The United States Marine Corp will participate in a realistic military exercise Aug. 19 in Blythe and surrounding Palo Verde Valley Communities, authorities announced Friday.
The Colorado River sheriff’s station, Blythe police and fire departments, California Highway Patrol, United States Border Patrol and Cal-Fire will assist in the exercise, according to Sgt. Ed Reynoso of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
“The purpose of the exercise is to provide the USMC the opportunity to conduct training in unfamiliar environments,” Reynoso wrote in a statement. “During the exercise, the USMC will be required to conduct a series of challenging and realistic training events to test their ability to conduct conventional and specialized missions.”
During the training, the use of explosives for breaching wood facades, simunitions, rubber bullets and blanks may also be used, according to Reynoso.
People should expect the area to have traffic control, road closures and areas cordoned off to the public, Reynoso said.