Chalk one up for the crazies.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered the Texas State Guard to monitor federal military exercises  — otherwise known as “Jade Helm 15” — in his state after some people on the internet talked themselves into … get this … that it’s “a prelude to martial law”.

No, your eyes didn’t deceive you, that really said “a prelude to martial law”.

In that, men and women — who are elite members, mind you (U.S. Army Green Berets, U.S. Navy SEALs, U.S. Air Force Special Operators, USMC Special Operators, US Marine Expeditionary Units, &  the US Army’s 82nd Airborne Division) of the United States military who volunteered to put their lives on the line for their country, are about to “take over” Texas and establish, um, a militarized society which most likely goes against every fiber of their ethos/ideology/being that made them join in the first place?

No.

What it is — what it truly is — is “irregular warfare” training. The details of which, many speculate, have been readymade for a long time to be skewed, diced and sliced by thirsty conspiracy theorists to look like an entire region of the country is on the verge of an actual conflict. It’s not, but when you practice for something, you usually try to make it seem like the real thing, or as close as you can, without it actually being that thing.

Which would explain this map, made up by the Department of Defense for the large-scale training that’s also explained by a brief by them here.

jade helm map

Each state plays a role. Like in a play. Or a movie. Texas is not really “hostile, as it’s symbolized in the map, but for training purposes it is. New Mexico, as you can see, is “uncertain”. That may be true in real life (just kidding, residents of New Mexico) but it’s really all for the “run-through”. It’s not “leaning hostile” just like Arizona isn’t “leaning friendly” (just kidding again).

Foxtrot Alpha explains the reasons for this enormous fake battlefield well here:

The large and diverse geography that the exercise spans allows planners to create uniquely scripted fictional cultures and affiliations of each state within it, creating an overall very complex irregular warfare situation, with many nuances to account for. This large geographical area also allows for unique logistical challenges that crews tasked with transporting special operations forces around the theater cannot get when an exercise is contained in a few small military operating areas.

 

Instead of being locked in a small geographical ‘box,’ which could be traversed by an aircraft quickly, flying long distances over diverse terrain is a much more true to real combat. This can include infiltrating deep behind ‘enemy lines’ to meet with an indigenous group of fighters operating high up in the snowy peaks of Utah, where the real battle is earning their leader’s trust, not the actual fighting itself. And yes, this is something units like the Green Berets practice regularly and in a very elaborate fashion.

 

Another mission may see a unit fly hundreds of miles to execute a low-level infiltration and assault on an insurgent training camp located in the hot and high mountains of southern California, or being dropped into a frigid lake in Idaho to approach their target by small boat. Simply put, the tyranny of distance is an enemy all itself. Fighting a mock war on a realistic scale, and in diverse environments, will push our troops and their gear to the max.

Most of the exercises will take place on private land or military grounds with a total of 1,200 troops (and civilian inter-agency partners) participating. Just over 60 will be involved in urban area operations with a handful of Humvees and one night of helicopter activity. Local law enforcement will be aware and pass that along to the community at large (the troops will also wear yellow armbands and have guns that aren’t loaded) who might or might not (it’s debatable) possess more ammunition than the training soldiers, Marines, airmen, etc. in their midst who are just trying to be better at defending some of the very people who are calling them out for being rebels.

Like these individuals:

The late great comedian George Carlin once said “never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups”.

This large group just got the governor of an American state to order their “state defense force” to babysit … U.S. military.

Not to call anyone stupid, but …

Washington Post