Guardsmen Training as LEO's Again: "Urban Exercises"

[techres]

Yet another example of the military training to be LEO's at best, or occupiers at worst:

Guardsmen to conduct urban training at Arcadia in April

The Carroll National Guard unit will train on urban military operations by holding a four-day exercise at Arcadia.

The purpose of the April 2-5 drill will be to gather intelligence, then search for and apprehend a suspected weapons dealer, according to Sgt. Mike Kots, readiness NCO for Alpha Company.

Citizens, law enforcement, media and other supporters will participate.

Troops will spend Thursday, April 2, staging at a forward operations base at Carroll. The next day company leaders will conduct reconnaissance and begin patrolling the streets of Arcadia to identify possible locations of the weapons dealer.

The primary phase will be done Saturday, April 4, when convoys will be deployed from Carroll to Arcadia. Pictures of the arms dealer will be shown in Arcadia, and soldiers will go door to door asking if residents have seen the suspect.

Soldiers will knock only at households that have agreed to participate in the drill, Kots noted.

"Once credible intelligence has been gathered," said Kots, "portions of the town will be road-blocked and more in-depth searches of homes and vehicles will be conducted in accordance with the residents' wishes.

"One of the techniques we use in today's political environment is cordon and knock," Kots explained. "We ask for the head of the household, get permission to search, then have them open doors and cupboards. The homeowner maintains control. We peer over their shoulder, and the soldier uses the homeowner's body language and position to protect him."

During this phase of the operation, troops will interact with residents and media while implementing crowd-control measures and possibly treating and evacuating injured persons.

The unit will use a Blackhawk helicopter for overhead command and control, and to simulate medevacs.

The drill will culminate in the apprehension of the suspected arms dealer.

Alpha Company will conduct a review of the drill on Sunday, April 5.

A meeting to give residents more information and accept volunteers will be held 7 p.m. Monday, March 2, in the Arcadia American Legion hall.

Kots said the exercise will replace Alpha Company's weekend drill for April.

"We have a lot of extended drills this coming year," he added.

In addition to surveillance, searching and apprehension, the exercise will also give the troops valuable experience in stability, support, patrol, traffic control, vehicle searches and other skills needed for deployment in an urban environment.

"This exercise will improve the real-life operational skills of the unit," said Kots. "And it will hopefully improve the public's understanding of military operations."

The pre-drill work with residents is as important at the drill itself.

"It will be important for us to gain the trust and confidence of the residents of Arcadia," said Kots. "We will need to identify individuals that are willing to assist us in training by allowing us to search their homes and vehicles and to participate in role-playing."

"We really want to get as much information out there as possible, because this operation could be pretty intrusive to the people of Arcadia."

1. Once again, the military is being trained to serve as civilian law enforcement.
2. They are practicing the techniques of population control. Door to door searches with the assumption of the need for medivacs (sounds less like the search for one man and more like the searching of a potentially hostile town).
3. They are not practicing their job which is to protect the town, or to help it after a flood, but instead how to setup cordons and do door to door searches.
4. Despite all their PR work, these continued "exercises" are going to eventually end with someone getting hurt sooner or later.
5. For those who want to be sheep these exercises are disturbing. For those who are tenacious of liberties these exercises are disturbing. I see them as a lose-lose situation.
6. I guess I don't get whose bright idea these things are and which C.O. is either looking for more gear/influence or is spending too much time watching 24 at night.
7. I have nothing but respect for the members of the Guard who are going to be handed this exercise. However, I do not have respect for the misguided individuals who put this exercise together and who will attempt to implement it in order to better their State and our country.

I see nothing good coming of these.

UPDATE: The exercise has been cancelled:

National Guard scraps plans to invade rural town

 

[HICKMAN]

Welcome to the 21st Century... we won't be fighting in the woods or jungle anymore.

Modern Warfare is Urban warefare, that's just the way it is. This ain't the 80's no more. Cold war is over and our guys have to train to fight for modern times.

 

[techres]

Welcome to the 21st Century... we won't be fighting in the woods or jungle anymore.

Modern Warfare is Urban warefare, that's just the way it is. This ain't the 80's no more. Cold war is over and our guys have to train to fight for modern times.

"illeagal Gun dealer" is "Urban Warefare"? Perhaps "Suspect with WMD" is "Urban Warfare", but "illegal Gun dealer"?

Kicking doors & clearing buildings = Urban warfare.
Taking objectives or defending them = Urban warfare.

