CAMP FUJI, Japan -- Night has fallen and a Marine silently stands post in a muddy fighting hole on the outskirts of the camp. His night vision goggles scan the horizon for enemy forces, and notice five enemy aggressors seconds after they pop a trip flare.
The warrior gets ready for the fight of his life, calls in support from the Quick Reaction Force and aims in on his targets.
Marines of Engineer Company, Marine Wing Support Squadron-171, deployed to Camp Fuji for Exercise Eagle Warrior '05 'dug in' a 360-perimeter defense around Landing Zone Flamingo during field training exercises Sept. 6-16.
"One of the missions of Engineer company is to organize a defensive field of fire interlocking with different fighting positions, so enemy forces can't overrun the camp," said 2nd Lt. Erin E. Smith, heavy equipment platoon commander.
During the attack and defend exercises, the Marines use a laser-tag system called Multipurpose Integrated Laser Engagement System (MILES) gear to make the training as real as possible.
The MILES gear is strapped on the Marines' 782 gear and Kevlar helmets, and emits a sound when they have been hit from either enemy or friendly forces.
"Even though we aren't using real rounds, we still react the same way. You might act smarter and quicker with real rounds, but this exercise has the same principle," said Lance Cpl. Raymond M. Hosch, MWSS-171 hygiene equipment operator.
The Marines defend the camp; protecting key elements that include a forward armoring refuel point, bivouac site, and a command post.
Throughout the day and night, enemy aggressors attack the camp to harass the defenses and infiltrate the landing zone, with the goal in mind to find key weakness in the perimeter.
"The aggressors are some hard individuals," said Hosch. "Last night, during one of the attacks, the aggressors came in and overran one of the fighting positions in the northeast part of the compound. They took over one of our machine guns and used it to attack other fighting positions."
When push comes to shove, the Marines rely on their training and hold down their fighting holes as if it were an actual combat situation.
"It's pretty rough and boring when you are just sitting in your fighting hole waiting for the enemy to sneak out of the high grass," said Pfc. Benjamin Goodman, MWSS-171 electronic equipment repair specialist. "But once you make contact with the enemy, everything changes and it gets very animated."