From LT at NCRenegade: I concur that it is coming soon - driving down I-95 this weekend (7/14), I saw over a dozen Stryker vehicles, guns mounted, standing overwatch on the highway in Virginia...six were positioned in echelon on the grass at a Weigh-station, several in the median about 10 miles further south, and one on the exit ramp where we stopped to get gas. They all had their .50s racked and pointed at the road. This is totally unprecedented.
(When I was active, we were always required to stow our guns before leaving post...no armaments visible on public roadways, EVER.)
This is but the latest case where the military is being deployed on US soil as a precursory PSYOP - they are de-sensitizing the public to the sight of widespread military force, big time.
Anyone else seeing this sort of thing?
Kerodin
III
Yep, I see these types of vehicles regularly in NC. The troops are carrying rifles when they stop and I see mounted machine guns too. Get ready and keep your head screwed on straight, it WILL get hairy soon. -55six
ReplyDeleteThis isn't a one-off sighting: In MD/DEL we saw a Btn. of Engineers with HEMTTs rigged up as Cement factories (tumbler plus snorkel sprayer) with all the support vehicles. This vehicle configuration is a relatively new innovation - the Corp of Engineers built the first of these for operations in Iraq, where they were used to build the Green Zone, and to prepare other permanent fortifications rapidly in "loosely held" areas. These would be very useful for rapid construction of safe zones / government zones in highly populated areas, particularly in the DC - Boston corridor...
DeleteI have also seen a lot of military helo's (Apaches and Black Hawks) in NC and VA for the last 6-8 months. Sometimes 4, even 6 flights over a given area in a single day... and at least 1 each day over for the past few months. Very heavy "training schedule" from what I recall of active-duty life. Again, I believe that this is the PSYOP stage, so in a few months we will all be used to it when they do start agressing...
LT
~Those who abuse Liberty, do so at their own peril!
In my travels the last year or so, I've seen metric ass-tons of military equipment of all types (5-tons, Hummers, multi-wheeled armored vehicles, artillery pieces), being shipped on flat beds.
ReplyDeleteAlmost all of it was heading east on I-70 from Indy towards Ohio.
I suppose much of it was heading to Wright-Patterson for airlift, or perhaps the east coast for loading onto ships.
I don't recall any of it being kitted up with weapons, and I certainly haven't seen combat vehicles standing "guard" along the highway in full battle rattle. I am the type who would notice that...and take pictures!
what was the location in VA off of 95?
ReplyDeleteNear Dumfries, VA...about 30 minutes south of DC.
DeleteDid you get a bumper number? Was it an active duty unit or NG / USAR? It could be something as innocent as a NG commander who didn't think his OPORD through completely, then again, who knows.
ReplyDeleteJust about what Zoomie says - on rail cars near marshalling yards, fitted for travel.
ReplyDeleteIf they were to try that here in California, they'd be overrun by hippies, wolf lovers and cult members as well as all four of us III Percenters, although we'd be standing upwind of that crowd.
Wirecutter, where in Kali? I thought I was the only one. Now you tell me there are four more of us.
DeleteI'm in back country North County San Diego.
A. Nonny Mouse
Haven't noticed anything unusual coming out of Pendleton.
ReplyDeleteHaven't noticed anything unusual coming out of Pendleton.
ReplyDeleteTime of year for what dad used to call 'summer camp'...and what I called 'drill week'. Lots of units out running around playing Army for a few days.
ReplyDeleteOr something else...betting on 'drill', tho.
I am with Zoomie on this one. The direction of goods on flatbeds in the past year heading toward OH may be related to the ones that made their way into PA here. Some smaller armored units, like that of a SWAT class vehicle, were being shipped into Pittsburgh by the looks of it.
ReplyDeleteIsrael
III
I've seen lots of them in the WV/Kentucky area on the roads on flatbeds too, usually eastbound on I-64. The national guard posts seem to have a lot more on hand than they used to though.
ReplyDeleteR.R.
Pre-positioning assets in preparation for the elections.
ReplyDeleteGet ready folks, the heavy hand of the Obama Rump Rangers are going to be out in force in Nov.
These can be defeated.
ReplyDeletehttp://images44.fotki.com/v1409/photos/4/41655/7087720/Stryker-vi.jpg
Also, I did mean to ask. For those who saw these vehicles, did you laser range find them? Did you test your ranging scope sights on the Opfor sitting in or around these vehicles?
ReplyDeleteIf not, why not?
Yes, an entire trainload of these Stryker vehicles and fuel trucks north of Nashville, TN end of June, heading south. No tracked vehicles, all wheeled. Armored tanks would be overkill when engaging civilians with light weapons, but these would be perfect. It's coming soon...
ReplyDeleteFolks....please be careful reading into these "sightings". First off, get bumper numbers on both left and right side of vehicle. Then if you see a weapon mounted, look to see of it is charged with a belt of ammo. Chances are it is not.
ReplyDeleteIn the last four days elements of the PAARNG have been moving their 56th Stryker Brigade to Fort Pickett, VA for annual training.
Remember....assume.....makea an ass out of you and me.
DAN III
Pennsylvania
Big time no-no to have weapons mounted on a military vehicle on the highway. I've seen PANG on I-81 in MD comin' back from AT before, no biggy, but if they had weapons mounted, that's a horse of a different color, maybe it's PALE.
ReplyDeleteMeh. I keep an eye on the rail from L.A. through Barstow heading east and west. I haven't seen any armaments being railed in one way or the other... hell, it has been so long, I want to say at least 5 years. Lots of Chinese rail cars though.
ReplyDeleteLet's look at the Ocam's Razor angle. Odds are that some people and vehicles needed to get from one base to another for training or some logistical needs. As to the weapons vehicles mounted with automated systems like the CROW are a lot more complicated to mount and dismount than taking a pin out of the mount and pulling the gun out.
ReplyDeleteOver here in the land of socialism (Illinoids) where I can see Missouri on the other side of the river, the Missouri NG just had a major "urban training exercise" in metro St. Louis. Purportedly to train their personnel in moving around urban terrain...I thought we were out of Iraq and not operating urban in Afganistan. Now WHY would they need urban training? Time to field strip my M1A and rotate loaded magazines I think.
ReplyDelete"More than a dozen" would imply a full Company worth of personnel. Since the one Stryker pictured has the weapon mounted on a Remote Weapon Station (RWS) it seems to be a standard Stryker Infantry Company.
ReplyDeleteAnd if you are going to move a Stryker Infantry Company, there really is no point stowing weapons as the Main Gun System (MGS)Stryker has a 105mm cannon that cannot be stowed. Don't know if this is the case here or not.
As far as urban training, there are still cities in Afghanistan; Kandahar, Kabul, Khost, Bagram. Urban focused training doesn't go away just because you plan to deploy to the third world.
Look for ammunition belts, they are exposed to the elements on most Stryker vehicles, and I can clearly see the light coming underneath the feed tray cover that indicates the M2 in question was not loaded.