This summer, a military operation known as Jade Helm 15 is set to kick off in the southwestern quarter of the United States. The drill will see Special Operations forces from all four main branches of the military conduct hostile “take-over” training on civilian soil. But, WND reported Monday, many are concerned the operation is a prelude to martial law. The military, however, says there’s nothing to be concerned about.
“The nature of warfare is always changing and U.S. Army Special Operations Command’s mission is to make certain the Army’s various Special Operations Forces are trained, equipped and organized to successfully conduct worldwide special operations in support of our nation’s interests,” Army spokesman Lt. Col. Mark Lastoria told the Washington Post in a statement issued a few weeks ago. “Training exerciseJade Helm is going to assist our Special Operations Soldiers and leadership in refining the skills needed against an ever changing foreign threat.”
But many on social media aren’t convinced. A number of Twitter users are calling the exercise a “prelude” to World War III, while others say it’s part of an effort to institute martial law.
“While we’re obsessing about the Walking Dead, Martial Law is coming to fruition in the US,” one person said on Twitter Monday. Some claimed to have spotted Turkish troops operating in Texas. Some have saidthe recently-reported Wal-Mart closures in Texas, California, Florida and Oklahoma are part of the drill.
Examiner’s David Thornton, however, said there’s nothing to be concerned about after donning his tinfoil hat to investigate the matter. The military, he said, “answered many of the conspiracy charges” in a Stars and Stripes article in which Jade Helm was compared to similar exercises held in the past. The primary difference, according to Lt. Col. Mark Lastoria of the US Army Special Operations Command, was “the use of new challenging terrain,” which, Thornton explained, “is similar to the regions where the special operations forces have been fighting. Presumably, this is a reference to Afghanistan and Iraq.”
The operation, which will run from July 15 through Sept. 15, labels Texas and Utah as “hostile areas.” The military says that under the operational guidelines, New Mexico “isn’t much friendlier.” California, Colorado, Arizona and Nevada are also involved in the exercise.