Last week, the internet was aflame with conspiracy theories regarding Exercise Jade Helm 15, a multi-week Unconventional Warfare exercise involving about 1200 SOF personnel, set to take place across the southern half of the United States starting this July. Apparently, someone released a slide deck with an overview of the exercise, to the blogosphere. The next thing you know, the conspiracy industry had some new material to twist into a Martial Law narrative that got the moonbat crowd all worked up.
Declare martial law with 1200 troops (including support guys)? Really?
Off course, it’s another case of 1 + 1 = C. First off, we’ve got an official statememt. Here’s the gist:
When asked by the press about Exercise Jade Helm 15, USASOC spokesman LTC Mark Lastoria answered, “It’s a training exercise. Just a regular training exercise.”
Next, we can look at the slides themselves. The cover slide is straight forward and it was obviously presented to a local government to explain what is going on in an effort get permission to train in their area.
They aren’t exactly hiding the nature of the exercise or where it will take place.
The slides are very up front about the nature of the training as it concerns local citizens.
Next, the slides detail the types of units involved. Not something you’d run around telling folks if you had a secret plan afoot.
As you can see, it’s a rather large training area but there’s a simple explanantion. It allows the units participating to actually deal with the tyranny of distance which effects transportation and communications as well as command and control. Even SOF portions of Combat Training Center rotations involve long distances between elements and target areas and those are conducted regularly.
As an aside, I really dig the logo which depicts crossed arrows and dagger (synonymous with Special Forces) set behind a French wooden shoe called a sabot. That wooden clog is where the term “sabotage” comes from. During the French revolution, workers were said to throw these shoes into the works of looms in order to break them. Unconventional Warfare and sabotage go together like peas and carrots.
The truth of the matter is that these exercises are nothing new and have been occuring for well over 50 years. Over the course of my 21 year long career, I participated in numerous large-scale, multi-week, joint SOF exercises with training areas that spanned multiple states. They were (and remain) excellent opportunities to practice the conduct of successful operations and such frequent exercises are what honed SOF capabilities, so ably demonstrated in the opening weeks of Operation Enduring Freedom, some 14 years ago.
If you still don’t believe me, I’ll once again share the period documentary, “Guerilla: USA” which depicts an early 1960s Unconventional Warfare exercise conducted by Special Forces in West Virginia. Equipment and TTPs may change but the underlying mission of working with the locals remains an inherent tenet of UW.
None of this is nefarious, and the activities in the documentary are more intricate than will take place in Jade Helm 15. Jade Helm isn’t a threat to liberty, but rather part of a larger mechanism deigned to protect it. So sleep peacefully in your beds at night knowing that rough men stand ready to do violence on your behalf. And, drop that crack pipe.
THANK YOU, SSD!
I’m sick of seeing “Invasion of Texas” and “Martial Law: Jade Helm 2015” in my newsfeed…
It only a conspiracy until it happens. The fact is, just like the “Z-day, Zombie Apocolypse” training the Army did a couple years ago, they always do unconventional training synopses. However, let’s NOT forget that in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Army National Guard units went house to house seizing weapons. Yeah, that happened.
But that’s apples and oranges. This is an exercise and they aren’t training to round up guns. If you actually knew any SF guys you’d realize how laughable that is.
A bunch of weapons left in the wreckage of a hurricane? I would seriously hope they got seized and placed in safe hands. >.> I am sure the benefits of desperate people in a bad situation not having weapons to harm each other with outweighs the constitutional injustice they would feel.
Eddie, I do not think you know the story of what actually happened in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. Unfortunately it wasn’t weapons left unsecured in wrecked homes. N.O.P.D. and St. Tammany Parish Sheriffs Department along with some National Guard units confiscated firearms from communities that were high and dry and at risk of looters. They also conducted checkpoints on highways on the roads out the afflicted areas where firearms were confiscated. Here is a video produced by the NRA about what happened.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-taU9d26wT4
Of course while this was happening Cops were stealing ATMs and looters were pillaging at will, and violence against innocents was going unchecked. Not to mention there is NO provision in the Bill of Rights nor the Constitution that allows for its suspension in the event of a storm.
I did read up on that after I commented, but there was a bit of both going on, they sure swept every place they could get to clean. Sure knew how to handle a city under basically martial law..
Eddie, Admit it, you posted without knowing anything about Katrina. Now do some more research and find out that the N.O. Mayor, Ray Nagin, was sentenced to 10 years in the federal slam for his unconstitutional gun grab.
While this gun theft was happening, sheeple all over the place said “well, if it makes us safer”. Start thinking for yourself. You are letting the headlines form your opinions which then come back out your mouth.
