Marines with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit will be participating in their second major field exercise of their pre-deployment training, Realistic Urban Training (RUT), March 6-18, aboard Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California, and in Phoenix, Arizona.

The purpose of RUT is to enhance the integration and collective capability of the MEU’s command, air, ground and logistics elements while conducting a series of challenging and realistic training events in unfamiliar locations.

This land-based exercise provides an opportunity to integrate each element’s unique skillsets as well as to develop the MEU’s proficiency in urban environments and allows an opportunity to conduct training under different conditions of operability, including weather and terrain, to ensure that they are ready to support any mission. Recent military experiences in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo, and Libya have shown that the Marine Corps will conduct military operations in large cities or predominately urban areas in order to defend American interests, conduct humanitarian operations, and protect American citizens abroad. 

Committed to sustaining the highest level of readiness, RUT is a training evolution that evaluates the state of conditioning that the 15th MEU trains toward to be an effective expeditionary unit.

“RUT offers a unique aspect to previous pre-deployment exercises based on its unknown scenarios; the offensive operations we plan can be aggressive and well-planned to attack in the uncertain environments we will face,” said Lt. Col. Richard Alvarez, 15th MEU executive officer.

Though much of the deployment to the Western Pacific will be spent at sea, the 15th MEU has the capability to provide offshore options to deter, influence and win in areas of uncertainty. RUT is a vital exercise to maintain tactics ashore and preserve the MEU’s reputation of being ready at a moment’s notice.

Media is invited to two training events during RUT: 10 March at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., to view a Helicopter Raid; and 16 March, where the 15th MEU will conduct a ship to shore inland raid (known as a Maritime Raid Force raid) in Phoenix, Ariz.

Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms offers Marines the opportunity to train in state-of-the-art urban facilities while off-site locations such as Phoenix provide MEU personnel an unfamiliar environment to allow for challenging and realistic training.

Media interested in attending either event must RSVP no later than 12 p.m. Monday, March 6, via e-mail at: imefpublicaffairs@usmc.mil or via phone at: (760) 763-7047.

Please provide your name, agency, and contact information when you RSVP.