Robin Sage resumes at Pineland
The Associated Press
FORT BRAGG, N.C. - With new precautions in place, the Army on Friday launched its first full-scale military exercise for Green Beret candidates since a trainee was shot to death in a case of mistaken identity.
The "Robin Sage" exercises have been held for 40 years and are a venerable part of Green Beret training at Fort Bragg. The training takes place in 10 counties, where troops try to help residents of the mythical country of "Pineland" overthrow a repressive government.
The exercise has traditionally drawn on a huge cast of civilian volunteers and local law enforcement to help organize and carry out the training.
In February, 1st Lt. Tallas Tomeny, 31, of Montgomery, Ala., was killed and Sgt. Stephen Phelps was wounded in a confrontation with a Moore County sheriff's deputy who didn't know Robin Sage troops were in his area.
The deputy had stopped a pickup carrying the two soldiers, who were wearing civilian clothes. The soldiers tried to disarm the deputy, apparently believing he was part of the exercise, and he shot them.
A Robin Sage exercise was held in May, but civilian law enforcement wasn't allowed to participate and soldiers stayed in uniform.
This time, local authorities will be included, but Army officials have tried to keep them better informed of what's going on, Fort Bragg spokeswoman Sgt. Amanda Glenn said. Newspapers and television stations also were notified.
Participating civilian police and deputies also will wear blue hats and blue armbands with the letters "ISC," for "Internal Security Corps," one of the groups with a role in the training exercise.
The soldiers will also inform the officers that they're carrying weapons but no live rounds and trainees will only wear civilian clothes if their instructors believe it's necessary.
