Jade NOLA 15

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The last time Marine Corps special operators trained in New Orleans, military helicopters appeared suddenly in the night, dropping troops onto an Algiers building for a mock raid as thousands of people watched Endymion roll on Canal Street.

The Marines are coming back for more. A 10-day exercise begins Saturday (July 18), in the New Orleans area and two sites in Mississippi, a Marine Corps Special Operations Command spokesman said this week in alerting the public.

Calling it "realistic military training," the command puts Marines through scenario-based exercises in and near civilian communities "to replicate realistic conditions," Capt. Barry Morris said in a statement.

Local officials are aware of the exercise, which "is conducted in an environment that is controlled yet unfamiliar to the Marines being trained," he said. Working with local authorities "ensures our training is both safe and realistic," he said.

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