Hello Martial Law!

[Scriblerus the Philosophe]

Goodbye freedom. Not that we've been properly free since the USA PATRIOT act was passed. 

Or at least that's what it's starting to look like.

3rd Infantry's 1st BCT trains for a new dwell-time mission. Helping 'people at home' may become a permanent part of the active Army.

The 3rd Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team has spent 35 of the last 60 months in Iraq patrolling in full battle rattle, helping restore essential services and escorting supply convoys.

Now they're training for the same mission — with a twist — at home.

Beginning Oct. 1 for 12 months, the 1st BCT will be under the day-to-day control of U.S. Army North, the Army service component of Northern Command, as an on-call federal response force for natural or manmade emergencies and disasters, including terrorist attacks.

It goes on to mention the army units that were brought into help with Katrina--but that's a completely different thing.

After 1st BCT finishes its dwell-time mission, expectations are that another, as yet unnamed, active-duty brigade will take over and that the mission will be a permanent one.

I find this increasingly distressing.
Bolds are mine. Italics are comments.

They may be called upon to help with civil unrest and crowd control or to deal with potentially horrific scenarios such as massive poisoning and chaos in response to a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high-yield explosive, or CBRNE, attack.

Training for homeland scenarios has already begun at Fort Stewart and includes specialty tasks such as knowing how to use the "jaws of life" to extract a person from a mangled vehicle; extra medical training for a CBRNE incident; and working with U.S. Forestry Service experts on how to go in with chainsaws and cut and clear trees to clear a road or area.

The 1st BCT's soldiers also will learn how to use "the first ever nonlethal package that the Army has fielded," 1st BCT commander Col. Roger Cloutier said, referring to crowd and traffic control equipment and nonlethal weapons designed to subdue unruly or dangerous individuals without killing them.

The package is for use only in war-zone operations, not for any domestic purpose. (then what's the point of even teaching it for this mission?)

"It's a new modular package of nonlethal capabilities that they're fielding. They've been using pieces of it in Iraq, but this is the first time that these modules were consolidated and this package fielded, and because of this mission we're undertaking we were the first to get it."

The package includes equipment to stand up a hasty road block; spike strips for slowing, stopping or controlling traffic; shields and batons; and, beanbag bullets.

"I was the first guy in the brigade to get Tasered," said Cloutier, describing the experience as "your worst muscle cramp ever — times 10 throughout your whole body.

"I'm not a small guy, I weigh 230 pounds ... it put me on my knees in seconds."

The brigade will not change its name, but the force will be known for the next year as a CBRNE Consequence Management Response Force, or CCMRF (pronounced "sea-smurf").

"I can't think of a more noble mission than this," said Cloutier, who took command in July. "We've been all over the world during this time of conflict, but now our mission is to take care of citizens at home ... and depending on where an event occurred, you're going home to take care of your home town, your loved ones." (Oh yes, because we need protection. Mostly from you.)

While soldiers' combat training is applicable, he said, some nuances don't apply.

"If we go in, we're going in to help American citizens on American soil, to save lives, provide critical life support, help clear debris, restore normalcy and support whatever local agencies need us to do, so it's kind of a different role," said Cloutier, who, as the division operations officer on the last rotation, learned of the homeland mission a few months ago while they were still in Iraq.

Some brigade elements will be on call around the clock, during which time they'll do their regular marksmanship, gunnery and other deployment training. That's because the unit will continue to train and reset for the next deployment, even as it serves in its CCMRF mission.
...
The active Army's new dwell-time mission is part of a NorthCom and DOD response package. (Should we really trust anything the DoD is involved with? I'm rather reluctant.)

On one hand, I can understand having a unit on call if we need them, but for them to be dedicated to this solely makes me uncomfortable, especially with the Bush administration's track record.
It's making a decidedly right wing (though libertarian) blog site rather antsy. They've got videos, which I have yet to watch (I'm at school, and the bandwidth here is capped really low).

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

And what was the national guard's function then? Is this a shuffle to justify the NG's shipped overseas and have some sort of central response agency (subjected to federal bureaucracy) in the country?

Sounds like a way to maximize the rotations of the army (and a great opportunity to implement more heavy handed measures on the local population).

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

I agree-- it's likely a short-sighted stop-gap to try to address the many, many complaints by state governors that having their NG gutted left them severely short-handed with respect to emergencies.

It is so typical of Bush's "thinking".   A single-issue "fix".  A failure to look beyond the immediate, into the long term and very long term consequences.

In fact-- a failure to look at even the short term consequences.

Bush's regime is filled with such actions-- they truly do not look beyond the immediate moment, I think.

Indicative of a very tiny, very narrow focus.  Something all too common among fundies.

[anthrobabe]

Anyone want my resume to post on the local circuit-- like in Australia, Canada, or I am simply available to be queen/grand high one of any small nation.
I am so out of here if possible.

[Black Bart]

We may have a Prime Minister vacancy in the near future...any good?

[Scriblerus the Philosophe]

Seriously. I wonder how long a student visa would last me?

[Darlica]

People from USA doesn't need a visa to study in Sweden it seems.


The Swedish National Agency for Higher Education:
http://www.hsv.se/2.539a949110f3d5914ec800056285.html

Swedish migration board:
http://www.migrationsverket.se/english.jsp

[Swatopluk]

I have added Sweden to my list of potential foreign countries to work in (temporarily) deposited at the employment office (behind Norway and Canada*).

*under the condition that there is no GOPster in the WH next year. Otherwise I will not set my foot on the continent voluntarily.

[Scriblerus the Philosophe]

People from USA doesn't need a visa to study in Sweden it seems.


The Swedish National Agency for Higher Education:
http://www.hsv.se/2.539a949110f3d5914ec800056285.html

Swedish migration board:
http://www.migrationsverket.se/english.jsp

Most certainly something to consider!