Royal Marines commandos enter a compound at the US Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, also known as Twentynine Palms, in California
{"Image ImageWidth": "800", "Image ImageLength": "535", "Image BitsPerSample": "[8, 8, 8]", "Image PhotometricInterpretation": "2", "Image ImageDescription": "K COMPANY, 42 COMMANDO RM TRAINING IN MOJAVE DESERT\nPLYMOUTH-based Royal Marines have commenced training on extensive live-fire ranges in the Mojave desert, California.\nWorking from the US Marine Corps\u2019 Air-Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, Kilo Company, 42 Commando RM have been using a mock-up Middle Eastern village in this vast training facility with its 932 square miles of desert terrain in which to operate.  \nOne serial saw the Bickleigh-based marines using \u2018simunition\u2019 which enables firing without the risks associated with live ammunition; it still hurts if you are hit though!  A bit like paintball, the round contains a small amount of blue or pink dye to indicate a successful shot.\nMajor Ben Halsted RM, Officer Commanding K Company, is pleased with how the training has gone so far.  \u201cSimunition is a halfway house between dry and live firing; in a close quarters environment it\u2019s as close as you can get to the real thing, down to the fact that it does hurt when it hits you in certain places.\u201d\n\u201cThe pain factor is useful because once the guys have had a few strikes on hands and other sensitive places, they\u2019ll get quite wary.  What this is doing is blending the drill with tactical considerations; this will expose any weaknesses in their drills and they\u2019ll learn very quickly from that.\u201d\nK Company are set to enjoy a single day of leave in Palm Springs after an intense week of training, despite a 0600hrs departure time on their day off, following which they will continue with their live fire training package. \n\u201cThey\u2019re really looking forward to it and I think a change of scenery will be extremely welcome and very well earned indeed.\u201d\n\t\t\t\t\tENDS\nFor further information, contact the Unit Press Officer (Lt Jim Norcott RN) via the Chief Clerk (3cdox-42cdorm-chief clerk-FMS12@mod.uk)", "Image Make": "NIKON CORPORATION", "Image Model": "NIKON D3S", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image SamplesPerPixel": "3", "Image XResolution": "72", "Image YResolution": "72", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "Adobe Photoshop CS5 Windows", "Image DateTime": "2012:12:08 15:35:31", "Image Artist": "L(Phot) Jason Ballard", "Image Copyright": "CROWN COPYRIGHT", "Image ExifOffset": "2196", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "72", "Thumbnail YResolution": "72", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "2446", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "5862", "EXIF ISOSpeedRatings": "500", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0221", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2012:11:08 22:23:19", "EXIF ColorSpace": "Uncalibrated", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "960", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "640"}