I didn’t know this happened! I thought Nagin was convicted and sent to jail for wire fraud and taking bribes from contractors after Katina. Makes me really sad that this all happened under a Republican President’s watch. Why didn’t the NRA get down there to stop it!?! But I’ve got to say it but this is just another crazy conspiracy theory drummed up by far right folks who are over sensitive to having an African American as President. Here is a theory for us all to consider. Why did so many Republican controlled states enact “stand your ground” laws after Obama became president? Why, in those same states have those laws be interpreted differently when whites stand their ground vs. minorities doing so? (whites found innocent disproportionately more vs. minorities). In my opinion, we’ve got a lot of folks out there with definite underlying insecurity issues when it comes to minorities. These very issues are driving the perceptions of government conspiracies. The same think happened when W was in office and the far left was damn sure that Cheney was drumming up so reason for declaring marshal law over the potential of a terrorist attack so that they would stay in power indefinitely. Remember that Bush’s reelection was primarily a fear based strategy that the wussie Democrats couldn’t keep us as safe as Republican’s. So in the meantime while we all focus on this BS our country’s infrastructure is falling apart, our debt is growing exponentially, the middle class (primary tax base) is shrinking, our education system is all jacked up, and according to KISS’ Gene Simmons, “Rock is Dead.” So let’s all put on some Lynyrd Skynyrd and start focusing on the things that really matter and that will keep American strong!
Mick G. The NRA is not a “police organization”..You also need to read or understand what REX 84 is…You might change your “tune” once you receive, read &understand a bit of needed information. Jade Helm ’15 has been touted as an ‘exercise’…but the govt. does not do large scale exercise(s) just for the hell of it… Jade Helm is an exercise alright..but the participants are ordered to conduct a reconnoiter of homes & businesses where the owner(s) may have weapons stashed… Too many people are willing to smile and agree to permit the military to come in and “play” their games when the real, underlying purpose has a darker side…declaration of Martial Law, suspension of state and city govts. confiscation of firearms, etc. etc etc.. Very similar to the NAZI and Communist takeover..(Hitler & Stalin)
Ok, which one of you guys is this?
but the govt. does not do large scale exercise(s) just for the hell of it…
Especially when it is 18 trillion in the hole.
You’re right. These units will conduct METL training.
Funny how the people who always say “that’ll never happen” or “you must not know any SF guys” are always the ones who refuse to eat their words once that shit happens. I remember when cell phones and “face-time/Skype” were science fiction. Just because it seems unfathomable to you, doesn’t mean it can’t happen, it just means it’s you can’t comprehend it. Some people thought the battle at Thermopylae was bullshit too. I’m not SF, but I worked for 1st and 10th SFG’s doing security on their base outside of Baghdad in 07, so I know what they’re capable of, and putting them against a civilian populating would be like a hot knife through butter. I’m just saying that this exercise is only a template for a government takeover, the SF being the first wave etc. It’s the “it’ll never happen” guys who put limitations on and underestimate the possibilities of their enemy. For all the guys who are saying that NG didn’t go house to house, check your sources.
Adam, after the exercise is over and it turns out the exercise was just that and not a cover for martial law, please send me an email with your address so I can send you a crow. I’d like pictures of you eating it.
Adam,
I’m not sure how cell phones or “face-time/Skype” relates to the subject at hand. Nor do I see how the battle of Thermopylae is relevant.
I think you are just a little confused…especially about SF.
But as an SF Guy, I’m willing to supply the buns and condiments to help you get SSD’s crow down a little easier. It is the least I can do for you.
TLB
Adam,
I’m not so sure that this is anything more than a training exercise but I think that the more we have vigilance and people talking about abusive government oversteps, the less likely they are to come to anything. So, despite the push back from those who think “tyranny can never happen here”. I prefer to err on the side of more suspicion toward government. Informed citizen oversight of government activity is the first bulwark against tyranny. After all, we are paying for everything they do so we are the masters, we are the owners, NOT THEM.
“tyranny can never happen here”
Tyranny Is Already Happening Here!!!!
TIMELINE:
Govt & Fed ran the Y2K scam on everyone in 1990’s. Reason for Clinton’s surplus that disappeared in March 2000 collapse.
Enron, Global Crossing & other Corporations got caught in Fraud & Corruption.
Spring of 2000, everything collapses
Need for 911 & the Fog of War – National Security to hide all the Fraud & Corruption under secrecy that our elite politicians & their favorite Corporations, Wall Street & the Banksters were involved in .
Bush/Cheney Crime Team tell everyone their patriotic duty is to go shopping to save economy from terrorists.
2002-2007 Govt & Fed ran the Sliced & Diced Home Mortgage Scam on everyone. Goldman Sachs Ring Leader
2007 – 2008 Economy Crashes Again. Big Banks Ran the Scams-Fined Millions-NO JAIL TIME. Create the Too Big Too Jail.
2008 to Present. Obama/Biden Crime Team have run the printing presses 24/7 to give everyone the Illusion that we have an economy. 18 TRILLION IN THE HOLE.
“The lies are getting bigger and bigger to the point at which they are now ludicrous or even perverse.”
http://thedailycoin.org/?p=30146
The whole system is manipulated & rigged.
