Photos: Military training

A soldier whose sensor was hit by an eletronic signal -- making him a casuality -- is assisted by other U.S. Army trainees at Medina Wasl, a model of an Iraqi village that is used for training at Ft. Irwin in the Mojave Desert.  (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

Makeup artist Lesa Butler paints the face of soldier Daniel Asber, preparing him to play the part of a bombing victim at Medina Wasl.  (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

Actor James Sullivan, center, ducks as Hollywood pyrotechnic experts set off controlled explosion on a Humvee at Medina Wasl. Later, as U.S. Army trainees approach the sceen, Sullivan plays a soldier who has just lost his lower legs.  (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

A U.S. soldier guards an evening meeting as the moon rises over Medina Wasl, one of the Iraqi training villages created by the military at Ft. Irwin.  (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

An Army trainee approaches the area where Hollywood pyrotechnic experts set off a controlled explosion at Medina Wasl. Actors play injured soldiers.  (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

Playing the Iraqi police chief of Medina Wasl, Muayad Sofi, right, takes a terrorist suspect into custody with help from U.S. Army trainees.  (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

Bassam Kalasho, playing the part of an Iraqi governor, makes a point during a meeting with an Army official at Ft . Irwin.  (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

A U.S. Army trainee participates in a night patrol through Medina Wasl at Ft. Irwin.  (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

An actor playing an Iraqi policemen leads U.S. Army trainees on patrol through the central traffic circle at Medina Wasl at Ft . Irwin.  (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

An actor pushes cart into the street at Medina Wasl, an Iraqi village re-created at Ft . Irwin to train American soldiers who are about to deploy.  (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

Actors playing injured civilians are treated by Army corpsman in a training exercise at Medina Wasl at Ft. Irwin.  (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

Makeup is applied to actor James Sullivan, left, who portrays a soldier injured in an explosion as part of a training exercise at Medina Wasl.  (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

Actors playing injured Iraqi civilians run from a burning Humvee at Medina Wasl, a training village at Ft. Irwin.  (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

Actor Daniel Asber, portraying an Iraqi citizen, pleads for help from U.S. Army trainees at Medina Wasl.  (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)