New adventure: Journalism in Conflict Zones course

What's new?
I am heading to a US Military Base in the California desert called the National Training Centre to attend the Journalism in Conflict Zones course offered by Athabasca University.

What????
Ok, this is a course that will happen from February 3 to 23. The idea is to be a media presence while Canadian troops are training to go to Afghanistan in the spring. But no, I am NOT going to a war zone, I am just taking the opportunity to learn more about the military and peharps have some fun!

How did I get involved?
A friend invited me and I thought: why not? It's not like I have a job or kids, or fear of new adventures. So, my backpack has been prepared for a while now.

How is it organized?
The Journalism in Conflict Zones course is a partnership between the Canadian Military and Athabasca University. The group is formed by 10 journalists and the CBC’s Paul Hunter and Mike Vernon will be the instructors. And my friend JJ will be the newsroom producer. I feel very lucky! Can't wait to work with these people!

How is it going to work?
I was told that we will have a few days of orientation, that can be a bit boring. But then we will have 2 weeks of intensive training, including being embedded with Canadian troops while they exercise in the desert. I will be expected to file one TV story a day for the course, but I am also allowed to produce pieces for the real Canadian media from there. So far, I've arranged to produce stories for the Brazilian show of Radio Canada International.
Canada Direto - RCI's Brazilian Show

How realistic is the training?
I would imagine that it is just like in Afghanistan or Iraq.  Bombs will be blowing up and people will be getting hurt during the exercises. But it is all fake (I hope so! haha). If you watch this CNN story, you can certainly see how real this training is. Fort Irwin is considered the most realistic war training facility in the world. It is known as the “Hollywood for the soldiers.”
CNN story about the National Training Centre, in Fort Irwin:

How do I feel about all that?
I feel very happy to be part of such a small group and do something completetly different. But really, I feel like it is a great opportunity to learn more about something that I've never paid too much attention: the military. I grew up in Brazil, with no war or conflict stories, and although I had a couple of uncles at high levels in the military, I was too busy thinking about  and producing other stories. It was here, after Canada joined the NATO forces in Afghanistan in 2001 that I started to be more interested in this reality. I am very curious to see how I feel after this experience is over. Stay tuned!