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2014/11/banks-big-busted-massively-manipulating-foreign-exchange-precious-metal-markets.html
Adam, you evidently must follow Alex Jones and his malarkey. Alex Jones is a disinformation agent, and not for the our government but for one of them fer’in governments. Think of all the government take-overs you have heard about over the past 15 years…have any of them happened? No, they haven’t. Look at it this way, the are approx. 2 million in the different military branches. There are about 100 million well armed private citizens with lots of ammo. I think someone is slightly out-gunned and out-numbered, and it ain’t the private American citizens. Oh, they’ll just bomb us or send in the tanks…think again, they are not going to destroy the infrastructure and completely collapse the economy, which by the way would end the funding for the gub’mnt take-over. No matter how stupid politicians are, they aren’t that stupid.
Were you there? Did you SEE that happen? Because I was there and that didn’t happen. Did some firearms that were literally laying out in the open get picked up? Yes they did. So what? No “house to house” searches or seizures occurred. Katrina was a long time ago and people need to quit parroting stories they have read on the Internet.
Thanks for the feedback.
In the story I heard parroted, an injunction was filed and a court of competent jurisdiction ruled that the seizures (funny, none of the people who are constantly citing this government takeover can cite how many occurred) were Unconstitutional and ordered it stopped and the weapons returned to their owners. If it did happen, it’s a great example of the principle of checks and balances between the branches, and that occasionally the system works.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-taU9d26wT4
Exactly my recollection as well jbgleason. This conspiratorial fantasy of out-of-control gun grabbing was just that…fantasy. There were numerous house-house searches for victims in the areas around the 9th Ward levy breach which resulted in the recovery of bodies and, sadly, a relatively small number of survivors. As you said, if a gun was out and unsecured, we secured it , labeled it, and turned it over to the NOPD. But there was no searching for guns and we kept nothing.
Your recollection is faulty. NO admitted to the crime.
I can’t post a link here but this is from the NRA web site:
As we reported in October 2008, after a lengthy legal battle over the unconstitutional confiscation of lawfully owned firearms during Hurricane Katrina, the City of New Orleans agreed to settle a lawsuit initiated by NRA. A permanent injunction was issued against the city, and then-Mayor Ray Nagin. The Second Amendment Foundation assisted NRA in the legal battle against Mayor Nagin and the City of New Orleans.
Judge Carl J. Barbier presided over the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Judge Barbier signed the permanent injuncation against the City of New Orleans. The city admitted the firearm confiscations carried out by Nagin were unconstitutional and illegal.
The NOPD and St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Department admitted that they conducted house to house searches in Federal AND State court. The NRA sued for the recovery of those weapons. jbgleason just because you personally did not witness the action did not mean it did not happen, New Orleans is a very large city and I doubt you or any other person could see everything.
Additionally to say it was “a long time ago” in an attempt to diminish the events is a shortsighted and ignorant way to history. The fact that this happened a few years ago does not diminish the validity of the argument or the violation of personal liberty. Are we to forget the crimes and violations of rights during the Civil Rights movement because it was a long time ago, the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII or the countless other examples of violations of freedoms?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-taU9d26wT4
There are people that refuse to listen or learn what actually did happen in Katrina. Guns were seized from their owners.
Sometimes this failure to recognize fact stems from an over developed loyalty to one’s organization that supersedes one’s oath to the constitution. Other times it comes from a refusal to recognize very uncomfortable facts about how our rights are violated by those sworn to enforce them.
E.G. 8 Sep ’05 8 New Orleans Police Superintendent Eddie Compass issues city-wide order to local police, U.S. Army National Guard soldiers, and Deputy U.S. Marshals to confiscate all civilian-held firearms. “No one will be able to be armed, Guns will be taken. Only law enforcement will be allowed to have guns.” Seizures were carried out without warrant, and in some cases with excessive force; e.g. 58 year old New Orleans resident Patricia Konie had her pistol seized and was arrested for not surrendering her pistol. She was tackled by police resulting in a fractured shoulder requiring medical treatment and was taken from her well supplied home. This was captured on film.
On 23 Sep a federal restraining order was issued by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana barring further firearms confiscations. http://www.rense.com/general67/guncon.htm (Why would the Fed Gov’t have to issue a restraining order for something that wasn’t happening?)
All one has to do is google it. Guns were seized from legal owners in the aftermath of Katrina. Some had to pursue legal courses of action that took years to get their guns back. Some never did. To deny that happened is to display one’s ignorance, willful or not.
GJ Bush right?
What are you implying? That George Bush was responsible?
That is absolutely correct on so many points.
What is even more insulting to the citizens in and around new orleans is that their police departments, who were seizing weapons systematically, were more or less untrustworthy from a reasonable person’s perspective.
The Danziger bridge shootings were pretty telling how “trustworthy” the new orleans police department was during the crisis. Not to mention the mass desertion rates following the hurricane.
