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Two Men Open Fire on Soldiers at Jade Helm Training Site in Mississippi

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A sheriff in Mississippi says authorities are searching for two men who fired gunshots from a vehicle at soldiers at a military facility. No injuries were reported.

Perry County Sheriff Jimmy Dale Smith tells WDAM-TV (https://bit.ly/1UlrHi6) that the shots were fired just after noon Tuesday. The soldiers were training at Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center in Hattiesburg.

U.S. Special Forces Command designated Camp Shelby as one of the sites where a multi-state military training exercise, “Jade Helm 15”, was expected to take place, according to The Army Times . . .

A vehicle matching the description of the two suspects’ truck was found near New Augusta off Old Augusta Road, according to WDAM. The suspects were driving a red Ford Ranger with the words “broken arrow” on the windshield.

Conspiracy theory websites have noted that a logo used in a “leaked” slideshow presentation for the “Jade Helm 15” exercise featured broken arrows in its design. In military terminology, “broken arrow” is code used to signal for assistance when a unit or camp is overrun. (Read more from “2 Men Open Fire on Soldiers at Jade Helm Training Site in Mississippi” HERE)

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Jade Helm 15, Heavily Scrutinized Military Exercise, to Open Without Media Access

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Jade Helm 15, the controversial Special Operations exercise that spawned a wave of conspiracy theories about a government takeover, will open next week without any media allowed to observe it, a military spokesman said.

Embedded reporters won’t be permitted at any point during the exercise, in which military officials say that secretive Special Operations troops will maneuver through private and publicly owned land in several southern states. Lt. Col. Mark Lastoria, a spokesman for Army Special Operations Command, said his organization is considering allowing a small number of journalists to view selected portions of the exercise later this summer, but nothing is finalized.

“All requests from the media for interviews and coverage of U.S. Army Special Operations Command personnel, organizations and events are assessed for feasibility and granted when and where possible,” Lastoria said in a statement released Wednesday to The Washington Post. “We are dedicated to communicating with the public, while balancing that against the application of operations security and other factors.”

The exercise is scheduled for July 15 through September 15 and is expected to include more than 1,200 troops. Army Special Operations Command announced the exercise in March, saying its size and scope would set it apart from most training exercises. For months, some protesters have said Jade Helm is setting the stage for future martial law. Those fears have been mocked by comedians such as Jon Stewart and others, and the U.S. military has tried to reassure people about the exercise.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, called in April for the Texas State Guard to monitor the exercise, drawing a new wave of attention to Jade Helm and criticism from people who said he was fanning the hysteria. He defended the decision, saying it would improve communication between Special Operations forces and civilians in Texas. (Read more from “Jade Helm 15, Heavily Scrutinized Military Exercise, to Open Without Media Access” HERE)

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