Contributed photo
                                Trainees from the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg will conduct realist simulations of combat against a fictional freedom-fighter organization in Richmond County beginning Friday.

Contributed photo

Trainees from the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg will conduct realist simulations of combat against a fictional freedom-fighter organization in Richmond County beginning Friday.

FORT BRAGG — From Dec. 4-18, U.S. Special Forces candidates will be conducting the Robin Sage training exercise throughout several counties in North Carolina including Richmond as part of the final test of their Special Forces Qualification Course training, according to a release.

Elements of the exercise will be held in Richmond, Scotland, Moore and Anson counties, in addition to Alamance, Cabarrus, Chatham, Cumberland, Davidson, Guilford, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Montgomery, Randolph, Robeson, Rowan, Stanly, Union and Wake counties. Plus, some parts of the training exercise will take place in Marlboro and Dillon counties in South Carolina, as well.

As a health and safety precaution, all Ft. Bragg personnel have gone through testing and health screenings at multiple points of their training period to ensure that none of the service members have COVID-19. The release states that they will continue to check the health status of service members during the course of the Robin Sage training exercise.

The service members’ movements and events have been coordinated with public safety officials in the respective counties hosting the training. Local residents may hear blank gunfire or see occasional flares in the air, according to the release. Controls are put in place to ensure no risk to people or property. However, residents with any concerns should contact their local law enforcement, who will then translate those concerns to those overseeing the training exercise.

Robin Sage is the U.S. military’s premiere unconventional warfare exercise and the final test of more than a year’s worth of training for aspiring Special Forces soldiers, according to a release. Candidates are placed in an environment of political instability characterized by armed conflict, forcing soldiers to analyze and solve problems to meet the challenges of this “real world” training.

Military service members from units across Ft. Bragg will also support the exercise. These military members act as realistic opposing forces and guerrilla freedom fighters, also known as Pineland’s resistance movement. These troops play a critical role in the training exercise. To add realism of the exercise, civilian volunteers throughout the state act as role-players. Participation by these volunteers is crucial to the success of this training, and past trainees attest to the realism they add to the exercise, according to a release.

Several safety measures have been implemented, including:

• Formal written notification to the heads of the respective law enforcement agencies in the counties where the exercise is taking place, along with a follow-up visit from a military representative.

• All civilian and non-student military participants are briefed on procedures to follow if contact with local law enforcement is necessary.

• Students will only wear civilian clothes if the situation warrants, as determined by the military instructors, and will wear a distinctive brown armband during these occasions.

• The vehicles and areas used during the Robin Sage training exercise are clearly labelled.

Questions concerning the exercise should be referred to the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School Public Affairs Office at (910) 396-9394, or by e-mail at [email protected].

In the event of an emergency, please contact your local law enforcement agency.

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