Oh for Pete's sake:
Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday asked the State Guard to monitor a U.S. military training exercise dubbed "Jade Helm 15" amid Internet-fueled suspicions that the war simulation is really a hostile military takeover.
The request comes a day after more than 200 people packed a meeting in rural Bastrop County and questioned a U.S. Army commander about whether the government was planning to confiscate guns or implement martial law. Bastrop County Judge Paul Pape said "conspiracy theorists" and "fear mongers" had been in a frenzy. ...
Suspicions about Jade Helm intensified on some conservative websites and social media after a map labeled Texas, Utah and parts of California as "hostile" for the purposes of the three-month training exercise that begins in July. Such war simulations aren't unusual, though the Army has acknowledged that the size and scope of Jade Helm makes it unique.
Texas and six other states are hosting the exercises on public and private lands. The Army says the terrain and topography in the areas selected are ideal to replicate foreign combat zones.
#getagrip
I know it would be nice if potential enemies allowed us to deploy our military to their countries to train on how to take them down, but until they do that (and until we decide to pay for such deployments) we have to exercise America-based troops on American soil and label different parts "red" for enemy and "blue" for friendly.
Recall the pre-World War II Louisiana maneuvers, please:
Around 400,000 troops were divided into equal armies of two fictitious countries: Kotmk (Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, Kentucky), also called the Red Army; and Almat (Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee), or the Blue Army. The troops were organized into a total of 19 divisions.
From August to September 1941, the armies fought over 3,400 square miles (8,800 km²) of Louisiana. The area spanned from the Sabine River east to the Calcasieu River and north to the Red River.
The exercise across 4 services involves just 1,200 troops. So I assume this is a command post exercise where leaders command paper units across a vast distance to practice the ability to control operations.
This is in contrast to a field exercise to provide training to the actual troops in the field; or a big-ass combined exercise that tests headquarters with the problem of actual units following and failing to follow orders or provide accurate information back to the headquarters.
Or I suppose it is possible that when I was in the National Guard we practiced taking over parts of northern Michigan when we were on exercises in Camp Grayling. Since I recall a map of the region marked up to look like an overseas deployment area.
People need to get a grip. Some are racing into Obama Derangement Syndrome territory as unhinged as Bush Derangement Syndrome got during the Bush 43 presidency.
Is it really insufficient to judge President Obama as inept and wrong on major issues without adding in the notion that he is preparing for a coup?
We are training our troops to defend us. Period.
UPDATE: Wow. A little paranoia about our president is all it takes to get the Left to jump to the defense of military training!
Also note that the Texas State Guard is not the National Guard. The State Guard is a type of force that pretty much all states have (under different names) in various states of unreadiness that in theory could replace the National Guard for state security duties if the National Guard is called into federal service.
That said, seriously Governor Abbot?
UPDATE: Much later update. More on the theory and reality.
The conspiracy aspect is far sillier than I imagined it could be. Foolish me. Of course, if Chinese troops come pouring out of Walmart basements, I will issue a formal apology.
Also, it is a special forces exercise. So that explains the large area and small number of troops rather than being a command post exercise.
Plus a reminder that the state guard is not the National Guard. I've seen a lot of confusion on that.
And while it could have a military role in extreme cases, it is better suited to disaster relief support.