Arms seizures following the hurricane were not conducive to public safety. Many of those who were armed had to defend their property from the miscreants looting and committing other heinous crimes.
Just because a fringe group of people are overreacting to this exercise does not mean that inappropriate behavior was committed by persons in trusted positions of power following hurricane katrina. That also does not mean such behavior will never happen again potentially.
It pays to keep some healthy perspective on things.
Perhaps you should research the difference in CoC and mission of Title 10 vs Title 32 troops, Adam. Then you’d catch up with the rest of us that understand who gives various units their marching orders.
I have relative who was in charge of 12 merc going house to house confiscating guns during Katrine. He is on video when 5 merc taking down a 82 old lady for her 22 pistol. He pulled his 40 on them to back off. They said she could keep her toy gun we have bigger guns and left her bleeding laughing. Also have a relative who was at the penatgon during 9-11. The relative reported the missle strike he saw to secret service and they told the relative it was plane. The next day my relative was at ground zero and saw only rubble no plane at all. So you are big fool to trusting our corrurpt goverment .
The usual people who go nuts about this have REALLY gone off the rails….
Lack of trust in our federal government? Got it.
But the reaction to something that even some of those so alarmed should understand (and it isn’t really THAT HARD to understand) is alarming.
Thanks SSD,
I always loved the old Army training films. What they lacked in production values they made up in earnest sincerity.
Don’t worry too much about the tinfoil hat folks. Some of them have wrapped so many layers around their heads that nothing rational is ever likely to penetrate.
As you point out, in this case it is important to note that the fundamentals of UW demonstrated in this film still apply. And it is still vital to train as realistically as possible even today. Nothing more.
TLB
Training for what. Why are they using American cities? What is so realistic about using American cities unless you are preparing for the possibility of going live someday right here in America. Why would they ever need to do that? Are the planning to have to do that?
Ok, where do you want them to do it?
Ray Mattheew:
Have you ever heard of the Beslan School massacre? How about the Mumbai attacks? More recently, the shopping mall and college campus attacks in Kenya. Where in the individual countries did they occur? Who was involved?
Our southern border isn’t even a border anymore. It’s thousands of miles of “open opportunity.”
If you want to worry about something, worry about Hezbollah, which has been crossing our so-called border with impunity. And if you don’t think that other Islamic terrorist groups, including the barbarians of ISIS, then think again. As sure as God made little green apples, those assholes are here and hiding among us in our cities and towns. They may even have delivered your pizza order.
What would happen if we in the US experience a Mumbai, or a Beslan School attack, or an attack at the Mall of America? How about multiple simultaneous attacks in various cities and states?
Who would respond? Who is “best trained” to respond? Who has the necessary expertise to effect a rescue of hostages and kill those holding them?
Where do you want those men to train for a situation like that? On a deserted island?
I’m not saying that Jade Helm 15 is RMT for just such a situation, but given how F’d up this country is right now, it’s worth contemplating, rather than the tin-foil-hat scenario.
I’m offended that they’re not doing that exercise here in KY.
I know why not Tennessee and kentucky hell it would be fun as hell
Anyone recall the freak out when the Bosnia peace keeping mission started? Canadian LAVs in UN paint got moved into the US on ralilcars, and some folks went full Red Dawn at the idea the UN was invading.
It’s been going on for years. During the Clinton era it went full tilt.
And yet some people still fear the most militarily incompetent force in the world to this day.
Logic goes out the window alot these days.
There are some people I know that are in what I call the “fear the UN” camp.
I try and tell them that UN peacekeepers are hardly the highly motivated, hard charging elite stormtroopers that conspiracy theorists seem to inflate them as.
Most, as in over 2/3s if not more, dont want to be there and just want to return to their garrison after the most minimal requirements of a patrol (and sometimes far less). Even more lack the ability to overcome a half-way determined adversary in a firefight and will probably just flee. That is not even getting into their ridiculous rules of engagement that make US EOF measures seem like free for alls.
Spoiler Alert:
People should learn to shut up. Jade Helm Program this is you BURN NOTICE
OPSEC BITCHES
These slides were provided by the command to multiple local governments. Someone at one of these local governments most likely provided them to the conspiracy industry.
Gee makes perfect sense to think that JSOC troops will be the ones implementing martial law.. NOT. Obviously most people thinking this have never worked with any of these units.
Least likely to comply with round-up orders of any facet of our military, IMHO.
LOL very true.
Considering that Green Berets are more understanding than anybody when it comes to all the right reasons for indigenous populations being armed, they are hardly the most ideal force for disarming to begin with. In fact, they are probably *the worst* force to send to disarm, as in, this fundamentally contradicts their entire existence and reasoning behind their deployment.
The illuminati would have better luck with local deputies during disarmament missions 😉
People need to chill. SOF are on the good guys’ side.
Your understanding of JSOC is inaccurate.
SOF is getting the tin foil treatment usually reserved for LEOs and Federal Agencies. Sucks, huh?
