There are times when certain headlines fly through the news that make your heart drop. Sometimes, it’s a simple headline that can do the trick. Other times, it takes a bit more research before things start to get scary. Follow me as I play connect the dots and introduce you to the military unit that will be stationed near you, in America. To answer your first question: yes they will be available to be used to control civil disobedience. To answer your next question: as long as the military wants them to stay. Perhaps your last question: October, 2008.
A few days ago, small reports were coming out about a new military unit that was going to be stationed within the United States of America. I first heard the report from a friend and suddenly I found myself dizzied by the amount of curse words flying through my head.
The original story that I read was in a blog that included a small excerpt. The title was enough to get me started:
“Army Unit to Deploy in October for Domestic Operations”
The excerpt left a lot to be desired on the information front. So, I decided to start doing my own research into the subject. Ladies and gentleman, I am not comfortable with what is going to be happening in our country in the next couple of years relating to this. It’s sickening and frightening. But, here goes.
First, you need to familiarize yourself with the organization that we are going to be talking about. From my research, it appears that since 1999, the Department of Defense has been actively seeking a solution to quick responses in times of crisis for the country. Whether it be from terrorism, natural disaster, they wanted to have a way to quickly deploy “aid” to places in need. This search was exacerbated by the 9/11 attacks, Katrina, and the various other catastrophic failures of the administration.
There are a few acronyms that you now need to familiarize yourself with:
- CBRNE – Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear or high-yield Explosive
- CCMRF – CBRNE Consequence Management Response Force – also (possibly originally) pronounced “sick-merf” it has been changed to a more friendly pronunciation of “sea-smurf”
- JTF-CS – Joint Task Force – Civil Support
- USNORTHCOM (informally NORTHCOM) – United States Northern Command
Now that you have been introduced to the players, you need to understand how they relate to each other. CBRNE is a generic term used to describe the type of work and not an organization. CCMRF is the focus of this post. The JFT-CS is under command of the United States Fifth Army. As I understand it, the CCMRF falls under the JTF-CS category. However, the CCMRF unit is under the command of NORTHCOM.
First and foremost is the fact that the CCMRF will be divided into three forces: CCMRF-1, CCMRF-2, CCMRF-3. These forces are from the Marines, Army, Navy, Air Force and National Guard. This is to encompass the vast array of duties this unit will be responsible for carrying out. Each CCMRF force will consist of approximately 4,500 troops. In an interview conducted by the Air Force Times, Army Lt. Col. Rob Cunniff, head of NorthCom’s Future Operations revealed a lot of detail about what the force will be. He envisions that the forces will be split up in thirds as the country would be: 1 force for the West, 1 for the East and 1 in the middle. The first unit would be the greatest mix of forces while the 2nd and 3rd would be made up of mostly Guard units.
One of the larger forces that will be part of CCMRF-1 has been training since at least 2007. More on that later, however. The large force is the 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team. They have spent 35 of the last 60 months in Iraq. Army Col. Louis Vogler, another chief of NorthCom future operations:
“Right now, the response force requirement will be an enduring mission. How the [Defense Department] chooses to source that and whether or not they continue to assign them to NorthCom, that could change in the future. Now, the plan is to assign a force every year.”
A new force, every year. I have yet to find any plans or mentions of this operation ever ceasing.
One striking piece of information is that this unit will be equipped with the Army’s first ever non-lethal arsenal of weapons. Not just beanbag guns but tasers, batons, shields, etc. I’ll let the Army speak for itself here again. 1st BCT commander Col. Roger Cloutier:
“…the first ever nonlethal package that the Army has fielded,” 1st BCT commander Col. Roger Cloutier said, referring to crowd and traffic control equipment and nonlethal weapons designed to subdue unruly or dangerous individuals without killing them.
“It’s a new modular package of nonlethal capabilities that they’re fielding. They’ve been using pieces of it in Iraq, but this is the first time that these modules were consolidated and this package fielded, and because of this mission we’re undertaking we were the first to get it.”