Doing the job of LEO's via overwelming military means = Urban warfare?

Don't remember US soldiers doing this before going over to fight door to door in WWII...

 

[Colt556]

I was wondering if this will tie in with the prediction of UN troops helping to disarm Americans. There are some really weird things going on these days that the public is being either misinformed or uninformed about. We all need to keep vigilant and spread the word of these goings on.

 

[HICKMAN]

 

[HICKMAN]

I was wondering if this will tie in with the prediction of UN troops helping to disarm Americans. There are some really weird things going on these days that the public is being either misinformed or uninformed about. We all need to keep vigilant and spread the word of these goings on.

Please, the UN is a joke...

 

[Colt556]

I realize the UN Forces by themselves is a joke. But tie them in with the NG, local LEOs and whoever else they might find and it quickly can turn into a very serious situation. I have tried to figure out a logical reason to be training NG units in the manner posted above and it all comes back to disarming Americans or imposing some form of Martial Law. Hell they probably will classify most of us as "illegal gun dealers" b/c we trade a few guns. I sincerely hope I'm wrong, but there are just to many things being done to quickly by our government lately.

 

[techres]

I actually don't think it is a conspiracy (although that is a great picture!) as much as I think it is misdirected, counterproductive and a growing trend.

These maneuvers have been done before and there are always towns people who are not informed and are infringed upon. Moreover the trend is blurring the line between military and LEO both for the civi's and soldiers.

And when you have a tool, there is a real tendency to use it.... See Katrina's use of Guardsmen to collect up firearms from owners.

 

[techres]

Just updated the OP, they scrapped the exercise due to objections!

People still have influence...

 

[Colt556]

wOOt wOOt!!!!

 

[HICKMAN]

Honestly, I'd rather our military and LEO's were better prepared. Not for opposing folks like us, but rather the flood of illegals that shouldn't be here and those who won't be happy when the gov't checks stop coming in.

What does bother me is the Waco/Ruby Ridge scenarios...

 

[HICKMAN]

I have tried to figure out a logical reason to be training NG units in the manner posted above and it all comes back to disarming Americans or imposing some form of Martial Law. Hell they probably will classify most of us as "illegal gun dealers" b/c we trade a few guns.

Makes me think of the show Jericho.... where a community had to fend for itself.

 

[HICKMAN]

I actually don't think it is a conspiracy (although that is a great picture!) as much as I think it is misdirected, counterproductive and a growing trend.

glad you know I was just funnin with ya

 

[jeremy]

Yet another example of the military training to be LEO's at best, or occupiers at worst:

Guardsmen to conduct urban training at Arcadia in April



1. Once again, the military is being trained to serve as civilian law enforcement.
2. They are practicing the techniques of population control. Door to door searches with the assumption of the need for medivacs (sounds less like the search for one man and more like the searching of a potentially hostile town).
3. They are not practicing their job which is to protect the town, or to help it after a flood, but instead how to setup cordons and do door to door searches.
4. Despite all their PR work, these continued "exercises" are going to eventually end with someone getting hurt sooner or later.
5. For those who want to be sheep these exercises are disturbing. For those who are tenacious of liberties these exercises are disturbing. I see them as a lose-lose situation.
6. I guess I don't get whose bright idea these things are and which C.O. is either looking for more gear/influence or is spending too much time watching 24 at night.
7. I have nothing but respect for the members of the Guard who are going to be handed this exercise. However, I do not have respect for the misguided individuals who put this exercise together and who will attempt to implement it in order to better their State and our country.

I see nothing good coming of these.

UPDATE: The exercise has been cancelled:

National Guard scraps plans to invade rural town

From reading the article and understanding the current troop movements it is a unit trying to train up for a mission to Iraq/Afghanistan. Sounds like all the tasks that they need to have a better than basic grasp on to live through their tour in either of these garden spots. One of the reasons the military is using real cities with real people instead of actors is to learn how to deal with unscripted situations.

Besides the guard will be the absolute last choice for the Messiah when it comes time to enforce his will on the populace. I would be more concerned with how much of our guard is not home. And how poorly the are equipped.

Of course this is just my .02 cents and YMMV accordingly!

 

[INRanger]

"illeagal Gun dealer" is "Urban Warefare"? Perhaps "Suspect with WMD" is "Urban Warfare", but "illegal Gun dealer"?

Kicking doors & clearing buildings = Urban warfare.
Taking objectives or defending them = Urban warfare.

Doing the job of LEO's via overwelming military means = Urban warfare?