If you think that any active duty operational SOF personnel are going to salute the flag and impose martial law on the US public, run round collecting guns, and put people into camps, you really need to go hang out with some.
That is….not….going to happen.
Except for the majority of the people that are in the military just for the paycheck
Except the majority of SOF personnel to include the support elements are flag waving 2A supporters who’d be the first to rise up if the government decided to impose martial law. So when the military disarms or disbands its SOF units then you can start worrying.
I suspect in the Venn Diagram of “people in the military just for the paycheck” and “people in JSOC” or even “people participating in Jade Helm”, there’s absolutely no overlap
Bob, the paycheck collectors will be the least willing to round up grandpa and put him in a camp ala Red Dawn.
The US Army and Marine Corps had enormous problems controlling a small span of urban development along two rivers in Iraq, a country the size of Texas that is mostly uninhabited. It went even worse in Afghanistan, where the bad guys had no problem keeping US forces out of entire areas of the country for more than a short period of time.
The military couldn’t impose tyranny on the US if it tried. If it did try, the number of people in uniform that would not comply or would simply walk away would be staggering. Seeing how it is an all volunteer force, the ability to keep people in uniform and recruit more would increase the difficulty of the mission.
Getting worked up over this is about as intelligent as going nuclear over the US Army repeatedly invading parts of Louisiana and California on a monthly basis, or US Special Forces invading western North Carolina several times a year.
I agree. While I don’t trust the FEDS as far as I can throw them, I have come to realize the aren’t really stupid enough to try and take our guns. It would never work. More like slowly imposes more and more restrictions and bans until owning a legal gun is so costly and expensive that the average citizen will not me able to, and then and only then will they finally come around for the guns.
But as of now, with the current attitudes on the 2A in the Military it just aint gonna happen.
The numbers to do such an invasion is pretty much impossible too.
I’d say about 100 million MINIMUM.
OMG COMMON SENSE.
Thank you for saving me the trouble of having to post this fact for the dozen or time.
The numbers do not lie, the Federal “coming for your guns” invasion theory is just not realistic.
There was a article posted here on soldiersystems that I cannot seem to find that compared the proportion of armed civilians to, say, iraqis and why a mass confiscation is utterly impossible.
Confiscation will be attempted by a small vocal minority by legislation and disinformation, as it previously has been. Although, as demonstrated by the post-sandy hook knee jerk panic, there are consequences for such stupidity. The gun control pet rock and the political consequences has even been noted by progressives.
So….continue buying and having good fun shooting, being safe and responsible. But be vigilant and proactive in stopping the stupid gun control side before they gain momentum.
It’s funny when i first heard of this the first thing I thought was “oh cool, sounds kind of fun. Too bad i can’t volunteer to play an insurgent or something.” not oh my god the sky is falling. But I guess people just need to be mad about something. And this is just the latest something.
Hey! I didn’t realize I was in an “Insurgent Pocket”. Nice!
It’s “De Oppresso Liber”, not “Opprimamus libero”.
*Opprimamus Liberum.
*Optimus Prime.
LOL
Prime Rib.
Will everyone get a blue helmet? Was Death by PowerPoint the first offensive?
Seriously, since that incident during Robin Sage a number of years ago, it’s imperative to let the locals know what’s going on.
Now back to looking for donut-shaped vapor trails from Aurora spy planes on cloud seeding missions and checking the backs of road signs for bar codes that provide directions to invading UN forces. Granpap’s sure that a contingent of peace keepers from Kuala Lumpur will be knocking down his door to seize his duck gun.
On the other hand, they may want to give the exercise-naming matrix an update: “Jade Helm” sounds like some kind of Tantric name for, you know, a guy’s Jade Helm, the one used to navigate a woman’s Canal to Paradise.
Jade Helm is a not very creative allusion to ‘Green Beret’
The slides are provided in a briefing to local government to prevent this exact sort of speculation. RUT scenarios have been going on for at least two decades. I worked as a local government/LE liaison for a unit that conducted RUT’s.
Thanks, SSD.
I will be camping/canyoneering in Southern Utah and North Arizona during the exercise.
I will let my canyoneering friends know of the exercise and not interfere.
I don’t think it’s any coincidence that the story on SSD right before this one features a Multicam BLACK wrapped helicopter. Just sayin’
🙂
I live here in South Texas, I think we are one of the “bad” states in this game eh?
Ya this would make for a great movie script….some army guys get lost in a drop, of course their coms get busted and no cell phone service. Then some backwood country guys out huntin see these “invaders” and the hunt game is on! No…wait, I think that’s been done
The movie you are thinking of is called “The Hills Have Eyes 2”
And Southern Comfort
I thought that was premise behind The Sound of Music (of course you have to watch it backwards)?
If you time it just right with Zeppelins Houses Of The Holy it all makes sense
From the amount of foolishness I’m seeing on the web, I wouldn’t be surprised if some militia actually mobilized and hit them while the exercise was going on.
IMAGINE THE HEADLINES.