The package includes equipment to stand up a hasty road block; spike strips for slowing, stopping or controlling traffic; shields and batons; and, beanbag bullets.
“I was the first guy in the brigade to get Tasered,” said Cloutier, describing the experience as “your worst muscle cramp ever — times 10 throughout your whole body.
“I’m not a small guy, I weigh 230 pounds … it put me on my knees in seconds.”
The first time the Army has deployed this is going to be within the country intended for use on it’s own citizens? Are you serious? Couldn’t they have tested some non-lethal equipment somewhere else? Anyway, the rabbit hole gets deeper and deeper.
Although the unit is supposed to be for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear or high-yield Explosive (at least according to the acronym), it has been slated for other causes. This includes assisting with local officials against civil disobedience, hurricanes, anthrax and really a whole slate of other things that could possibly go wrong.
So, now you know you can expect around 15,000 troops to be stationed in the country with tasers that can drop a 200+ lb. man and training with batons, shields and roadblocks. If that isn’t scary enough, the head of NORTHCOM will be sufficient.
On March 23, 2007 a new head of NORTHCOM was appointed. Victor E. Renuart Jr. is a highly decorated man that is the commander of NORTHCOM and he also happens to be the head of NORAD. So the person in command of determining whether there is a threat anywhere in the country is also the person in command of the units that will be able to respond to the “threat.” Doesn’t it seem like there should be one someone to check the authority here? Apparently, that’s just a bit too logical.
Now then, I have respect for an officer in the military. However, I cannot say that this guy’s credentials are what I want when I’m looking for a commander of a military deployed within this country. Why is that? Well, according to Wikipedia, Mr. Renuart:
“oversaw the planning and execution of all joint and allied combat, humanitarian assistance and reconstruction operations for Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.”
So, the person who oversaw all of the completely chaotic, ineffective, dangerous, and terrible “operation” in Iraq, is the one who is going to be in command of the unit deployed in this country? Please tell me this is a dream so I can wake up.
So, how can this unit be deployed? Someone has to give the go ahead, correct? I was able to find the manual dealing with CCMRF and found this gem:
“(e) USARNORTH accomplishes its CBRN CM mission in strict adherence of public law and DOD policies. Deployment of USARNORTH, at the direction of the USNORTHCOM commander and on the authority of the Secretary of Defense, occurs only after a governor requests federal assistance from the President, and after the President issues a Presidential Disaster Declaration. In any DSCA setting, USARNORTH remains in support of the lead federal agency throughout the CBRN CM operation.”
Did anyone else just read that it takes a governor to ask for this authorization? Can anyone recall a governor suddenly becoming a prominent public figure for no apparent reason?
Oh that’s right. Governor Sarah Palin from Alaska. Quite possibly the least capable or experienced candidate to ever run for the position.
Alaska you say?
Allow me to introduce AKS/NE ’07. Alaska Shield/Northern Edge training mission. This would be one of the first large-scale training missions that would be done in conjunction with other states. However, the Alaskan operation was a huge one involving multiple types of training.
I don’t think it’s possible that the Governor of Alaska would have not been involved in this in some way.
It seems fair to say that it’s possible that Sarah Palin has a more intimate knowledge and familiarity with CCMRF because of this exercise. Wouldn’t a candidate, who’s already comfortable with a military deployment in the country, be a perfect running mate for John McCain? Suddenly, it’s likely there may actually be a reason that they would have chose her. Given the secessionist background, it seems both Sarah and her “first dude” would be pleased as punch with a military unit installed in the country that can be called on by a governor.
Obviously there is a lot of additional information out there on all of these subjects. So please, go out and do your own research and let’s see what is really going on here.
To recap:
- 3 forces, around 4,500 strong will be deployed in the East, West and middle of the country
- They will be replaced every year
- They are under the command of the person who oversaw Operation Iraqi Blunder
- They will be armed with the Army’s first non-lethal weapons package
- They can be deployed by the governor of a state
- The last state they had a big training operation in was Alaska
- The governor of Alaska was surprisingly chosen as the Vice Presidential candidate for John McBush
We’re gonna have a problem here.
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