Military Exercise Targeting Tea Party

A little background is in order. Hopefully people recall that in April of last year the Department of Homeland Security issued a document that ‘targeted’ people in the tea party movement as potential domestic terrorists. The release of this document seemed to coincide with a Missouri State Police advisory of a similar nature asking its officers to watch out for Gadsden flag and Ron Paul bumper stickers, among other ‘militia related’ items. Of course the DHS denied that the advisory’s had anything to do with the tea party movement, but once an alert related to the tea party movement was released to the public by a concerned member of the Maryland National Guard, it became obvious that it was.

Then yesterday, we got word out of Quincy, Illinois that the Secret Service had called out the riot police on a tea party demonstration where President Obama was speaking.

At first, we all thought it rather humorous, fully equipped riot police in full array against elderly ladies carrying American flags. Today, it stopped being humorous.

This morning, The Patriot Post featured a post entitled, “Army Preps for Tea Party ‘Terrorists’”.

This week, I was contacted by a number of civilian and military personnel (enlisted and officer ranks) who expressed concern about a military exercise scenario proposed for Ft. Knox, the U.S. Bullion Depository. (For the record, I called Ft. Knox security for an official comment and received the standard reply: “We are not authorized to discuss this exercise.”)

As with most such exercises, the Ft. Knox scenario outline occurred in stages, as if real time intelligence was being provided at various intervals. The first intel advisory I received was issued on Friday, 23 April 2010, and identifies the terrorist threat adversaries as “Local Militia Groups / Anti-Government Protesters / TEA Party.”

You read that right: “TEA Party”!

The author presented a copy of a document related to the exercise as proof that such an exercise was initiated. Another advisory was issued a few days later related to the exercise.

Another intel update was issued on Monday, 26 April 2010, noting that the “rally at the Militia compound occurred,” and “Viable threats … have been made.” The intel on the rally notes, “Many members were extremely agitated at what they referred to as Government intervention and over taxation in their lives. Alcohol use ‘fanned the flames.’ Many military grade firearms were openly carried. An ad hoc ‘shoot the government agent’ event was held with prizes (alcohol) given for the best shot placement.”

The report states further, “Components of bomb making are reported to have been on the site. Some members have criminal records relating to explosive and weapons violations.”

In response to the “immediate threat,” the exercise stipulates, “local detention centers are being made ready for mass arrests.” Both the “QRF I and QRF II” are placed on two hour recall, and the “5-15 CAV” was ordered to “draw weapons from holder and store in most available arms room,” and “coordinate with MASA for immediate ammunition draw; have equipment readied for immediate use, i.e. vehicles staged and loaded IAW 5-15 CAV SOP; LMR’s charged.”

QRF refers to Quick Reaction Force. QRF I is the 16th Cavalry Regiment. QRF II is the 194th Armored Brigade.

Let this sink in for a minute. This is a military exercise directed at a civilian ‘tea party’ protest. Military force used against the civilian population exercising their First Amendment rights. Please, absorb it and then the almost immediate reaction to the story by Fort Knox will be better understood.

I posted the document link on Facebook, but this afternoon it had been removed.

Publisher’s Note: The official Fort Knox security exercise documents originally posted on this page were marked “unclassified”. However, at the request of command staff at Ft. Knox, we have voluntary removed them for security reasons.

Fortunately, I saved a copy. I uploaded the document to the BCR site and posted that link on Facebook. A few minutes later, the link was ‘removed’ from my personal Facebook wall and disappeared. So, I posted it again. Around an hour later, the original wall post reappeared. This document has now been downloaded by many on Facebook, so it is solidly part of the public record and cannot be suppressed. The Patriot Post offered this explanation given to them by the Fort Knox command.

Publisher’s Note: Regarding my essay, Army Preps for Tea Party ‘Terrorists,’ I was contacted by senior command staff at Ft. Knox on the afternoon of the date of publication. There was a security exercise at Ft. Knox this week, but an officer in the security loop altered the scenario “in order to make it more realistic.” Those alterations were described in my essay, exactly as they appeared. The command staff informed me that the alterations were not approved at the command level and that the individual who circulated the scenario through official channels will “receive appropriate counsel.” I was assured that the Command staff would not have authorized such a scenario.

I am sorry, but I don’t buy it. There is obviously something coming down from the highest levels of our government attempting to paint the tea party movement as ‘violent extremists’. In the context of this exercise, what happened in Quincy, IL yesterday makes more sense. This is starting to get more than a little scary folks. Here are the document links.

Maryland National Guard Advisory (pdf)
Fort Knox Exercise (image)
Fort Knox Exercise (pdf)