If people went full retard for BLM and cows, I’m afraid that we’re going to see Green Berets strung up on a tree.
I am a huge states rights proponent… AND I participated as a G in 5th Groups last UW exercise in Texas. From my experience, If any militia lynchs any ODA member, the are stringing up one of their own philosophically. Don’t believe me? check this out:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jan/31/1100-green-berets-petition-against-gun-control/
De Oppresso Liber
How about NOBODY gets lynched whether they are “one of their own” or not.
It’s a routine fucking training exercise.
How about we all agree not to feed or otherwise encourage the conspiracy wingnuts?
That would be best for this Nation and for all concerned.
TLB
And who killed Stonewall Jackson?
People do STUPID things all the time.
Propaganda of certain types MAGNIFY emotions and paranoia to the point of reckless action.
They wont, because they know that Green Berets are a bit different than BLM cops and they will be facing a mobilization of militia against them too.
From Gawker:
“If you flip that image upside down, you’ll realize this is a training exercise for an invasion of Iran (Texas) from Turkey (Arizona).
New Mexico = Iraq.
California = Israel
Utah = Syria
Colorado = Saudi Arabia.”
orly,
You actually made me laugh out loud!
I’m impressed. Gawker uncovered the well disguised but “real conspiracy” cleverly hidden within the “less real conspiracy”. Take that Illuminati overlords!
Well played Sir.
TLB
Here is the reply from the “tin foil hat” people: http://www.infowars.com/beyond-denial-preparations-for-martial-law-in-america/ read it if you have the guts.
have we (society) become so paranoid now?
Uniform,
Some people can’t seem to recognize or understand the difference between being vigilant (positive character trait) and paranoid (negative character trait).
I want to continue to believe that the majority of Americans are inclined to be the former not the latter.
And then I read some of these comments (and worse on other sites)…and I’m not so sure.
TLB
Exercise or not, we are living in the era of Big Brother. Posse Comitatus exists for a reason. Military should worry about ISIS, Russia or Iran, not here at home. With Obama/Holders unconstitutional actions this “exercise” raises a flag. If you trust our Government you’re a fool.
And where would you like the military to conduct exercises?
Wow, considering that past exercises in the US was once 100x larger (yes, and I’m under exaggerating), you are really short sighted.
For someone with no military background, this is certainly reassuring. So can anyone offer a no-nightmares explanation for that freaky Fort Lauderdake drill of IIRC March 27, with lines of people marched single file under guard, hand on shoulder? With those white vans and black choppers everywhere? Maybe I am hugely unobservant, but I have never seen or heard of a thing like this done in the US. I can’t think of what it could represent or be training for. It looked like civilians being extracted and taken away under force. Really, I’m apolitical, just a mother of two, but this was enough to freak me out a bit. So what WAS it?
It’s face palm Tuesday.
If you want to know what they are doing; enlist, attend RASP or the 18X pipeline, get really good at what you are doing and then go to tryouts. Alternatively, you can go the BUDS/CCT/PJ route if the Army isn’t your bag.
So your answer is basically screw off and mind your business? What responsible adult does that, when something so bizzare happens? Or should I pretend that I grew up seeing these drills when I didn’t? Either you yourself don’t KNOW, or won’t condescend to tell the simple civilian, or what else?
Maybe someone who knows, or gives a crap how the public feels, could answer? Because slap your face all you want, IT LOOKS OFF to have military helicopters dropping into cities all over the nation, and getting caught on camera practicing marching civilians off. Let me tell you the ONE time I have ever seen anything like that: in a movie about the Holocaust.
So yeah, an explanation might be nice.
Basic Underwater Demolition? I am not talking about the amphibious landings of late on the Florida coast, but THIS. In the city, with lines of ppl marched off (thought that was clear?)
http://youtu.be/xGpRFKG_fos
I would really appreciate the informative non-snarky DB answer from an actual military person. Because it is WEIRD. I expect a perfectly rational explanation but I would also expect the military to be forthcoming with that explanation rather than letting people get scared half to death, which many are. So, does anyone know what we are seeing in the video?
It’s not weird if you understand what is going on.
I think he’s just conveniently ignoring well known and televised police routines to spread his agenda of “THE GOVERNMENT IS COMING FOR YOUR GUNS!” fearmongering.
You know, to “SAVE ‘Murica!”
It’s either that or he’s been under a rock or just goes straight for conspiracy theories when he sees news.
Which is my point: it IS weird because neither I nor a good number of people understand it. So perhaps following the third request you would be kind enough to explain it? Or admit not having the knowledge?
What are these drills as shown in the video? What is their purpose?
Just a straight answer, that isn’t too much to ask. The only thing that secrecy helps, or the “change your career and find out” response, is fostering fear. Why not just answer the direct question?
And anyone who says these are “well televised police routines”–Not in my city! Not on my television. First of all they are military (tho granted it IS hard to tell the difference today, a matter I don’t remember getting a vote on); second of all, I’m not a kid, and I have absolutely no memory of military doing these drills anywhere. So if you have YouTube clips of newscasters announcing these widely televised routines, please link them.
