On 22 June 2005, Air Force Link reported that the Air Warrior II training exercise is combining aircraft, combat air controllers, and ground forces in an effort to help "prepare 10th Mountain Division Soldiers for an upcoming deployment to Afghanistan." The report continues:
The training includes nearly 4,000 Soldiers who must face an opposition force comprising "enemy" Army units. Villages inside the training area include about 1,200 role players who simulate shopkeepers, politicians and insurgents. Arab-American contractors train role players and help to expose troops to customs and courtesies that troops soon will face when they deploy, officials said.
Role players dress, speak and stay "in character" for the duration of the exercise. Even street signs and graffiti written on buildings inside the exercise area are in languages that units can expect to see during their deployment. To further the realism, TV, radio and newspapers follow the action to train leaders to counter enemy misinformation and propaganda, officials said.
The exercise’s overall goals are to prepare Soldiers and Airmen for urban operations before they deploy and to meet formal training objectives as outlined by Joint Forces Command officials.