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Two large combat training courses under construction on Fort Richardson, Alaska, will provide soldiers with areas to train for urban combat.
The range has pop-up targets, tunnels, trenches, buildings, surprise explosions and a mock urban street nicknamed Dodge City.

Once finished this fall, the $19-million upgrade will contain more than 140 targets and other obstacles spread among a dozen locations, according to project managers at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Anchorage and general contractor Alutiiq Management Services LLC.

After vegetation grows back, the obstacles will blend into the forest to produce a realistic setting for squads and platoons on foot.

Combat instructors will be able to monitor how soldiers do on the course through an array of hidden infrared video cameras.

Some targets will spring up like enemy combatants, then zip away on tracks as though fleeing for cover, said Mark Kelliher, resident engineer with the U.S. Army Corps on Fort Richardson. Others will loom as the silhouette of an armored vehicle or tank.

“I sort of call it ‘soldier’s Disneyland,’ “ said Alutiiq construction manager Chris Dillon. “It’s amazing the technology that they’re putting them through.”

The range upgrades have been under construction since November. They are part of a plan to prepare portions of the 62,000-acre military base to serve as a training ground for a new Stryker Brigade, an infantry unit that travels and fights using light-armored eight-wheeled vehicles. The 19-ton vehicles will start arriving at Fort Richardson and Fort Wainwright near Fairbanks next year.

Over the winter, the project has provided work for about 90 people at Alutiiq and several subcontractors, Dillon said.

The company, a subsidiary of Afognak Native Corp., built many components and buildings at its warehouse at Point MacKenzie industrial park over the winter, allowing it to push the entire project almost a year ahead of its original completion date in 2004, Dillon and Army corps officials said.

Much of the work so far has focused on site preparation, moving earth and digging trenches for fiber-optic and power cables. The company has installed about 100 features over the past two weeks and plans to erect the first support building in early July. Another contractor will install the targets later.

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"I think men who have a pierced ear are better prepared for marriage. . . . . .
They've experienced pain and bought jewelry."

"Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you,
Jesus Christ and the American Soldier.

One died for your soul; the other for your freedom."

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go leg wheeled?

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"Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you,
Jesus Christ and the American Soldier.

One died for your soul; the other for your freedom."

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Originally posted by Sh0t

To be more serious, I think it's good for an onbase facility but I think we need to just pick a sizable midwest town (300k ish) and just tell the towns folk to take a hike. All of our MOUT training areas are FAR FAR too small to provide an adequet simulation.
They are great for platoon sized element practice and working on the indoor techinques but we need an NTC for urban operations. At least one mile square to really practice the flow of battle through a city, logistically trains, getting casualties evac'd. Something that can handle a battalion per side and has solid enough construction for tanks to play around in would be a start.
An added bonus would be a city that geats all four seasons with extremes so we could operate there 365 and get a dose of winter, heat and a lot of rain. Especially rain.



I heard a few suggestions for Omaha.

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