Robin Sage Training Exercise Begins Saturday

As of Friday, March 8, 2013

Contributed

Special Forces candidates will be participate in a training exercise across 15 North Carolina counties starting Saturday.

More than 100 of these students will participate in Robin Sage, the final Special Forces training exercise before students graduate and move to an assignment with one of the U.S. Army's Special Forces units, an Army news release said. The exercise will continue through March 20.

Robin Sage is a two-week exercise run eight times a year, once for each class of Special Forces candidates, as the final test of their training in the Special Forces Qualification Course. These candidates are students at the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, based out of Fort Bragg.

The exercise's fictional country of Pineland encompasses 15 counties, including Moore, Alamance, Anson, Cabarrus, Chatham, Davidson, Guilford, Hoke, Montgomery, Randolph, Richmond, Rowan, Scotland, Stanly and Union counties. Throughout the exercise, Special Forces candidates and Robin Sage role-players not only conduct missions, but also live, eat and sleep in these civilian areas.

All Robin Sage movements and events have been coordinated with public safety officials throughout and within towns and counties hosting the training, the Army said.

Residents may hear blank gunfire and see occasional flares. Controls are in place to ensure there is no risk to persons or property. Residents with concerns should contact local law enforcement officials, who will immediately contact exercise control officials.

A Moore County sheriff's deputy shot two student soldiers after stopping a suspicious truck in 2003. The two soldiers and the volunteer driver thought the traffic stop was part of their training.

In the ensuing incident, one soldier died, and the other was badly wounded. The Army and state authorities termed it a tragic accident resulting from a misunderstanding, and no charges were ever filed.

Since then all vehicles used in Robin Sage bear special placards, and training soldiers wear identifying armbands even when in civilian clothes. The Army notifies law enforcement ahead of time when scenarios will take place in their areas.

With the help of civilian authorities and local residents, Robin Sage has been conducted for nearly 50 years. Safety is always the command's top priority, the Army said. The following measures have been implemented:

n Formal written notification to the chiefs of law enforcement agencies in the affected counties, with a follow-up visit from a unit representative.

n All civilian and nonstudent military participants are briefed on procedures to follow if there is contact with law enforcement officials.

n Students will only wear civilian clothes if the situation warrants, as determined by the instructors, and will wear a distinctive armband during these instances. Personnel role-playing as Pineland law enforcement officers wear distinctive hats and armbands, as well.

n Training areas and vehicles used during exercises are clearly labeled.

About 200 military service members from units across Fort Bragg will also support the exercise. These military members act as realistic opposing forces and guerrilla freedom fighters, also known as Pineland's resistance movement. These troops play a critical role in the training exercise, the Army said.

To add to the realism of the exercise, civilian volunteers throughout the state act as role-players.

Participation by these volunteers is crucial to the success of this training, and past trainees attest to the realism they add to the exercise, according to the Army.

"We appreciate the support and consideration the citizens of North Carolina extend to the soldiers participating in the exercise and thank them for their understanding of any inconveniences the training may cause," the Army news release said.

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dentman65 2 months, 1 week ago

I am surprised the sequester did not get it cut. Maybe the next sequester.

Toda 2 months, 1 week ago

"A Moore County sheriff's deputy shot two student soldiers after stopping a suspicious truck in 2003. The two soldiers and the volunteer driver thought the traffic stop was part of their training."

Qualification to become a Sheriff's Representative.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS  Any combination of education and experience equivalent to graduation from high school

LINK HERE!

AFCHIEF 2 months, 1 week ago

Toda see you still have your rage against the Sheriffs dept. Time to move on and get over your high and almighty self

sandhillsdogs 2 months, 1 week ago

Did some one ever follow up on the huge Civil Law Suit against the former deputy and the sheriff/county? Criminal and Civil Law have nothing in common. In criminal court I'm not guilty but in Civil I found responsible and have to pay big time Money! The only common part with both laws is "The lawyers gets paid regardless of the outcome!

Toda 2 months, 1 week ago

AFCHIEF => The first enclosed parenthesis is a direct quote from the Pilot Article; the second thread came directly ~ verbatim, from the County of Moore Website.

As usual, you are coming from somewhere in your demented mind.

BTW: I didn't write either thread originally, they were written by others....go figure! Blue stripped person who is still hiding....

Toda 2 months, 1 week ago

sandhillsdogs => Lawyers, the only winners in court.

JimRussell44 2 months, 1 week ago

Toda, you've got to realize you're dealing with AFCHIEF, the guy who gave us the quote of the year: " I never asked and don't seek any limelight for my service to my country." Signed, AFCHIEF.

skylinefirepest 2 months, 1 week ago

PM....the driver was almost totally responsible for this mess. He had the safety of the students in his hands and never said a word to the deputy. The students were not supposed to resist law enforcement but it was commonly done because we used off duty leo's in our scenarios. On the other side of the coin the deputy apparently didn't know what a stinking blank adapter was in the barrel of the rifle used by the student. I would think an inch and a half red square in the end of the barrel would have provided some pause to the deputy. I had a deputy tell me later that they weren't trained about blank adapters but they are commonly used in leo training.

JimRussell44 2 months, 1 week ago

"The students were not supposed to resist law enforcement but it was commonly done...". But it was the driver who was "almost totally responsible for this mess". And it looks like maybe the LEO's were responsible for the remainder of the blame for not going along with the "resisting" and not knowing what a "blank adapter" looked like. Blame has been assigned. Move on, nothing else to see here.

Yukonjohn 2 months, 1 week ago

This is the single thing that convinced me to go "play army" and join the Air Force many years ago. We played with the guerrillas in Pineland, and worked with these exercises for a number of years. My dad had the gas station on the corner in West End, and he would put a camper up there and we would have the CyOps officer there printing materials to spread all over. I remember men of my Dad's age, all meeting in an abandoned tobacco barn down on hwy. 73 with the officers of the guerrillas. This was during the VietNam war, and it was a big thing. Such fond memories of Moore County (Pineland) and the US Army. Many of these young men went to southeast Asia and never came home. They were strong, brave heros, yet were just Americans that served their country.

skylinefirepest 2 months, 1 week ago

JImR...yes, there was some blame to go around but the bulk of the responsibility was with the driver and he simply didn't live up to it. He was the one to defuse the entire situation and he never said a word. He was the one to tell the deputy that these were Robin Sage students and he never said a word. He was the single most responsible person for the shooting. The groups that I worked with ran into local leo's quite frequently and there was never a problem because the drivers or cadre always ran safety for the students.

Toda 2 months, 1 week ago

Does anyone have the facts and result of the civil law suit?

TallShadow 2 months, 1 week ago

Soldier Wins Case in Shooting by STAFF WRITER

Phelps, County Settle by John Chappell

Spocks_Brain 2 months, 1 week ago

endless wars, endless army men, endless militarism-will it ever stop? How sad we have to tempt boys into the military Is owning a truck or a Mustang that important? Maybe a free copy of 'Gallipoli' should be included in each vehicle. It reminds me of 'Errand of Mercy' when Jim and I beamed down to Organia and found an advanced civilization 'beyond' war. I also think we need to be careful calling everyone that volunteers a hero...for that would include all the gang members that were in the army in Iraq....