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[Fwd: Massive military mobilization in May/Y2k]
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Sun Jan 10 14:44:55 1999
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 1999 13:34:09 -0600
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From: Cipher <cipher@mindspring.com>
Newsgroups: talk.politics.crypto,alt.privacy
Subject: Massive military mobilization in May/Y2k
Date: 7 Jan 1999 02:01:38 GMT
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http://www.worldnetdaily.com/bluesky_exnews/19990106_xex_the_plan_mas.s
tml
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 06,1999
The plan for massive military mobilization National Guard exercises
unprecedented since World War II set for May Y2K test
Editor's note: This is the first of a series of investigative reports on
this subject.
By David M. Bresnahan C 1999 WorldNetDaily.com
The National Guard is planning its first national mobilization of troops
since 1940 in preparation for civil unrest resulting from the Y2K
millennium bug, WorldNetDaily has learned.
The National Guard Bureau in Washington is currently formulating plans
for a mobilization test, in conjunction with the Federal Emergency
Management Agency. If Y2K causes a complete shutdown of all
communications, the National Guard will need a way to mobilize troops,
according to several officers who believe their careers would be at risk
if their names were made public.
These officers spoke separately with WorldNetDaily. Each is in a position
to know about the plans at a national level within the National Guard
Bureau.
"What's driving this thing are the folks underneath the senior
leadership," said one officer. "Some of the IT guys and command and
control guys are the ones who are driving this because they see what the
problem is," one of the sources told WorldNetDaily in an exclusive
interview.
The plan as it is now being designed, will be a mock mobilization of all
480,000 members of the National Guard in all 54 states and territories.
Exercise COMEX/MOBEX will be conducted without telephone, radio, or
television to get the word to all guard members.
"This will be a simulated COMM-Out," explained another member of the
group. "In other words, the standard method of recall, the telephone,
will not be an option. The driver for this exercise is Y2K," she added.
Concern about potential panic and unrest over Y2K failures of
communications, power, and transportation has prompted the National Guard
Bureau to plan for the worst. If such a scenario occurs, the guard will
need to be mobilized through some means other than standard electronic
communications.
Exercise COMEX/MOBEX will be a test, not an actual mobilization. Guard
members will be contacted, but they will not actually have to report.
WorldNetDaily spoke with several full-time guard members who work at the
national level. Each is an officer, and each is concerned that the public
is not being properly informed of the extent and seriousness of problems
-- including civil liberties issues -- associated with the Y2K computer
bug.
"I've taken an oath, and I don't see some of the senior folks following
through on their oath," explained one officer of his reasons for making
this known. "Not only is my oath to the Constitution, but it's to the
people. As far as I'm concerned, the faster and sooner people are
educated on this stuff the less panic will ensue."
Another officer is equally concerned and agreed. He pointed out that
people panic when they are caught unprepared and unaware. He says the
Clinton administration should be doing more to prevent panic.
"No one with any leadership has stepped forward and said we need to take
prudent steps," he explained. "The Canadians are way ahead on this.
They've already told their folks. They're doing a good job of letting
their people know what's going on."
WorldNetDaily has also learned that all military and civilian federal
employees are scheduled to be paid a little differently in December 1999.
Payroll for January 2000 will be paid a month early. One of the officers
says that is to place guard members in a situation where they cannot
refuse duty in the Y2K crisis because they will have already been paid in
advance.
"Our guess is, we've been paid so if we don't show up we're defrauding
the government. I think that's what the rationale is, although they'll
tell us it's to keep the troops happy. Bull. People won't be able to get
their money out of the banks anyway," predicted one of the officers.
The Defense Department is reported to be far behind in preparations for
Y2K compliancy. It is working only on mission-critical systems, according
to Sen. Bob Bennett, R-UT, chairman of the Senate Special Committee on
the Year 2000 Technology Problem. The National Guard is no exception.
"The field units are way behind," explained one source. "There's no way
in hell we're going to be compliant by March 31, 1999 (the target date
announced by the National Guard)."
A letter from the National Guard Bureau will soon be in the hands of
every adjutant general. The letter will inform the guard leaders of each
state about COMEX/MOBEX and how it will be conducted.
Although the exercise, tentatively scheduled for May 1 and 2, will be no
secret, the various aspects of the exercise will be kept under wraps
until the mobilization begins.
"Everyone knows it's coming, but there's going to be scenarios written
into it," explained one officer. "There will be as many different things
they can throw into it at once to see how the command-and-control
structure handles it."
The test will do little to simulate the actual panic that may be involved
in an actual Y2K mobilization.
"I think in a real situation, where you've got a guy standing there with
his wife looking at him with tears in her eyes and two kids hanging on
his leg, and he's being drug out the door by a couple MPs -- not that he
doesn't want to serve -- but it's got to be absolute pandemonium at that
point. I see that as a very difficult situation," said one of the
sources.
Although the National Guard Bureau expects to be able to contact 95
percent of their troops for COMEX/MOBEX, far fewer will actually turn out
in an actual Y2K emergency. General panic by the public will create a
desire for many guard members to stay home and protect their families,
said some.
The logistics of such a mobilization are significant. The Clinton
administration will argue that the National Guard can be used as a
national police force, in spite of the Posse Comitatus Act. FEMA and
other federal agencies will also be involved in COMEX/MOBEX. Orders will
be given without the use of standard communications. The country will be
divided into seven different regions. Plans include imposing restrictions
on civilian travel and limits on bank withdrawals, according to sources.
"I have no doubts about the bunker mentality of the Clinton
administration," said one of the officers. "Let's put it this way, our
civil rights are going to take a nosedive."
David M. Bresnahan, a contributing editor for WorldNetDaily.com, is the
author of "Cover Up: The Art and Science of Political Deception," and
offers a monthly newsletter "Talk USA Investigative Reports." He may be
reached through email and also maintains a website.
C 1999 Western Journalism Center webmaster@worldnetdaily.com
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