Army training exercise happening on Houston's south side

ABC13 Houston ^ | 1-28-13 | Staff

[444Flyer]

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- SkyEye 13 HD was over the south side where at first look, it appears there's a massive SWAT scene happening.

People have been calling police, as well as our newsroom, saying they're hearing gunshots in the area of Scott and Airport. It turns out, the Army says, it's a multi-agency training drill. They're doing it at the old Carnegie High School.

[familyop]

Yes. I suspect that drill in the Chicago area will be done by civilian police and other civilians.

It appears that the Texas school building used in the exercise mentioned in the post above this thread is no longer used as a school building. I once drilled in and around an old, unused hospital building with the National Guard during the ‘90s (light combat unit). While in uniform, we tended to stay out of the way of civilians, although our community (small town in the Midwest) loved seeing us train on the rare occasion (e.g., a yearly demonstration in a public park for recruiting).

[aragorn]

Watched the full 12+ minutes.

So did I.

I note that residents reported gunfire, yet I saw no evidence of blank adapters on any of the weapons I could see (admittedly, those were long shots and resolution, at least on my machine, was not all that great). Still, blank adapters are painted a bright color for a reason... So, who was firing? The birds? What were they firing?

Also, I know that Uncle has lots of places set aside for MOUT training, they don't need to do this in an urban environment. The news reporterette also said something to the effect that an Army major on site refused to give details about the type of training they were conducting.

Interesting...

[familyop]

Excerpt from the article from Chicago:
"It will include somebody shooting blanks from a gun in the hallway 'in an effort to provide our teachers and students some familiarity with the sound of gunfire.'"

Hopefully, they'll use blank adapters, even though those would muffle the sound of "gunfire." Blank adapters prevent discharges from killing or wounding people who might be within a few feet of the muzzle (can happen with blanks). Blank adapters can also blow off, sometimes, so trainees should be a certain minimum distance from others in front of them and divert muzzles a little to be sure to miss.

Army organization, training and tactics (including reserve components like the Guard) are vastly different from those of police organizations in many ways. I've done both in the past. Police organizations only try to emulate some appearances seen in military forces on TV. Police are competent for making civilian arrests of civilian criminals, while combat soldiers (combat soldiers comprising probably less than 5% of whole forces) are mentally, physically and tactically fit for killing enemies in warfare.

There are MP units in the Army, but they are trained more specifically for securing things (e.g., equipment) and arresting military personnel (including Uniform Code of Military Justice considerations). There are also civilian SWAT teams, but those are trained for arresting civilians in civilian environments--not fighting enemy combatants.

I won't go into tactical details here. But suffice to say, civilian training is very different from combat training (re. real, infantry-related combat soldiers--not the vast majority in military forces).

[444Flyer]

I witnessed the Rodney King riots up close and personal. The 911 system was a joke and you couldn't even get the police to come, let alone the NG while watching looters attempt to break into a strip mall near us. It was the civilians with defense rifles and shotguns camping on their business's rooftops that kept off the looters. That and a lot of prayer...

The National Guard never even came near our neighborhood. God forbid, if it ever comes to defending against a foreign (troops) threat on our own soil, it will be the average American armed to the teeth that defends our nation and not Obama’s downsized military.

[mlizzy]

Thanks for the information; very interesting. Our kids are all out of school, but if they were attending a school where this was taking place, we’d keep them home that day. What can be learned from a drill like this?

[Gilbo_3]

And 7,000 new AR’s for DHS

select fire, compact, *personal**defense**weapons*...with plenty of HP ammo too...

[cherokee1]

That’s exactly right and remember that US citizens own more private firearms than exist in all the rest of the world including all militaries. As Gen McAuliff at Bastogne said “the poor bastards have us surrounded again?”

[Gilbo_3]

What about the risk of a accident during one of these sessions.

just the hot brass raining down into a neighborhood raises liability questions eh ???

[Ditter]

The article calls it and “old” school. I feel sure it is no longer in use as a school.

[familyop]

"What can be learned from a drill like this?"

Many things but not all. Known events of the past are used to simulate a situation. Drill participants will go through movements planned to counter the hypothetical situation and variables within it. Occurrences during the drill will be reviewed afterward. I did say "not all," though. For police who patrol, the unexpected happens often--some events more bizarre than most people know.

IMO, the drill should be done. No need for students present, in my opinion, although it should be as realistic as possible. But students should probably do their own drills, too (to stay out of danger rather than running into it or staying in it). If someone believes that students need to be desensitized to the sound of fire, that could be simulated (other things that go pop, blank fire without adapters in *very safe and secured directions,* etc.).

IMO, it would be better if schools had armed private security, though (veterans and/or others already in place, more familiarity, responsibility, etc.).

[mlizzy]

Thanks Ditter. I kind of got off course from the topic of the main thread. There's one of these drills going on in a northwestern suburb of Chicago tomorrow, and it is a school that is currently occupied. http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2013/01/29/cary-grove-drill-to-include-shooting-blanks-in-hallways/

[DarkWaters]

I would say your assertion is spot on. To add to it, they are also trying to instill fear and uncertainty into the hearts and minds of the general public as well.

[GraceG]

The way to kill these urban training exercises quickly is to create an Internet rumor that the soldiers are training for a ground invasion of Iran, and urban combat conquest of Tehran followed by martial law.

They are practicing for an invasion of Iran.

Such a rumor would freak out the Washington weaklings, who would demand and immediate halt to these exercises.

Maybe they are actually planning for such a thing.....

I wouldn’t put it past Barry to try to replace the Mullahs in Iran with someone from the OTHER sect of radical islam....

[familyop]

"The National Guard never even came near our neighborhood."

Real men, armed with ammunition and protecting residents? That would be contrary to the commands of the contemporary, bipartisan political/regulator regime against "sexism" and rednecks being seen in public.

[sergeantdave]

“Look at the attack on the Bonus army...”

How about you tell me how the US Army attacked the Bonus army. Links are fine, but if you can tell me, in your own words, how the army attacked the Bonus vets on the Potomac, that will do. In fact, I’d prefer that. I’m real curious to explore the genesis of where some FReepers got this idea from.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

This would be improbable, because Iran has about 25 million men of fighting age. They also have a lot of rather capable missiles, in fortified positions like underground silos, dispersed throughout their country. In a land area just slightly smaller than Alaska.

They are also allied with Russia which has guaranteed their defense from invasion if not air attack. Though it has provided them some capable surface to air missiles.

However, don’t expect wacky antiwar leftists to know any of this. Nature has compensated them for their ignorance by giving them loud and shrill voices.

[redgolum]

http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/snprelief4.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonus_Army

For starters.

The Bonus Army assembled (rather peacefully) to petition that the bonus promised to WWI vets be paid to them early. Gen S. Butler met with the men and their families, and showed them support.

Hoover ordered the Army and Gen. MacArthur to clear out the protesters. Using tanks, tear gas, and rifle buts they did just that. They then burned out the camp that the Bonus Army was using.

Funny thing was, that after Hoover lost the following election, Roosevelt handled the second Bonus march differently. He sent his wife to talk with them and offered them make work jobs in the CCC (great bit of PR there). My Grandfather remembered the incidents, and would talk of them from time to time. He did not have a high opinion of the Army for that and other incidents that happened during WWI.

[Terry Mross]

This is just damned scary.

[444Flyer]

Real men, armed with ammunition and protecting residents?

Oh, we had those, just not in uniform.;)

[Blogatron]

Why Houston? Why Miami? Who are they trying to incite?