MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER, TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. -- Marines are renowned for their history of serving in “every clime and place,” so it arguably came as little surprise to the 900-plus Lava Dogs from 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, based out of Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay, that they went from tropical Hawaii into the freezing cold in Bridgeport, Calif., at the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center; and now are under the scorching sun and 100-plus degree temperatures in the desert at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif. — all in the span of 15 days.A lifetime.“This is our best last chance to prepare for combat in Afghanistan,” said 1/3 Commanding Officer Lt. Col. James Bierman, from Virginia, as he addressed the entire battalion during a formation, Sept. 29, here at Camp Wilson. “We have come a long way in a lot of critical areas, but there is still work to be done.“The way we train here will have a direct impact on the way we fight in Afghanistan. I expect one hundred fifty percent from each and every one of you.”And so the stage was set as 1/3 embarked on what promises to be a grueling four-week, live-fire training exercise dubbed Mojave Viper, also known as the Combined Arms Training Course, a recent name re-designation, which replaces the old Combined Arms Exercise. “Mojave Viper gives us a chance to do combined-arms training — everything from small arms to our largest organic weapons, coupled with air integration,” explained Capt. Jer Garcia, 1/3 assistant operations officer and a native of Honolulu. “During this exercise, we will employ the escalation of live-force fires all the way to the more traditional combined-arms fires. “By the end of this evolution, the Marines will understand that they can cause death and destruction to the enemy from not only their personal small arms, but also from larger weapon systems — artillery or air strikes called in with precision to a fleeing enemy — and they will accomplish it all in the worst of terrain and weather conditions that make up this hostile desert environment.”According to Master Gunnery Sgt. Carlos Craig, 1/3 operations chief and a native of Buffalo, N.Y., the time spent at Twentynine Palms will be as realistic to actual combat as possible. “Throughout this exercise, we will simulate a battlefield environment by utilizing our firepower using close-air support, artillery and tanks — all the way down to small arms,” said Craig, a 26-year Marine veteran. “The reason we go to Twentynine Palms after mountain warfare training in Bridgeport is because not all of Afghanistan is mountainous. There’s a lot of flat, desert-like ground in country. “We are covering all our bases, as we focus on our mission — to bring the enemy to a quick and decisive end.” Part of covering those bases means getting the Marines ready, physically and mentally, for the rigors they will face in combat during their upcoming deployment to Afghanistan where they will serve in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.“This will be my second tour in Afghanistan, and a big part of my responsibility is passing on my knowledge to the other Marines who haven’t been there yet,” said Lance Cpl. Jason Hyde, a 1/3 fire-team leader with Charlie Company. “The only pressure I feel is making sure we accomplish our mission and making sure my Marines make it back home to their families,” said the Spartanburg, S.C. native. “We are all getting into a combat mindset.”Another Afghanistan veteran and 1/3 fire-team leader with Charlie Company, Pfc. Nicholas Long, a Charleston, S.C. native, said he knows where Hyde is coming from.“It’s a big feeling of responsibility for myself and the other Afghanistan veterans,” admitted Long. “It’s our job not only to pass on the knowledge we’ve gained from previously fighting in Afghanistan, but, more importantly, to make sure it hits home and that our Marines understand. This is real — real bullets, real war, real consequences. Training hard and realistically now will save the lives of Marines later.”The realistic training 1/3 Marines are experiencing during Mojave Viper includes the use nothing but live ammunition and live rounds.“It’s all live fire out here,” said Lance Cpl. Christopher Sullivan, a 1/3 administrative clerk from Hyannis, Mass., who is making his first combat deployment. “You got rounds flying over your head, mortars striking within what feels like a few hundred meters, aircraft dropping ordnance, and also urban warfare environments. The Marines here are itching to get to Afghanistan, but we all realize how important it is to be exposed to this type of training, first.”In addition to the arduous training regime, one of the hardships of training in a desert environment is the searing heat.“It’s a lot hotter here than back home in Hawaii,” said Cpl. Jose GonzalezGonzalez, a 1/3 administrative clerk from Hillsboro, Ore. “It’s more than just the heat, though. It literally feels like the sun is burning your body. Then, you figure we’ve got our flack jackets and Kevlars (helmets) on, our packs with all our gear on our backs, and our weapons to carry. It is not easy by any means, but you can see the Marines toughening up as time goes by. Your body eventually just gets used to it. After awhile, I guess it kind of feels like we can handle anything.” This is exactly the type of response 1st Lt. Jerry Godfrey, 1/3 assistant logistics officer and a native of Miami, said he likes to hear.“Every Marine here understands and has taken it upon himself to put forth a max effort out here,” said Godfrey. “We understand it’s not time to pat ourselves on the back, yet. We still have four weeks of hard training left, but right now, the Marines are doing the right things, and I think it is going to be a very successful training evolution.”When asked what he thought the most important aspect of the training that he wanted his Marines to take away from Mojave Viper, Godfrey replied, “Brilliance in the basics.”“We’re not going to ‘re-invent the wheel’ in Afghanistan,” said Godfrey. “Basic Marine warrior skills are what’s going to bring us victory, and it is what’s going to bring our boys back home alive. That’s what this training evolution is all about.”