All this going back and forth for days, and still no direct answer, just meaningless words. It’s a simple question: what is that drill?
And Orly, don’t know where you’re from, but Moms are female 😉
Not very observant today, eh?
Just messing with you. I sincerely hope you are kind enough to explain to the legions of subpetros dwellers what the hell was going on in Fort Lauderdale on March 27 2015…
Not on YOUR TV eh?
SANDY HOOK wasn’t on your TV?
Guess you went straight for some website with conspiracy theories.
Google “school shooting evacuation” images.
There’s reason for hand placement, and it’s not to some concentration camp.
And yeah, I’m sure you’re a female, just like everyone else online claiming so.
Orly: a normal person would have said: it is a drill to evacuate students in the case of another Sandy Hook. Without any snark or rudeness.
Except… You didn’t watch the video did you? Because these aren’t police, this is military. And this isn’t daylight, this is 4 am. So, is that a life-like scenario?
Your problem is, I didn’t name any conspiracy sites, yet you claim it. Your problem is you are paranoid. Yes, I’m faking my GENDER, because that achieves WHAT exactly?
You are acting… A little weasely.
I don’t think you are military. You don’t even watch the video, but you offer some lame “Sandy Hook” explaination.
Yeah, Sandy Hook involved military in the middle of the night, and the students were led thru the city under guard and put in vans.
And there were ten military choppers at Sandy Hook… And the military is called out for one mentally disturbed civilian shooter…
Can anyone else give this a try? Does any actual soldier want to give a normal answer?
If I’m coming off nasty I apologize, but I don’t appreciate being accused of conspiracy theorizing or faking my gender, and I don’t like being talked down to. The simple truth is that the war on terror has wrought changes in this country which could easily be used as a framework for terrible things, things far worse than the random terror attack. The spying would be unconscionable to our ancestors. The line “why worry about spying if you do nothing wrong” is a line from Stalin’s Russia. The govt now has the “right” to assassinate Americans, to detain Americans indefinitely. Any educated person (as few as there are today) will realize that this has undone almost our entire constitution. And gun owners DO worry about the UN treaty, for the “small arms” articles and the lists of “end users”. Certainly there are people putting out fear porn, and people assuming the worst, but the TRUTH is that even if all of these strange new laws are only used for the most righteous of reasons, they have 100% established a framework for any govt leader to flip the switch into total tyranny. When we are mocked for even wanting to discuss this, that IS troubling. It is not wrong to reflect on such historical changes to our society. It is our responsibility. Obama might not be a tyrant, but what happens if we have a severe economic collapse in this nation, a long depression, and a more totalitarian minded ruler steps up? Having at his disposal all of the tools he needs, ready to subject this nation? Freedom is not free, the cost is vigilance and wise choices. Look at all the executive orders in place. One needs only the right emergency and the president has the ability to seize all food, every drop of water, all transportation including private cars; he now has the framework in place to resettle and intern civilians; there is language talking about using psyops to “correct political thinking” in civilian detainees. All legal. No spin on this, it is not dressed up as fear porn for a conspiracy article. Our govt has provided the theorists their material, they only exaggerate it or say it is going to happen right away.
But the TRUTH is that we have create all we need to implement such a terrible situation. Each year, more groundwork is added. It is not wrong to ask WHY, and to doubt that terrorism is a valid reason for setting up what can undo this nation. It is not wrong to wonder where our elected officials derived the power to create this framework. When did we authorize them to do so? Never! Why do they do it? “Because the world is scary”. You must forgive those who call BS. Who say, slow down, let’s think about this, there could be catastrophic consequences.
As far as Jade Helm, it is rather unprecedented. I believe it is a drill; I also see how things could go wrong.
But as far as Fort Lauderdale, a friend in the guard, a veteran, looked at the video for me, and HE said, that is martial law. He assured me we just practice this, to be ready in case of a disaster. Of course, one wonders: we never had these drills before, in our cities. We never had complaints all over the nation of choppers rattling windows and tracked vehicles a over our streets. The people want to know WHAT is going on? Why now? What is happening? What is coming? They have a right to know. I don’t believe anyone who says this is usual training. They are lying. We did not see this fifteen years ago. We are faced with threats today: the economy, Russia, China, Iran, ISIS, and perhaps worst, the climate. Agriculture is imperiled, food prices soaring, droughts, Monsanto, al of this points to a turbulent future. Is this what we are preparing for? Or is something more sinister happening? Watch “A Rich Man’s Trick” and see what you think.
