Marines from the 1st Marine Division, 3rd Amphibious Armored Vehicle Battalion add realism to Exercise Kernel Blitz 97 by driving former Soviet bloc armored vehicles at Camp Pendleton, Calif., on June 21, 1997. Kernel Blitz 97 is a major amphibious exercise taking place in Southern California and waters offshore. More than 12,000 sailors, Marines, soldiers, guardsmen and airmen are involved in the exercise which is designed to test the Navy-Marine Corps team's ability to project combat power ashore. These Marines are acting as the opposing force, commonly called the OPFOR.