The 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit is set to invade Indianapolis.

Hollywood special effects and Arabic-speaking actors will be helping Marines train for urban combat when Indianapolis and other nearby communities begin hosting mock combat missions Wednesday.

A special effects company will create realistic explosions in a mock Middle Eastern village at Camp Atterbury, Marine spokesman 1st Lt. Timothy Patrick said in a written statement.

Arabic-speaking actors have been hired to play villagers and hostile insurgents, Patrick said.

“We will patrol through a mock village, interact with the villagers, determine enemy threats (and) meet with village leaders,” Patrick said. “There will also be simulated improvised explosive devices and rocket-propelled grenades on strings providing explosions — all courtesy of the special effects production company.”

For the next two weeks, about 2,300 Marines from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, based at Camp Lejeune, N.C., will conduct urban warfare training at locations in and around Indianapolis.

Helicopters will land at the old Eastgate Consumer Mall, Brookside Park, the old Bush Stadium, Raymond Park Middle School and 22 other Indianapolis locations.

The Marines have been cleared by state, federal and local authorities, Fletcher said. The unit’s commander promised to try to keep noise to a minimum and give neighbors plenty of warning.

The Marines will practice firing weapons, conducting patrols, running vehicle checkpoints, reacting to ambushes and employing nonlethal weapons, according to a statement.

Arabic, and not Pashto or Dari?  Does this mean that the 26th MEU is headed for Iraq?  At any rate, the Indianapolis Star has another interesting take on things.

U.S. Marine helicopters will land at the old Eastgate Consumer Mall, Brookside Park and other Indianapolis locations when the city becomes a mock battlefield next week.

About 2,300 Marines from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, based at Camp Lejeune, N.C., will conduct urban warfare training from Wednesday through June 19 in and around Indianapolis.

Most of the troops will be deployed at the Indiana State Fairgrounds and the Raytheon facility on Holt Road, said Debbi Fletcher of the Indianapolis/Marion County Emergency Management Agency.

“We don’t want anyone thinking that there’s an invasion happening or that we declared martial law or something like that,” Fletcher said …

“Our aim in Indianapolis is to expose our Marines to realistic scenarios and stresses posed by operating in an actual urban community, thereby increasing their proficiency in built-up areas,” Col. Mark J. Desens, commander of the 26th MEU, said in a statement. “While some of the activity will take place around Camp Atterbury, residents in many areas can expect to see helicopters flying overhead, military vehicles on the roads and Marines patrolling on foot,” Desens said.

Basically, the Marines are doing MOUT training in Indianapolis.  Sounds awesome.  But the comments at the Star are telling.

Oh hell no! The last thing we need is more right wing stormtroopers running around loose! Indy needs to say NO just like other cities have!

and,

I was wondering when this would happen.

Really?  Were you really wondering when the Marines were going to do MOUT training in Indy?

It does look like prelude to martial law. But they dont even need our troops to perform do (sic) this. According to what Ive (sic) been told, Bush has signed an agreement with Canada giving them the right to come to America and perform martial law. If our own troops wont (sic) shoot at us, the Canucks probably will. It’s really getting hard to tell who the enemy is anymore. Keep those guns handy men, it’s getting closer to lock & load.

and,

One thing I forgot to mention, one of the largest congregations of muslims are supposed to be in the Danville area. Hmmm, the jar heads on the eastside, the muslims on the westside.

No, seriously.  You can’t make this stuff up.  Fact is better than fantasy.  Then finally, this:

Thank you for expressing your concerns regarding the Marine maneuvers. The federal, state, and local authorities, including the Mayor, are in full support of this training initiative. Local emergency management authorities are also fully aware of the situation. We understand some of the concerns that are being expressed and have fully weighed those; however, the greater good is being served by allowing them access to our urban setting for future planning purposes. Any impacted neighborhoods will be notified.

Thank you,

Mary Grattan

Constituent Services Assistant

Office of Mayor Gregory A. Ballard

317-327-2580m the mayors office

We’ll see if the 26th MEU imposes martial law and shoots up Indy.  It’ll be sure to hit the news.