Wild theories are popping up everywhere because there are strange and unprecedented things happening, with our laws and with our military, with our economy and world, that NO ONE in authority is explaining to the people. We get the feeling we are being conned, lied to, kept in the dark by our SERVANTS (elected officials). If you don’t want conspiracy theories (or the very real danger of groups arming and taking action, something that scares me) then these unprecedented things must not be denied, quit telling people to stop trusting their lying eyes, and start talking about it. Transparency is the answer. People have a right to know what is coming their way. If it was nothing, we wouldn’t have these new laws, these military actions all over. So please, stop shitting all over the people who are concerned, and let’s have a real conversation. Everyone in the room is an adult.
Thank you for that answer. But also, I have to say this, I am not a rabid conspiracy theorist, and I’m rattled, I’m a homemaker and teacher and the amount of military equipment I see being moved around the country does not equate to jade helm. SOMETHING is going on.
Personally, I have seen three long trains of APCs and Generators all in sand drab colors being trucked to military bases, One train a day. None returning, just going. 100+ cars. I have seen them.
I live in an area surrounded by military bases and we have a sudden unexplained rise in air traffic, mostly jets going just sub sonic. And troop transport planes and coptors all inbound, very few outbound.
On top of that, we have a drought never seen before. And I live in an area where I understand what that could do to the economy. If our crops fail prices could concieveably double or triple on produce overnight and our unemployment rate could skyrocket as all the pickers are let go.
Granted, I’m talking a perfect storm of SHTF, because there is another worrying thing far more likely than the volcano. Hoover dam could shut down. The dam has never been tested below 1000 feet. They say 950 which buys maybe a year, but that’s assuming water stays constant, if we get another record breaking summer all bets are off.
I do believe Jade helm is an exercise, and not necessarily something worry about. However, the fact that a state has never before been declared hostile in these training runs, and the fact that they are using an openly cessionist state, and the timing of these events leads me to wonder if there is something they know that we don’t. That’s it. I’m not really into ‘they have it out for us’ as much as I wonder if they know something we don’t something that they fear might destablize things enough to make it necessary to enforce martial law. That’s it. So I don’t have a tin hat on, but I am definately concerned because of the amount of little things like reports from ten different states (some not in jade helm) moving MASSIVE amounts of equipment. I mean, in the past three days I have seen in excess of three hundred vehicles moved to the ANG base near us. And they are not expected to stop any time soon. “Routine redistribution’ is what they are calling it… but usually that is on a much smaller scale.
How do you know that a “state” has never been declared an adversary in an exercise?
On Sept. 16, is the southern u.s. in the same social condition as it was on July 14.
I would like to say that it is not normal that the army and the marine corp are running drills on and in general pop areas. FOR GOD SAKE .. GOOGLE IT. 238 years of history branches of the military have had places for training. DOESN’T THIS STRIKE A NERVE IN EVERYONE? Oh, so now its just common place for Americans to be considered terrorist, for loving the Constitution, however, a group of people murdering men, women, and children for their religion are not?
We all know what insanity means. However, wasn’t it Hitler that was doing the same. So if we look at that example, we can only assume that parents will be separated from their children, masses will be killed.
Which all began with the government removing guns from the masses.
REGARDLESS IF IT IS A DRILL … THERE ARE MANY FACILITIES AROUND THE US FOR THEM TO TRAIN. DOES IT HAVE TO BE THE BACK DOOR OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
SHIT… THE US MAKES IT CLEAR THAT THEY CAN TAKE OVER ANY COUNTY THEY WANT TO, SO WHAT IS THE POINT OF THE DRILL.
Go ahead say we are the ones who are insane.. Or maybe it is you with blinders on.. walking around needing to be fed more GMO that have turned your thinking brain into a unaware slave.
The united states you think you know is a facade tossed at you for one reason.. depopulation.
Come on TMZ three times a day folks… there is way more going on around you.
before you allow this type of training on the citizens of the Untied States .. Think … Is this what you want to hand down to your children.. your grand children.. how would you feel if all the commercials on MTV of Police State and them dragging people from their homes at 4 am all became real during this exercise. Think about how it would feel to have no idea where your children are.. and knowing that your parents are dead because they are old. and here you are starved to death and forced to work for nothing.
AND YOU STOOD BY AND DID NOTHING…. HOW WOULD YOU FEEL.
Stop visiting the nut job websites. Stop talking to people who talk about chem trails and the government planning to insert microchips and FEMA camps. They are fucking you up.
The U.S. Military regularly conducts training in civilian maneuver areas. This Fall the exercise will be over and you will be ok.
SSD, it looks like some Oathkeepers or (other equivalent paranoid militia) are visiting your website for all the wrong reasons (and learning nothing it seems).
It’s more about conditioning the public to seeing military forces on our American streets. Does Posse Comitatus ring a bell?????
You do understand that your two sentences don’t make any sense together?
Do you all remember what happened during Operation Northern Vigilance? Most people have no idea and are living in an illusion like the government loves you. Here is a Quote by a “Noble Prize winner” Henry Kissinger – Military men are dumb, stupid animals to be used as pawns for foreign policy.
Yes, you live in a fantasy world.
Good lord, the brainwashing is deep in this one. You poor guy.