<p>Ambushes and firefights: The new West Point summer training program
By ALICE GOMSTYN
<a href="mailto:agomstyn@lohud.com">agomstyn@lohud.com</a>
THE JOURNAL NEWS</p>
<p>(Original publication: July 14, 2006)</p>
<p>WEST POINT</p>
<p>Michelle Miller sat in the grass, cleaning her M-16, reflecting on what went wrong.</p>
<p>"I was probably too exposed," the 19-year-old said, her brown curly hair coming out in wisps beneath her helmet. "Next time, instead of running up with the squad, I should find cover first."</p>
<p>Yesterday, Miller, of Marco Island, Fla., was one of several casualties of a firefight that erupted during a routine search of a small Arab village. Miller was shot in the abdomen and carried to safety so she could receive medical attention for what in a real-life scenario might have been serious injuries.</p>
<p>Fortunately, this wasn't real life.</p>
<p>Welcome to Operation Highland Warrior, part of the U.S. Military Academy's annual six-week summer training program for the academy's yearlings or, in civilian terms, sophomores as well as upperclassmen who make up the program's chain of command.</p>
<p>West Point officials said that this year's program is a radical departure of those in years past. New scenarios have been added, they said, to reflect the conflicts soldiers face today. Simulated missions include searching the homes of villagers in an area suspected of housing a terrorist cell, and clearing a road of explosives while warding off an ambush by insurgents.</p>
<p>Firefights, like the one that ensnarled Miller, are not uncommon.</p>
<p>"It's a very real scenario, as you would see in Iraq and Afghanistan right now," said Capt. Ryan Morgan of West Point's Department of Military Instruction.</p>
<p>But there are key differences between the West Point training and the real thing. For one thing, the machine guns used during the training are loaded with blanks and outfitted with lasers.</p>
<p>Everyone participating wears a harness that, when hit by the laser, emits a high-pitched beep. A series of short, successive beeps means you've been hit. A long, sustained beep means you're dead.</p>
<p>"It is a very high-tech version of laser tag," Morgan said.</p>
<p>The villagers that cadets encounter during their missions are actually soldiers and contracted translators dressed in traditional garb. Soldiers also play insurgents, who, during the program, are often dressed in black shirts and hats.</p>
<p>The translators, mostly immigrants from Arab countries, add authenticity to the training by letting cadets know when they've committed a cultural taboo or somehow offended their hosts. Being sensitive to cultural norms, officials said, helps win cooperation from locals and may prove vital to a successful mission.</p>
<p>"We don't want them to say 'ugly American,' " said Samie Sawa, an Iraqi immigrant who yesterday portrayed a Muslim sheik. "We want them to say 'nice American.' "</p>
<p>While they're not professional actors, the soldiers and translators can be quite convincing in their roles. "We have one female who can cry big crocodile tears just like that," Morgan said.</p>
<p>Throughout the simulated missions, West Point officials are nearby, taking note of both smart moves and sorry missteps by the cadets. They include their observations in sit-down review sessions with the cadets after each mission.</p>
<p>The new and improved Operation Highland Warrior is getting high marks from cadets who took part in older versions of the program, which officials said focused more heavily on a "Cold War-era defense."</p>
<p>"The yearlings this year are getting more prepared than previous classes," said Mike Snodgrass, 22, a senior cadet from Newport, Ark., who is leading a platoon of cadets this summer. He is reaping benefits from the program, too, he said.</p>
<p>"It's probably the best training I've had at the academy," he said.</p>