At Pendleton, teaching Marines calm in the chaos of combat

A group of Marines cover another one who is carrying a 'wounded' comrade inside the Infantry Immersion Trainer at Camp Pendleton in California.

(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif.--I knew there might be firing in my direction. I was given protective gear. And they told me how to avoid getting in harm's way. And after all that, I still got shot.

Welcome to the Infantry Immersion Trainer, a system set up to help prepare U.S. Marines for possible future combat deployment. Set up in a former tomato packing plant at Camp Pendleton -- the West Coast home of the Marines -- the IIT employs "sets, sound systems and special effects -- including holograms and pyrotechnics -- to simulate [an Afghan] village in the midst of combat, reads an Office of Naval Research Web site about the system. "Equipped with [paintball]-like weaponry, Marines walk through realistic dwellings, alleys and other settings, encountering civilians and enemy combatants for a more realistic training experience."

Order amid chaos: The Marines train for combat (pictures)

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