National Guard scraps plans to invade rural town

WorldNetDaily.com ^ | February 20, 2009 | Drew Zahn

[Boucheau]

DES MOINES, Iowa – Following publicized reports that the Army National Guard was planning a military training exercise on the streets of a rural Iowa town, the commanding officers have called off the mock "invasion."

The Guard had planned a four-day urban military operation in tiny Arcadia, Iowa, population 443, sending troops to take over the town and search door-to-door for a suspected weapons dealer.

The exercise was designed as a mock scenario to give soldiers the skills needed for deployment in an urban environment, and military officials stressed that only households that consented to be part of the drill would be searched.

"It will be important for us to gain the trust and confidence of the residents of Arcadia," Sgt. Mike Kots, readiness NCO for Alpha Company, told Carroll's Daily Times Herald. "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," Kots continued, "because this operation could be pretty intrusive to the people of Arcadia."

Military spokesman Lt. Col. Greg Hapgood, however, told WND that the operation has now been "scaled back" and no longer involves an "invasion" of Arcadia.

[Crim]

So...you supported the troops right up till nov 3rd eh?

[familyop]

"Be sure to check out reply 42 and let me know how high your BS meter goes."

Agreed. I didn't read behind the link in 42, but the WND article (the posted piece above this thread) does not describe anything about MOUT training--not MOUT training for soldiers, anyway. ...did that boring and exhausting stuff so many times, that it was second nature.

And yes, there are many mock towns built just for that. They're way sufficient for it.

[JSteff]

“They can dress up in spats and sing like Ethal Merman in the back yards of THEIR homes for all I care.

Play a damn video game or join a paintball team”

LOL. True!

[philman_36]

Good to see you.
And you as well. We just happened to wonder into the same room tonight. I've been around and I'm still being a nuisance to some.

I don’t think I have come across you since the early ramos/camp days.
I was very glad to see the guys got out. One of the best things that has happened in a long time.

[Crim]

You’re a gaurd vet?

So....where you happy about the marines getting kicked out of toledo?

[familyop]

"The basic answer to all those questions is that 0bama has spent his entire adult life hanging around with people who want to destroy this country, turning it into, at best, a third-world s#!+hole."

The most influential, globalist constituents behind both political parties and their politicians are also involved. That's apparent to just about everyone here, and most of us aren't fooled at all. The Democrats are spendthrifts and socialists to slightly greater extents, but it's also obvious that the most influential swing-voters figured that it's the Democrats' turn to continue turning our country into a third-world latrine. We all know about Hillary, China and the like.

[Boucheau]

“...they are training to keep your ass safe.”

I don’t care who is “in power”.

In 4, 8, 12 years ANOTHER group will be in power.

Our military is for killing people—not re-educating the American citizen.

This is something our founders understand all too well.

They are to shield us from those who would threaten our freedom, period.

An entire town of Americans (I can’t believe I have to argue this on FR) should not be “ASKED” (no intimidation there, right? Oh, no, sir. “There’s a soldier at the door, honey. He wants to know if we object to their military excercise.”) to PARTAKE IN A FRICKIN’ WAR GAME!!!!!

This is absurd! And VERY dangerous.

[philman_36]

He was thinking nobody would question his assertions.
Possibly. Though they would've had to know about the MOUT facility beforehand.
However, not knowing about it when writing the article is bad. It would've given balance to the story.
It should warrant a continuing story and some new questions.

[happinesswithoutpeace]

Ya bro..that surprised me, them getting out.

I didn’t see the commutation coming.

They still gotta do home confinement till end of March and then Super/watch stuff for a few years.

God bless em.

[familyop]

I didn’t know about the Marines and Toledo. ...had Marines in my platoon, and they were excellent soldiers in the field (very similar initial training and all, except that we didn’t do the Navy-related stuff).

What happened?

[happinesswithoutpeace]

Also, remember these names:

Kim Bigley, Lynne Marie Williams and Gary Weston.

Also:

John Branchizio, Mark Parsons, and John Linde.

Keep doing what you do bro.

[philman_36]

And yes, there are many mock towns built just for that. They're way sufficient for it.
In my Navy days we had intruder alerts on the ship all of the time. While it would be hard to go into a town and simulate an intruder on the ship the training was necessary. I've got no problem with our troops training.
I do have a problem with the training of troops in the civilian realm.

We, as taxpayers, on both the State and Federal level, have sent in many millions of dollars for the MOUT/urban warfare training facilities. To see this training being brought into the streets of America, and under the cloud of suspicion that statements like those made in this article bring about, is disturbing and sets a bad precedent.

I'll just go tighten up my tin foil hat and practice my dance steps for the Camp #1 ball now...

[Crim]

Then you sir...have traded places with the moonbats and you spit on the troops...

I remember all this same bullshit under clinton...and the moonbats bitched about it under bush....and now it’s your turn to see black helecopters and disrepect people who put themselves in harms way...

I offer you the comment of Freepers on this very subect:

What will it take - an IED or some suicide bombers to make them understand WHY the military is important? Would they rather see an IED go off downtown during rush hour?

