Through the smoke
By Daily Bruin Staff
April 20, 2016 12:00 a.m.
Fourth-year biology student Timu Saari informs the cadets of the obstacle course's history and challenges. The obstacle course is dedicated to the Battle of Fallujah, in which the United States Marine Corps had to use teamwork and problem solving to accomplish their missions.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
Fourth-year geography student Anna Wilson and others kneel and listen to Saari's instructions before entering the obstacle course.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
As observation training mentors, fourth-year history student Ryan Garofalo (left) and fourth-year Pepperdine University student Shayne Mabry (right) evaluate the cadets' teamwork, leadership and accomplishment of the obstacle courses.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin/Daily Bruin)
First-year neuroscience student Emily Cooksey grips a thick rope to climb up a tilted wall. If she or any of the cadets step on the red painted squares, the entire team must start over.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
A team of cadets stands carefully on a wall, trying to devise the best way to get everyone to the ground without stepping on any place that is painted red.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
A teammate's outstretched hand helps third-year biology student Jennifer Barrantes cross the obstacle as third-year California State University Northridge student Omid Malekzadeh (left) helps her balance on a metal chain.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
First-year biology student Gavin Saucedo (left) and fourth-year sociology student Sebastian Ceballos (middle) stabilize themselves on the wooden plank as John Lyons (right) prepares to jump to safety.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
Lt. Andrew Kim and fourth-year geography student Robert Burns stand on a bridge and watch the cadets work on the obstacle courses, ensuring that the cadets follow the rules.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
Third-year biochemistry student Anthony Buzzanco (left) and second-year Loyola Marymount student Robert Fretz (right) assess how to use wooden planks to get ammunition and cadets to the safe zone on the other side.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
Second-year Arabic student Richard Starr (left) and second-year California State University Northridge student Sean Andrews (right) extend a wooden plank to small pillar to make a bridge.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
First-year earth and environmental science student Ryan Distaso carefully walks across a thin plank in a "hot lava" obstacle course.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
Graduate student Matthew Jones carefully passes a wooden plank to Distaso and the two work together to lay different-sized planks across differently spaced pillars without falling off.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
As commander of Bruin Battalion, Burns goes over his team of cadets' strengths and weaknesses during the previous obstacle course and advises them on how to improve teamwork and communication.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
Fourth-year political science student Josh Kang (left) passes a rucksack filled with a sleeping bag, blanket, water canteens, poncho, and sleeping mat to fourth-year political science student James Barnes (right) to unload all of the cadets' belongings.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
Capt. Richard Headley teaches cadets how to set up and straighten a proper antenna which is vital for radio communication between platoons and leaders.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
The platoon medic, second-year psychobiology student Jason Oliver, presses first-year chemistry student Maya Pathuri's ankle and concludes that she must have sprained it when she fell into a dip in the ground.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
Barrantes, the platoon leader for the second day of training, runs from an exploding grenade and shouts to her platoon, telling them to run to a nearby clearing.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
Three cadets trek through the grasses and weeds back to the main base after a long day of being ambushed multiple times. The platoon spreads out to secure more ground and keeps their eyes peeled for the opposition.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
Third-year biology student Brandon Brown (left) holds up first-year CSUN student Michael McDermott (middle) while first-year California State University, Northridge student Mark Kahanding (right) uses gauze and bandages to stop the bleeding in McDermott's shoulder.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
To begin the raid on a village, McDermott runs through smoke grenades, making it difficult for enemy forces to aim and shoot accurately.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
Cadets take a superior vantage point on the roof of the building and third-year student Jose Avellaneda ducks from crossfire.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
Second-year geography student Graydon White captures fourth-year history student Oren Rosen, the high value target. White secures Rosen's arms behind his back and searches Rosen's body for weapons and valuable information.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
Second-year economics and Russian studies student Louis Bethge pretends to be severely injured and two cadets run and drag him to safety.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
After the first raid, the cadets set up a patrol base in a different location and begin another raid on the village by running through smoke grenades.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
First-year chemical engineering student Gabriel Feingold (left) and fourth-year political science student Vincent Lechner (right) act as the opposition and shoot at the cadets between window shutters and behind walls.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
Fretz uses the fireman's carry on an injured Buzzanco to return to the patrol base after the second raid.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
Before the third raid, Feingold takes a break and snacks on a cracker from a Ready to Eat Meal, a packaged ration the United States military uses during combat when cooked food is inaccessible.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
First-year history student Braden Grindle (left) slumps against the wall and Rosen (right) sprawls on the ground, both pretending to be dead. First-year microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics student Meaghan Bowman acts as the enemy prisoner of war because she gave away the location of the opposition's weapons cache.
(Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin)
Fourth-year geography student Cheryl Zhu cleans her M4 rifle thoroughly with wipes and Q-tips; it took the platoon six hours to finish cleaning the guns.
