Operation Jade Helm: Special Forces ‘Realistic Military Training’ In Seven Southwestern States Prompts Martial Law Fears

Operation Jade Helm involves 1,2000 special forces team members being dropped into seven southwestern states as a part of realistic military training exercises. The domestic special ops training has become highly controversial. The special ops soldiers, some of the most elite fighting men in the world, will be ordered to “operate undetected” among the American civilian population.

Beginning in July and lasting for eight weeks, Operation Jade Helm will take place in cities and small towns in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah and Colorado. For the purpose of training, residents in the entire states of Utah and Texas will be deemed “hostiles.” Some of the Army Special Forces teams will reportedly drop to the ground from airplanes while carrying traditional military weapons which will be loaded with blanks, for the realistic military training exercise.

But with residents of the entire states of Texas and Utah dubbed “hostile” for the purposes of the exercises, Jade Helm has some concerned the drills are too realistic. Some Americans and Second Amendment activist groups have expressed concerns that the realistic military training exercises designed for Operation Jade Helm are merely thinly veiled drills to practice for future martial law orders.

According to a report in the Houston Chronicle Operation Jade Helm includes plans for the Army Special Forces teams to mingle with citizens unidentified as the residents are asked to report “suspicious activity.” The effectiveness of the special ops soldiers involved in the realist military training exercises will reportedly be gauged by how masterfully they engage in such activity without attracting the attention of citizens.

The U.S. Military has reportedly been granted permission to engage in the Operation Jade Helm realistic military exercises by state and local officials in the seven southwestern states slated to be involved in the special forces exercises.

Brazos County, Texas Sheriff’s Office representative Jim Stewart stated that such military training is nothing new. “Special ops for years have trained off-post for years, where they go out and have folks that are role players out on the economy,” Stewart, who is an Army intelligence veteran, said. “They’ll have a scenario they’ll be following and they’ll interact with these role players as if they’re in another country.”

A U.S. Army Special Operations Command does note that nature the training which will take place in seven southwestern states is vastly more significant that similar realistic military training exercises undertaken in the past.

“The size and scope of Jade Helm sets this one apart. To stay ahead of the environmental challenges faced overseas, Jade Helm will take place across seven states. The diverse terrain in these states replicates areas Special Operations Soldiers regularly find themselves operating in overseas. This exercise is routine training to maintain a high level of readiness for Army Special Operations Forces because they must be ready to support potential missions anywhere in the world on a moment’s notice.”

Special forces teams which will be a part of the Operation Jade Helm realistic military training include the Navy SEALS, Green Berets, Marine Special Operations Command, Marine Expeditionary Units, Air Force Special Operations Command, the 82nd Airborne Division, and “interagency partners.”

What do you think about the Operation Jade Helm realistic military training which will take place in seven southwestern states?

[Images via: Shutterstock.com and U.S. Army Special Forces Command]