The Army's Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, Louisiana

February 17-20, 2004, Fort Polk, Louisiana
Contact: Foreign Press Centers' Department of Defense Liaison Officer: Rick Machamer
Telephone: 202-504-6356; Email: machamerrf@state.gov

The Foreign Press Centers' Department of Defense Liaison Officer conducted a reporting tour to the Army's Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) in Fort Polk, Louisiana.  Journalists from Germany, the Middle East, Japan, South Africa, Taiwan, Finland and Sweden participated in the tour.  For two day, reporters observed a Mission Rehearsal Exercise to train the 39th National Guard Brigade for their upcoming deployment in Iraq. 

Activities observed and reported were an overview briefing of the JRTC, the Mission Rehearsal Exercise and a realistic training that included negotiations with city council members, riot control, responses to insurgency attacks, and cultural training.  Approximately 300 Arab-speaking role players participated in the training.