His combat experience includes close-quarters battle, desert patrols and training foreign allies, it says.

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It must also begin training in desert warfare and develop and purchase appropriate conventional platforms.

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On the other side, Israel stopped training in desert warfare and stopped gathering intelligence on the Egyptian military.

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In his "Space Project, " Vincent pays homage to the world's great centers of space exploration and study: Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia, Mars Desert Research Station in Utah, various observatories and antenna arrays, and, most recently, the Ariane Space Center in French Guiana.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

In the months leading up to the invasion of Iraq, many American military units travelled to the National Training Center, a sprawling patch of California desert.

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The desert area is favored by the U.S. military and its allies for training because the hot, dusty conditions and mountains replicate Afghanistan's harsh environment and the clear weather allows for constant flying.

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First of all, there's a question of training for the Afghan mountains, let's say, rather than the Iraqi desert.

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Having served as a platoon leader in Germany, he completed his officer training and was posted to Fort Bragg, North Carolina before returning to the Middle East for Operation Desert Storm in 1991.

BBC: Profile: General Odierno