MMC handled the national marketing public relations for its client, Strategic Operations, at the HALO Counter-Terrorism Summit, Oct. 29-Nov. 2 in San Diego. Strategic Operations, Executive Vice President, Kit Lavell, said “In a massive training effort that has rarely been conducted outside of military facilities, Strategic Operations constructed a Developing World village on site at Paradise Point (aka ‘HALO Island’) utilizing Hollywood magic. As the backdrop for daily training scenarios, this parking lot-sized movie set will feature state-of-the-art structures, pyrotechnic battlefield effects, medical special effects, vehicles and blank-firing weapons.”

Strategic Operations provides Hyper-Realistic™ training in such a high degree of fidelity in the replication of battlefield conditions in a training environment that participants willingly suspend disbelief and become totally immersed in the training environment. The resulting “stress inoculation” effect for military and law enforcement personnel results in enhanced training and increased situational awareness in real world situations which hopefully will save lives. Conference attendees were able to observe three themed scenarios.

Downed Pilot Rescue Scenario – Oct. 30 and Nov. 1
The first-day scenario will feature action in the village, and in the air above Mission Bay. A downed pilot is trapped in the village and an airborne quick reaction force (QRF) will parachute onto HALO Island (weather and other factors permitting) to attempt to extract the downed pilot while the opposition force fires rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and small arms fire at them. The quick reaction force fights off the opposition, fights its way into the village, locates and administers aid to the pilot, extracts him and egresses. The airborne QRF will be comprised of former Navy SEALs called the Elite Frogs.

Zombie Apocalypse Scenario – Oct. 31 (Halloween)
A VIP and his personal security detail (PSD) are trapped in a mock Third World Village surrounded by Zombies. The VIP is in a building with his PSD, meeting with local officials. As the team begins to depart, a insurgent-driven truck with a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) enters the area and is engaged by the security detail, resulting in early detonation of the VBIED, destroying the VIP transport. Zombies then appear trapping the PSD and VIPs in the Village. An armored vehicle arrives to extract the VIP and his team under fire. A firefight ensues, killing zombies, many of which fall and get up, needing to be shot several times before dying for good. Civilians are bitten by Zombies. A Quick Reaction Force (QRF) then deploys into Village to extract VIP team and surviving villagers and put everyone through a triage and decontamination station.

Here is the Michael Peck War Games @ Forbes.com article on the — Zombie Apocalypse