[Editor’s Note: This letter is run in its entirety; however, it is important to note that there are several assumptions made in the letter. A basic tenet of research is the understanding that “correlation does not necessarily mean causation.” Just because two things happen at the same time does not mean one has caused the other. Internet and telephone communications go out all of the time and providers are often reluctant to accept responsibility, especially if it is only a temporary disruption. There are also many reasons that Internet can go out, from work crews replacing amplifier modules to overheating components. Our brains like patterns and latching on to the closest explanation is easy to do, no matter how far-fetched it may be. Jade Helm is not normal to most people. Those who live in areas that have normal military traffic have probably not seen any difference in the day to day operations, but because this is hyped in the media, we tend to focus on it. It’s similar to a pregnant woman suddenly noticing how many other pregnant women there are around her. Her pregnancy has no connection to the other women, but her attention is drawn to it because it is a significant life event for her.
The Jade Helm exercise has no significant negative short-term issues for the American populace. It is what it appears to be– a training exercise in which the terrain is similar to where the world hot spots are and it also represents the military attempting to stay ahead of the curve on the coming civil chaos. The danger right now is not from the military but from the urban gangs and rioters that the military knows they will be called on to deal with when TSHTF. Ferguson and Baltimore are just warm-ups.
That is not to say that there is no danger presented by this or similar exercises though. If this exercise or future exercises develop working relationships with local, county, or state law enforcement agencies, it will be paving the way for the federalization of the all law enforcement, and that does pose a significant threat to the constitutional rights of the American populace. That is the long-term danger posed by these large scale urban training operations.]
As most of you are aware by now, Jade Helm military exercises that began July 15th are in full swing. The states that were chosen included Texas, with most towns and cities spread out over the state, but the Patriot-filled, constitution loving, gun-toting town of Leakey, Texas (population 450) became ground zero for the Texas Hill Country.
The towns in the Hill Country region are extremely conservative, with the local church banner proclaiming in big, bold words: “CONSERVATIVE, CHRISTIAN, PATRIOTS” on the side of the building. The banner was taken down before Jade Helm arrived.
This is also where most young men proclaim their own independence by flying “Don’t Tread on Me” and “Come and Take It” flags flying in the back of their pickup trucks. Here it’s an everyday occurrence, and some are Hispanic.
The Texas Hill Country region is old school Texas: a Republican stronghold that threw out Common Core, are un-apologizing Christian guns owners who still hold Tea Party meetings and put constitutionalist Ted Cruz into office. This is where you find the most “Secede” bumper stickers on the back of pickup trucks.
So when the newspapers broke the story that our small town would be part of the military exercises, the residents responded with a standing room only packed crowd attending the city council meeting where a military representative explained to residents they had nothing to fear.
Every single city council member voted to allow the military operations to proceed, regardless of those opposed and the remaining few who were uncertain as to the real reason why they were here. The military countered that our local economy would benefit financially.
My husband and I decided with a few patriotic neighbors that we would not attend the meeting, as we felt it would put targets on our backs and that anti-Jade Helm citizens would go on a list for future reprisals.
The first thing that occurred before the official start of Jade Helm was a full range of different law enforcement agencies booked local vacation rentals over a weekend in a nearby town from Leakey; that town, with a population of 150, is a popular tourist destination on a river.
I personally spoke to a few who were lost, and I gave them directions to where their meeting was located and bantered with them a few minutes, noticing they were in plain clothes and their unmarked car was definitely law enforcement.
Since we only have state highway patrol or county sheriff way out here they stood out. These wasn’t our typical agencies (border patrol and ICE). This coordinated weekend event finished on Sunday morning, and when they pulled out of town in mostly unmarked cars, multiple law enforcement agencies of between 50 and 100 law enforcement officers drove by our home.
Next came an interesting report from our neighbor whose family has been in the area since they were given a Spanish land grant in the 1800’s. His brother had been outside and a drone was flying over his hillside surveying their property. This occurred twice.
Next military jets started flying over more active than normal. San Antonio is 90 miles away and has a military base that trains pilots. Those F18’s travel in pairs and are pretty loud. The flight pattern is always the same– south to north. Normal flyover is about every other month or so, but in just one day my husband counted six fly overs. Once military actions began, helicopters began flying overhead as well.
Then the real fun began. I have a little farm store that requires me to sit for long spells between customers on a fairly busy country road during the summer tourist season. About 3:30pm I heard a jet flying a south to north route, but lower than usual along the hillside straight up to Leakey where the Jade Helm command was based. Within five minutes all Internet activity went dead. Now because we live in the country, I thought there was a possibility of something that caused my Internet service to shut down, but after work I drove down the road to some of the small tourist stores, and the cash registers were all down. I went home wondering what was going on, but by morning everything was working again.
A week or so later the same thing happened only it was a helicopter. Then last week all cell phone and Internet service was knocked out again. The entire town was effected. We called AT&T, and they said everything looked fine on their computers; they didn’t know what was wrong.
Then a few days ago the only bank in town had their phone lines stop working. It made the front page of the local newspaper. This bank is over 100 years old and NEVER had this happened before. There was no reason given.
Then my husband’s Apple computers with a big-time security wall to protect his Internet server went out four days ago. The highest level Internet technician at Apple in California said in his 28 years he had never seen a problem like this before.
When the Internet stopped working, we called our Internet carrier, which is the local phone provider. We got the same response: everything looked good on their computers, and they saw nothing but clear lines.
We took my husband’s computers to the Apple store in San Antonio. They told us it was funny that just a few days before their entire store went down without Internet service. San Antonio is heavy military town, and they are also part of Jade Helm exercises, but it’s the 7th largest city in the U.S.
My farm store has no technology or cash registers, but I do use the Square for running credit card transactions. Since Jade Helm began operations, there were two mysterious transactions of over $2,000 per transaction for “cash”. Since I only make a few hundred dollars a day, this jumped out at me. Neither has been corrected, even though I sent an email to Square.
A few days ago, I had a man with a badge on his belt come to the farm store to pick up a preorder (a phone order for pick up the next day at the store). Since we know everyone that works for the Sheriff, it was unusual to have an unknown guy who was plain clothed, wearing a badge, and driving his own vehicle. Hmm.
What does it all mean? Rural communities rely on cell phones and Internet just as much or if not more than urbanites, which lets us work and live far away from cities. Bottom line: Jade Helm is practicing how to cut all communications in and out of towns. No cell phone service and no Internet stops us from communicating what’s going on to others.
It’s pretty smart, but we have to be smarter. Now that we know what part of their plan is, we have to start to setup alternative communication devices right now; we need CB radios, satellite phones, hand-held walkie talkies, and Ham radios.
It would be too easy to just say, “Oh well, it was just a few days”, but the reality is military exercises are just that: planning and training for the day when they will use their exercises. The question is will it be against us?
When I heard how another small town like ours had the military roll into town using hay trucks and rental trucks to effectively “take over” the small town without their knowing it, this isn’t about training for Iraq. This is military training for Main Street USA.
May God bless and keep you all safe until our Saviors return.