 Behind me, Italian landing team Marines of the 31st Mu, move out to conduct their final live-fire exercise following the conclusion of Exercise Hamel 2012. As a culminating event for the skills learned from weeks in a woodland environment, the Marines execute live-fire platoon maneuvers against enemy encampments in unique terrain, contrasting years of desert operations. So many Marines have been concentrated on Afghanistan and Iraq, a lot of urban techniques leading back to the roots of patrolling fundamentals, patrol-based operations and things like that that Marines haven't had a chance to necessarily concentrate on in the last five to ten years. While these Marines may not find themselves in such terrain in the Middle East, they nevertheless add critical skills to their overall tactics, techniques and procedures, making them all the more ready for the future. Corporal Jonathan Wright reporting.