Marines practice raids for summer deployment; F-35B Lightning II combat plane to join

CAMP PENDLETON —  For Pfc. Nicholas Martinov, it was his first taste of what real combat might be like.
The 6-foot-4 Marine from Thousand Oaks squeezed inside a cramped assault amphibious vehicle with others from his squad.
In the mock scenario, the armored vehicles stormed onto land from the sea as the Marines made their way to raid a fictional village occupied by an unknown enemy.
Martinov, 21, rushed from the vehicle to provide security as others attacked the village.  On