (and develop) methods that
work.
-James Rogers
jamesr@best.com
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