Don't remember US soldiers doing this before going over to fight door to door in WWII...

Are you serious? ANY type of operation conducted by military personnel in an urban environment in a hostile nation = urban warfare. Not everything is blowing in doors and "waxing tangos" or whatever cool guy internet vernacular the kids are using these days. Unfortunately the modern combat soldier is tasked with increasingly complex and ambiguous missions. That includes things like illegal arms dealer or hashish trafficker. Much like a modern LEO except against a much more organized and dangerous opponent who blends in perfectly with the local population, because he is the local population. I wouldn't worry about American soldiers coming for our guns. Who do thing make up the ranks of our armed forces? It sure as hell is NOT gun grabbing liberals. Do you really think so little of those serving in our armed forces? As for the WWII reference, apples and oranges. I have yet to shoot a Nazi, and Ive been looking.

 

[esrice]

Are you serious? ANY type of operation conducted by military personnel in an urban environment in a hostile nation = urban warfare.

I think what techres is saying, and he can correct me if needed, is that his concern is WHERE they are doing this. He's wondering why the US Military feels its necessary to train for a job that is typically done by our LEOs.

I think he's thinking the next step out, and wondering if this kind of thing could turn into "commonplace", where soldiers are knocking on doors in THIS country.

We've heard people grumble about "militarizing the police", but this is like "police-ifying the military".

 

[HICKMAN]

Keep in mind, only 16% of the military is Libs... and trust me, they ain't out on the front lines...

 

[techres]

Are you serious? ANY type of operation conducted by military personnel in an urban environment in a hostile nation = urban warfare. Not everything is blowing in doors and "waxing tangos" or whatever cool guy internet vernacular the kids are using these days. Unfortunately the modern combat soldier is tasked with increasingly complex and ambiguous missions. That includes things like illegal arms dealer or hashish trafficker. Much like a modern LEO except against a much more organized and dangerous opponent who blends in perfectly with the local population, because he is the local population.

Really? Interesting. And if you wanted to train your guys, and blow alot of capital in doing it, this would be mission 1? (I mean that as an actual question.)

I wouldn't worry about American soldiers coming for our guns. Who do thing make up the ranks of our armed forces? It sure as hell is NOT gun grabbing liberals. Do you really think so little of those serving in our armed forces?

Except the guard has already been used that way:

Guard Used to Disarm Citizens

As for the WWII reference, apples and oranges. I have yet to shoot a Nazi, and Ive been looking.

You may have missed my point. Urban warfare is not at all new. Europe included many, many urban warfare situations. So has the balkans, so has....

I was trying to disarm the comment that the 21st century has suddenly created a new item called "urban warfare" that we suddenly need to train for in a whole new way. That struck me as completely out of place on a historical basis.

 

[techres]

I think what techres is saying, and he can correct me if needed, is that his concern is WHERE they are doing this. He's wondering why the US Military feels its necessary to train for a job that is typically done by our LEOs.

I think he's thinking the next step out, and wondering if this kind of thing could turn into "commonplace", where soldiers are knocking on doors in THIS country.

We've heard people grumble about "militarizing the police", but this is like "police-ifying the military".

Exactly. We are blurring the lines between two different jobs. And classically the right and the military have been very resistant to blurring that line. However, recently, i.e. since 9/11 there has been a fundamental change that the lines need blurred and the right has been willing to do it. Much the same can be said about the willingness to use the military for nation building which was once a taboo in the right, but today is ok if it is used for the right reasons.

But in any case, 20 years ago the thought that a SWAT team might enter the wrong house and accidentally kill an innocent was unthinkable. Now it is sad but considered a kind of collateral damage in the war on drugs. What I fear is that 20 years from now the US military will be used in this country as an auxiliary to the police and the cordoning off of a town in order to complete a police operation will be considered an acceptable part of the military's home side duties.

While the military is overwhelmingly conservative, that does not at all make it immune to misuse. Even more so, if it is regularly walking the line - that misuse becomes all the more likely to happen merely because soldiers will be "operating" near where they "practice" philosophically.

 

[HICKMAN]

While the military is overwhelmingly conservative, that does not at all make it immune to misuse. Even more so, if it is regularly walking the line - that misuse becomes all the more likely to happen merely because soldiers will be "operating" near where they "practice" philosophically.

You also have to keep in mind the way the military has changed since the Clinton days.

A large bunch of the combat units are made up of the National Guard... Not talking the regular army or the Army Reserves (who are mostly in support roles), we're talking about guys like us.