Military Operations in Urban Terrain (M.O.U.T.) in the current climate of war, involve more than assaults on buildings and engaging enemy combatants. An essential part of modern day urban operations includes what is termed, "presence patrols." These are missions that are intended to demonstrate the ongoing activity by U.S. forces to maintain stability in communities, while being alert to respond to weapons cache's and enemy threats.

Presence patrols are intended to walk a fine line between peace keeping and policing, and the need to respond with force. To achieve that, soldiers are trained to maximize the use of translators in order to work with local community leaders to build trust and respect. The job is one of the most demanding of their missions, requiring the soldier to be constantly alert to threats, yet remain friendly and cordial to the local populous as they move through the urban environment.

Training for the mission is challenging. Soldiers are put into active scenarios that incorporate replica environments, actors that role play the part of locals as well as hidden threats that arise without warning. As the soldiers patrol through a village, they are confronted by "locals" that move and act in ways that are similar to what the soldiers may encounter in Afghanistan. The challenge for the soldiers is to maintain a posture that is defensive but not hostile. As villagers move in and around the formation, the soldiers must remain fully attentive to the possibility of a threat, while having the presence of mind to distinguish between friend and foe.

In our scenario, the soldiers were given intelligence of the possibility of a weapons cache and a new enemy presence. As the unit entered the village, they were greeted by the locals. Upon initial contact with the villagers, the soldiers took up a defense posture, while the translator was brought forward to expedite the exchange between the squad leader and the village elder. The village elder spoke Dari; the translator began by expressing the greeting from the squad leader, "Good afternoon."

The village elder responded through the translator, "Greetings and blessings to you."

"We are on a patrol to ensure the village's safety. We have heard that there may be weapons and explosives being stored here that may be used against your community and our soldiers. Can you provide us with any information about this?" The translator communicated the request to the elder.

The village elder initially told the squad leader that he knew nothing. However, as the conversation evolved, the squad leader was directed to another villager that had been rumored to know more. The elder was thanked, and the focus was shifted to the new lead.

As the conversations continued, the squad remained alert. Villagers continued to move in around the unit, as soldiers worked to remain friendly. These are the moments of greatest risk, as immediate threats could be no further than a villager with the appearance of curiosity.

Once the information was collected the unit continued its patrol. The intelligence proved to be correct and the threat real. In this scenario, the squad was eventually attacked by a sniper team. The squad's response was aggressive and effective, yet there were still casualties. The exercise was concluded, but not without the grim reminder that operations of this nature bring the risk of injury or death. In this simulation, one of the soldiers was marked for immediate medical evacuation. This was all part of the training, all with the intent of leaving a lasting reminder of the dangers that they could face. The training was effective with squad leaving the exercise more aware.

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Copyright, Scott Kesterson- 2006

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