2 posted on Saturday, February 09, 2008 5:56:30 AM by mathluv

>>”The mayor asked them to leave because they frighten people,” <<

Guess what, Mayor. The events they are training to thwart are even scarier. A$$hat.

3 posted on Saturday, February 09, 2008 5:58:50 AM by sargunner (RIP Tonk)

An IED in downtown Toledo would probably be an improvement. Finkbeiner is an idiot!

4 posted on Saturday, February 09, 2008 5:59:00 AM by Comparative Advantage

Frighten people!!?? Good lord, United States citizens should be elated to see our finest. Man I fear for my grand children, this will be a very different place for them.

11 posted on Saturday, February 09, 2008 6:07:44 AM by VaRepublican

Frighten people? Heck, if I saw them training downtown I take them a plate of warm cookies.

15 posted on Saturday, February 09, 2008 6:14:30 AM by CH3CN

YOU MIGHT BE A WUSSIE IF:

You pee your pants at the sight of a Boy Scout or a Marine in uniform

You would rather hand your country over to radical Islamists than miss an episode of “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy”

It takes more than three words to order your coffee

You shave any part of your body except your face or skull

You Tivo Will and Grace

You buy your shampoo at a salon instead of a grocery store

You are working really hard to stay in touch with your feminine side

You have panic attacks when a four wheel drive pulls up next to you at a red light

You have cried at a Ben Affleck movie

You only drink imported bottled water

You own more underwear than your mother

23 posted on Saturday, February 09, 2008 6:23:13 AM by Iron Munro

Has anyone thought of the possible dead Marines because of this hateful person? Such exercises are their realistic training for urban warfare against our enemies. Sure, we have fake town sections built on military bases for this, but training is better with real buildings in a real city.

24 posted on Saturday, February 09, 2008 6:23:21 AM by antiRepublicrat

Your lack of welcome and civility toward the U.S. Marines in your city is a disgrace. If the Marines aren’t good enough for Toledo, then neither is anyone else. I’ll be sure to spread the word of your hostility.

Larry Lucido

Many U.S. citizens see our military and feel secure, some of them might even feel inspired. It only stands to reason that there are others out there that might feel afraid and threatened. However, they are usually the ones that are fighting our military.

41 posted on Saturday, February 09, 2008 6:55:41 AM by new cruelty

Scared people. What a bunch of pussies. Scared people??? These “scared” people are the same ones who watch the Terminator, Die Hard, Bourne, Chain Saw Massacre type movies. And this scares them??????? Total and unadulterated leftist B.S. and pure hate of the Marines by this so called mayor who nothing but a socialist pig. F him. May he and his kind rot in socialist hell.

50 posted on Saturday, February 09, 2008 7:13:50 AM by RetiredArmy

---

Now that the shoe is on the other foot...this place turns into the goddamn birch society?

Some of you people need to get a serious grip before you end up praising Mcveigh and Nichols.

[familyop]

Alright, I just now read about the Marines and Toledo. From the article that I read, that situation was very different. It appears that the Marines were going to use the Madison Building (assume that it was to be otherwise empty) and a Park. As long as they weren’t scheduled to bother citizens about searches there, I don’t see a problem with it. But the Mayor there was/is the civil authority there, so like it or not,...

And there are many good mock towns on government properties for that kind of training. The potential for realism in those places is great, too.

[philman_36]

I didn’t see the commutation coming.
Though I wasn't vocal much afterwords, which is my norm, I hoped and prayed that they would be pardoned. I was content with the commutation, though IMO they should've been pardoned.
Scratch that...they should've never even have been convicted, much less been brought to trial, in the first place!

I shall cease and desist. They're out and that's the main thing.

[Crim]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1967606/posts?page=1

Marines came here to train for urban warfare...mayor kicked em out...

Almost unanimous that the maybe was a liberal scumbag traitorous bastard....

check it out.....then come back and read these replies again....

Sorry...I do NOT view the citizen soldier as my enemy just because a liberal got into the whitehouse.

[familyop]

And BTW, the mock towns on the Army posts will even accommodate all kinds of noisy pyrotechnics. ...better for realistic training, IMO.

[PalmettoMason]

The problem IS that they are “weekend warriors” not regular army or marines.

I am a retired Army NCO (Regular Army), and a Patriot Guard Rider. Over the last three years, I have attended the funerals of more of our service members killed in Iraq and Afghanistan than I can remember. Far too many of them have been members of Army Reserve, National Guard, and Marine Reserve units.

Its a good thing that these "weekend warriors" are only getting killed on the "weekends" or there might have been a lot more. /s

[Boucheau]

"and now it’s your turn to see black helecopters and disrepect people who put themselves in harms way.." Screw you, a-hole! Read my posts. I stop being responsible for you ignorance right now.

[Crim]

Not my point...my point is the night and day difference to TRAINING.

When it was Bush in office...and marines training...it was “anyone who isnt in favor of this is a damn traitor who doesnt support the troops”

Now it’s

OMG bury the guns...buy some fertilizer....DUUUUUDE!