First Lt. Alex Gundy (pointing), 3rd platoon commander,

First Lt. Alex Gundy (pointing), 3rd platoon commander, Kilo Company, Battalion Landing Team 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, gives direction to his Marines during a simulated raid at the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit’s Realistic Urban Training at Twentynine Palms, California, March 1, 2018. RUT is a multi-week training exercise designed to prepare deploying units for real world combat and scenarios. “The training is hard, but it’s good for my Marines and me alike,” said Gundy. Realistic Urban Training is a Marine Expeditionary Unit exercise that provides an opportunity to integrate more advanced individual and unit skills and to develop the 13th MEU’s collective proficiency in challenging and unfamiliar environments. Exercises like RUT are necessary to provide robust, realistic training that is indispensable in preparing our Marines and Sailors to deploy in urban environments. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. A. J. Van Fredenberg)