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Seems the 455th Engineering Co. from the Hayden Reserve Center stirred up the far-right blogosphere Feb. 8 when heavy snow prompted them to forsake its regular exercise and march down the streets of Hayden. Someone snapped the photo above, and a Patriot site used it as proof that President Obama was getting Americans acclimated to troops in the streets. Jim Camden’s Spin Control story here. Inlander story by Kevin Taylor & Derek Casanovas here.
Question: Have you seen any black helicopters lately?
D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.
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JeanC on March 04 at 5:42 p.m.
Nope. The hubby is in charge of them and is keeping them on the other side of the Canadian border :D
hhuseland on March 04 at 6:05 p.m.
Having served in the military, and specifically the Army Nat’l Guard,prior to my regular service, I can understand why they need to drill and to march. physical fitness is very important in a military organization. Having said that, marching down the street using both sides, as shown, is a combat tactic. Carrying m-16’s is also. In a residential neighborhood, there is no justification for carrying arms. Arms that the casual passerby would not know whether they were loaded or not. Foolish on the part of the unit officers. When the regular army wants to go for a hike or a run, they don shorts, t-shirts and haul a**. They don’t carry weapons during a physical exercise. Dumb, Dumb, Dumb. The sheriff department should have arrested them.
conservativenorthwest on March 04 at 7:36 p.m.
As retired Air Force, I have to agree with Herb. No commander in his right mind would march their troops down a suburban street with M16s unless it was as a show of force. They definitely would not have done it as part of a training exercise. I’m betting that the telephones at their CP or at least public affairs were ringing off the hook, and whoever was in charge should get reamed.
Having said that, I have other issues with this photo. There’s not that much snow that it should have prevented the troops from doing some much more realistic training and physical exercise by marching cross country versus down a plowed and damp street. I have to wonder if this was actually staged.
That being said, I would hope our military would revolt against a corrupt government before they would go after suburban America. In the past, regimes like nazi Germany and the Soviet Union have had to create special “political” forces to oversee their own military to keep them from armed rebellion. Look for the creation of a special armed political force to guard the military before becoming concerned about them going after law-abiding civilians.
…and don’t tell me the violent protests of the 60’s that the national guard put down were “law abiding citizens”
conservativenorthwest.com
turbogal395 on March 04 at 7:40 p.m.
When I lived in Sandy Utah, just east of Salt Lake, I would see the black helicopters ALL THE TIME! They made me very nervous. It got especially bad during the 2002 winter Olympics. what is that all about?
Sam on March 04 at 7:43 p.m.
What I’d like to know is if they’ve ever had to do it before?
I’ve covered the 455th for the Spokesman when they were deployed to Iraq. They’re good people. At least two of the people I went to high school with serve/served with them (and one was injured by an IED a year or so ago I think). Not that I’m friends with them, but they’re also good guys.
No opinion on this event other than that it’s way interesting.
I actually think the picture is a pretty darn good visual storytelling device.
By the by, I’ve got relatives with M-16s … so I figured I’d ask people here … the average citizen can freely carry their gun with them if they want to. They could also wear camo, which people do quite often, especially in North Idaho, so what’s the difference? I’m genuinely curious.
I’m also curious if the Obama Administration aspect of it would have been the same if former President George W. Bush would still be in office? Or would it be a case of “support the troops!” ?
misc on March 04 at 10:20 p.m.
Oh please. A couple years ago in Boise we had active duty marines playing war games on the green belt. You didn’t hear us screaming about it.
Token on March 05 at 8:47 a.m.
I grew up in North Idaho and never saw a black helicopter. I did, however, once see two fighter jets flying low and slow just above the tree tops. One was nearly right overhead. I could see the pilot looking at me. It scared the crap out of my dog.