THE WATCH STAFF
A mock foreign conflict is being waged across two U.S. states.
U.S. Army Special Forces candidates are taking part in a large-scale exercise January 22 to February 4 called Robin Sage, which pits the prospective Green Berets against simulated guerrillas fighting for the fictional nation of “Pineland.”
The candidates are students at the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School based at Fort Bragg, N.C. Robin Sage, which has been held regularly since 1974, is the final test in their Special Forces Qualification Course. (Pictured: A Special Forces candidate takes part in Robin Sage in 2021.)
The fictional Pineland of 2022 encompasses 25 counties in North Carolina and three in South Carolina. All of the exercise’s movements are coordinated with local law enforcement and public safety officials because Robin Sage is “so realistic and spans such a large area,” The War Zone military news website said. The Army issues identifying armbands and hats to all participants. All areas in which exercises take place and any vehicles used are also labeled.
“We appreciate the support and consideration the citizens of North Carolina extend to the Soldiers participating in the exercise and thank them for their understanding of any inconveniences the training may cause,” the warfare center said in a news release.
Robin Sage is unique in that it features civilian volunteers as role players. The civilians range from “salaried independent contractors” to “middle-aged school children,” according to a 2016 story in Special Warfare magazine, The War Zone reported. The civilians engage in mock public protests and act as casualties or even guerrilla forces.
“Participation by these volunteers is crucial to the success of this training, and past trainees attest to the realism they add to the exercise,” the warfare center’s news release said.
Soldiers from units across Fort Bragg also support Robin Sage. These service members act as realistic opposing forces and guerrilla freedom fighters, also known as Pineland’s resistance movement, according to the news release.
The post-9/11 conflicts in which the U.S. military has been deployed have largely been between states and nonstate actors (terrorist or paramilitary groups). The warfare center uses Robin Sage to prepare the Army’s special operators for such unconventional warfare (UW), where they must use their “training in small-unit tactics, negotiation skills, key leader engagements and guerrilla warfare,” according to The War Zone.
UW is the use of military forces to bolster or create resistance movements or insurgencies that can disrupt or overthrow a government or occupying power, according to a 2016 guide published by the U.S. Army Special Operations Command.
The candidates participating in Robin Sage operate in an environment that simulates “political instability characterized by armed conflict,” which forces them to “analyze and solve problems to meet the challenges,” the warfare center’s news release said.
“Today, we read a lot about proxy warfare, and that is what Robin Sage is in a nutshell,” Steve Balestrieri, a retired Special Forces warrant officer who also served as an instructor for the Special Forces Qualification Course, told the Insider news website January 12.
IMAGE CREDIT: K. KASSENS/U.S. ARMY