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Bomb blasts shake the Humvee as the people inside take aim and fire with machine guns attached to the vehicle. Some insurgents fall, while others shoot back.

It wasn't real life -- instead, it was the Virtual Army Experience, a larger-than-life video game experience offered at Foothills Fall Festival by America's Army. Situated on the greenbelt near the old library (currently the Blount County Health Department) in Maryville, the game and its 40-by-80-foot tent give teens and adults the opportunity to get a glimpse of the experiences of U.S. soldiers fighting in Iraq and other places, according to Pablo Colon, on-site manager for Ignited Minds, which developed America's Army.

"The public goes through a scenario where they are going through a city to reach a humanitarian aid group," Colon said. "They are trying to get supplies through. Enemy forces are trying to stop them."

Participants must be at least 13 years old and 48 inches tall. The age limit is consistent with the "Teen" rating given to the video game by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). Only four people at a time can experience the seven-minute military gun battle.

Colon said Ignited Minds developed the Virtual Army Experience almost two years ago to educate the public about what members of the military experience and to show opportunities offered by the U.S. Army. The organization also works closely with U.S. Army recruiters, he added. The units travel all over the country -- primarily visiting air shows, summer festivals, car shows and other events. This is the first time the attraction has been at the Foothills Fall festival. Colon said the group owns a larger 1,000-square-foot game that breaks into two smaller units. He referred to the unit at the Fall Festival as a "baby" one.

On Friday night, nearly 200 teens and adults experienced the Virtual Army Experience at the festival. Colon said he expected many more to visit on Saturday.

"Some kids go through it several times," Colon said.

Miguel McNelly, 13, of Maryville, played a video game outside of the Virtual Army Experience booth. He called the full-sized game "exciting" and "fun." He said a lady who played the game with him screamed when a bomb "exploded" near them. McNelly often plays video games, including some military-type ones. He said he might play the large game again later.

Regina Marshall and her daughter, Ashley Click, 14, of Alcoa, played the game at about noon on Saturday. Though Marshall doesn't often play video games, Click spends a lot of her time playing a variety of games. Marshall said it was fun watching the other teens play the game.

"It was a good experience, especially for the kids," Marshall said. "It lets them know a little bit of what the soldiers go through. Maybe they will appreciate (the soldiers) more."

Another teen, Nate Murry, of Friendsville, said the game was a little scary. Though he said he enjoyed it, he sometimes couldn't tell what he shot at.

Teens must register at the booth before going through Virtual Army Experience. When they do, they receive a card and a lanyard with the computer version of the game dangling from it to take home. A bank of laptop computers and an XBox 360 outside of the main playing area give teen an opportunity to experience a smaller version of the game. The extra-large game does not keep score, but the computer and game console versions do, Colon said.

Colon said people all over the country track the Virtual Army Experience on the Web site, and show up to play it again. Visit the America's Army Web site at www.americasarmy.com for more information about the games.