Iraqis protest in Abar Layla, saying now is the time for Iraqis to take control of their country and their destiny. View photo »

Actors playing Iraqi civilians breached security and are being questioned by the military. View photo »

Members of the military speak with "natives" in an exercise that trains troops interact with Iraqi civilians. Actors are hired to play Iraqis at Fort Irwin National Training Center. View photo »

Soldiers patrol the perimeter of a makeshift Iraqi village. View photo »

Justin Schmidt films soldiers preparing for a foot patrol into the nearby makeshift village of Abar Layla. View photo »

A foot patrol through a makeshift Iraqi village offered ample sand and sky to take in, but no violence on this day. View photo »

Members of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division return from foot patrol, an exercise meant to simulate a real patrol in Iraq. View photo »

Ben Bauman types up an entry in his travelogue, using a helmet to prop up his laptop. Access to electricity was spotty, so Ben took advantage when he could. View photo »

Justin Schmidt snaps a photo of Ben Bauman getting a drink. The hot desert days can really make a man thirsty. View photo »

A cell phone picture shows dozens of cots lined up in the makeshift barracks. View photo »

Soldiers build a fence around a makeshift town of Abar Layla. View photo »

Soldiers build fences in a similar fashion as soldiers in Iraq do. View photo »

More fence building. View photo »

Soldiers in training wear devices called MILES on their vests. You can see it on the soldier in the foreground. It's the black dot on his shoulder. These are the receivers for lasers. If hit by a laser, the MILES will signal an alarm, indicating a soldier has been hit. View photo »

49 News' Ben Bauman poses with Gabriel Giba, an Iraqi native and interpreter, who settled in San Diego with his family about a decade ago. He's helping train soldiers at the Fort Irwin National Training Center. View photo »