war news

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• Marines and off roaders want to play on same turf
• 163 million baby girls aborted in last 30 years
• Bottom story of the day
• Syria's campaign of terror continues
• The Big Green opportunity killers
• Perry's 'lucky' positioning
• Iraqi army gets some artillery
• A gallery of China's ghost cities
• Syrian state terrorism of its own people
• 'The future of waste' in the UK
• Understating the misery index
• Gov. Perry gets rousing reception at New Orleans GOP event
• Body of soldier killed in Afghanistan returns to New Jersey
• Fish are biting on Falcon Lake, despite fear of Zetas
• Losers cry, 'Deal again'
• Central Texas water supply shrinking
• Pets for Patriots, support wounded warriors

Marines and off roaders want to play on same turf Posted: 19 Jun 2011 08:06 AM PDT LA Times: Rough and rocky, Johnson Valley is considered the perfect place to test the mettle of men and their machines. An estimated 200,000 people a year flock to the desert valley for recreational pursuits: hiking, camping, rock-hounding, star-gazing and a new sport called "geocaching," a treasure hunt using GPS technology. Moviemakers use the desert floor for chase scenes. But the valley has gained its greatest acclaim in recent years as an untamed, unregulated venue for off-road vehicles. Off-roaders take their Jeeps, motorcycles, dune buggies, ATVs, "rock crawlers" and other souped-up vehicles over, around and through the rills and hills and rocks. The annual King of the Hammers race, billed as the toughest desert race in the nation, draws more than 20,000 participants and spectators. "There's not another place in the country where we could hold our race," said Dave Cole, one of the race organizers. "This is our Daytona 500." The Marine Corps, whose Twentynine Palms base is directly adjacent to Johnson Valley, also likes the valley's challenging terrain — for similar yet different reasons. The Marine Corps would like to include the land inside the boundaries of its Air-Ground Combat Center as a training area for large-scale, live-fire exercises where three battalions could simultaneously practice assaulting a fixed location. The land is controlled by the federal Bureau of Land Management. ... The off-roaders look at the valley and see an exciting, irreplaceable place for their sport. Amos looks at the valley and sees a place to provide training that will enhance the "survivability" of Marines in combat. The off-roaders and the merchants who depend on all the recreationalists are not going down without a fight. When the Marines opened up their expansion proposal for public review in May, more than 25,000 responses were received. The Marines have offered a compromise: the heart of the Johnson Valley racing area would be available 10 months a year and closed for two months when a major exercise is planned. ... They need to find a way to work together. The Marines can learn from the equipment built to master the tough terrain. The increased mobility can make a difference on the battle field. TOP   Subscribe to: Posting Komentar (Atom) Pengikut Labels artis (1) bola (1) gosip (1) Kim Kardashian (6) news (1) politik (1) sport (1) Tante Tante Gosip (1) teves (1) Tante Tante Gosip. Diberdayakan oleh Blogger. Template Designed by SkinCorner | Sponsored by GosuBlogger Copyright © 2009 Complicated Girl. All Rights Reserved.