Marines, sailors to conduct urban training in Phoenix for next week

Marines and sailors based in California began a weeklong urban training exercise in Phoenix on Friday, officials said.

Mar 2, 2018, 2:25 PM

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PHOENIX — Marines and sailors based in California began a weeklong urban training exercise in Phoenix on Friday, officials said.

“Training Marines and sailors within the confines of a military installation cannot truly duplicate the challenges that a real urban center like Phoenix offers,” Lt. Col. Christopher Blalock, the executive officer of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, said in a press release.

Details were not given on where the training missions will be carried out, but officials said it would be “within the city limits of Phoenix, Arizona, and the surrounding areas.” The training was scheduled to wrap up next Sunday.

The Realistic Urban Training exercise will teach military members how to better use command, air, ground and logistics elements in unfamiliar urban territory.

“RUT provides the 13th MEU the first opportunity to test our abilities to plan and effectively conduct missions on a simulated enemy within a real urban environment,” Blalock said.

“Training within the complexities of a real urban center better prepares the team for the challenges they will face on deployment.”

Officials did not say how many Marines and sailors were coming to the Valley, but a Wikipedia page for the 13th said it has about 2,200 personnel.

The 13th has been deployed to Iraq, Somalia, East Timor, Yemen, Afghanistan and other nations since it was created in 1985.