posted on Apr, 11 2008 @ 12:09 AM
Ft. Dix is an Army Training camp, so having a POW compound is actually normal since this is where the military police train handling prisoners. It's
very small and only shows a few wooden shells which are covered with the green fabric when actually in use. I've been here many times but didn't
see this facility, it looks the newer style with lighting for night operations. Call the Public Affairs Office and request a tour so go see for
yourselves. Most training facilities are available for tours.
I've been to the POW camp at Ft. McCoy, Sparta/Onalaska, WI and the three "Iraqi villages" where capturing, crowd control, and detention is
practiced. This was actually used as a detention camp for a few months in the 1960's for the Dominican Republic boat people. This would be a good
movie location since it is very scenic surrounded by grasslands and a treeline, and uses the old style lower guard towers, no night lighting. Most
training takes place summer and they look for locals to volunteer to dress up like Iraqis and resists the military for them to practice crowd control.
From the Onalaska Life Newspaper, WI: Although Fort McCoy has its own overall training service - a team to direct the training - the 1-409th Regiment
85 Division from Fort Knox, Ky., is doing the training at Fort McCoy, said Fournier. They brought along 26 sergeants and five officers to train more
than 100 soldiers, most coming from La Crosse county and the surrounding area.
The training takes place on the FOB (forward operating bases), temporary training camps built away from the main base, but within view of Highway 21.
Fournier said there was a rumor when these camps were first being built that they were prison camps when it was actually the immersion area.
The FOBs are part of the theater immersion training - putting the soldiers in the same situations that they might encounter in Iraq, Fournier said.
The camp replicates the checkpoints, berms, and, of course, the tent villages that the soldier will be living in.