[The Second Robin Sage exercise is still ongoing (Special Forces candidates to participate in Robin Sage exercise across 25 NC counties) , centered i Moore Co., N.C....so how did the terrorist saboteurs attack and make clean escapes without alerting these OnDuty US Special Forces Units?]
"The exercise starts Oct. 7 and continues until Nov. 5, with Special Forces candidates spending the final two weeks in the field for the exercise."
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Robin Sage Map
"The news release stated the training will be held in Bladen, Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Moore and Robeson counties.Other North Carolina counties for the exercise are Alamance, Anson, Brunswick, Cabarrus, Chatham, Columbus, Davidson, Guilford, Montgomery, New Hanover, Randolph, Richmond, Rowan, Sampson, Scotland, Stanly, Union and Wake counties."
Special Forces candidates to participate in Robin Sage exercise across 25 NC counties
Rachael Riley
Another round of candidates will try to earn the green beret as their final test for the Special Forces Qualifications Course will be held this month.
The exercise, known as Robin Sage, will be held across multiple North Carolina and South Carolina counties, a news release from the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School stated.
“We appreciate the support and consideration of the public, extended to the soldiers and role-players participating in the exercise and thank them for their patience and understanding of any inconveniences during this time,” the news release stated.
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The exercise starts Oct. 7 and continues until Nov. 5, with Special Forces candidates spending the final two weeks in the field for the exercise.
The training exercise is the final test for soldiers going through the Special Forces Qualification Course before moving on to an assignment with one of the Army's Special Forces units.
Throughout the exercise, military and civilian personnel and community volunteers who serve as auxiliary actors will provide support as role-playing elements.
“This realistic training is critical to the successful completion of the students’ final assessment of skills and knowledge gained in the course,” the news release stated.
The news release stated the training will be held in Bladen, Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Moore and Robeson counties.
Other North Carolina counties for the exercise are Alamance, Anson, Brunswick, Cabarrus, Chatham, Columbus, Davidson, Guilford, Montgomery, New Hanover, Randolph, Richmond, Rowan, Sampson, Scotland, Stanly, Union and Wake counties.
Public safety coordination
On Feb. 23, 2002, a Moore County deputy who said he was not notified about the exercise shot two Robin Sage participants dressed in civilian clothing. Army First Lt. Tallas Tomeny was killed and Sgt. Stephen Phelps was injured.
Tomeny’s estate settled a lawsuit against the Moore County Sheriff's Office in October 2009. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
According to the suit, the soldiers believed the deputy was part of the Robin Sage exercise, and the deputy, unaware of the exercise, shot Tomeny during a struggle and Phelps as he tried to flee.
All of the exercise’s movements are coordinated with public safety officials within the municipalities and counties hosting the training now, according to the Special Warfare Center and School news release.
"Safety of students, role-players, and the public is the (command’s) top priority during all training events,” the news release stated.
Officials said controls are in place to ensure there is no risk to the public or property.
The safety protocols include notifying local law enforcement agencies, clearly marking training areas and vehicles, and students wearing civilian clothes will wear “distinctive brown armbands.”
Residents “are advised to steer clear of the student elements and role-players,” and may hear non-lethal ammunition sounds or see non-lethal flares, the news release stated.
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The origin of Robin Sage
According to the “Pineland Underground” podcast released in March by the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, Robin Sage is held four times a year.
The unconventional warfare exercise was first called Robin Sage in 1974, according to the Army, and replaced earlier exercises known as Operation Snowdrop, Cherokee Trail and Gobbler’s Woods.
Col. Stuart Farris, chief of staff of the JFK Special Warfare Center, said in the podcast that the training associated with Robin Sage has been around for 70 years.
Farris said the name comes from Col. Jerry Sage and was part of the first exercise held in Robbins in 1952.
Podcast cohost Maj. Bobby Tuttle said that Sage served during World War II and was a prisoner of war held by the Nazis. Sage spent time in the Office of Strategic Services and later commanded the 10th Special Forces Group.
Generations of North Carolina families have volunteered their time and land for the exercise as they portray guerilla fighters, Farris said.
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During the exercise, Special Forces candidates are placed in an environment that simulates “political instability characterized by armed conflict,” to force the soldiers “to analyze and solve problems to meet the challenges."
Tuttle said Special Forces candidates put into practice what they’ve learned in their 18 months of training in order to work with simulated indigenous populations who are the resistance force.
Farris said the thing that he thinks makes Robin Sage “timeless” is that it’s about soldiers navigating uncertain situations.
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Retired Master Sgt. Chris Rogers, who served as a Green Beret and is a survival, evasion, resistance and escape instructor at Fort Bragg, was also a guest on the podcast.
Rogers said he thinks the best part of the exercise is that it pushes soldiers to think critically when plans change.
“It's just problem solving on the fly,” he said.
Staff writer Rachael Riley can be reached at rriley@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3528.
