Readying for war Fort Riley-based infantry division goes through desert training in California before possibly leaving for Iraq
Hollywood lends a hand
Special effects gurus - trained to make movies - help setup scenarios
The blood is fake, the explosions are (mostly) fake, the bullets are (usually) fake and the Iraqis are actors, but it sure seems real. That wouldn’t be possible without help from special effects experts who learned their craft on movie sets.
It takes some help from nearby Hollywood to make these battle scenes realistic
Brandon Hamilton, a special effects coordinator at Fort Irwin, helps train American troops by rigging pyrotechnics and providing other special effects.
Training for war zone very lifelike
In the barren desert that makes up most of Fort Irwin, soldiers train in conditions that are near-mirror images of what they’ll face in war zones like Iraq. But the soldiers aren’t the only ones living on base. In fact, the realistic scenarios they face are thanks to a cast of hundreds. From Hollywood-effects wizards to Iraqi expatriates, Fort Irwin could be the world’s largest live-action movie set. Without the cameras.
A variety of actors make the training more real
Many Iraqi Americans - as well as others with special characteristics - help acclimate the soldiers to what life will be like once they're in Iraq.
Some actors are given extensive make-up treatment so they appear more real
Robert O'Mallia, who is missing his leg, talks about his duties playing a wounded American soldier at Fort Irwin.
-
It sure seems real
1st Infantry Division endures realistic conditions when preparing to deploy -
Hollywood lends a hand
Special effects gurus - trained to make movies - help setup scenarios -
Division has long history
The Big Red One has participated in virtually every Amerian conflict since World War I
Comments
LJWorld.com doesn’t necessarily condone the comments here, nor does it review every post. Read our full policy. Also, read about banned accounts and harassing comments.
ddayot (anonymous) says…
thanks to everyone who volunteers for our country, to protect us all.........even idiots like rockchalk_ku_sucks