SIGHTINGS


 
Army Said Lying About Ammo
Used In Kingsville Raid
By David M. Bresnahan
© 1999 WorldNetDaily.com
2-19-99
 
 
The Army claim that only training ammunition was used in a recent mock raid on a small Texas town is a deliberate lie, according to other Army sources and an investigator.
 
Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, has con- firmed that elite Night Stalkers and Delta Force troops were involved in a training exercise, code named Last Dance. Walt Sokalski confirmed that the operation began Feb. 8 in Kingsville, Texas, and will continue in the area until February 20.
 
He also confirmed that live ammunition and explosives were used in the middle of a populated area with no advance warning to residents. Sokalski in- sisted that every possible safety precaution was taken, including the use of training munitions and special stray bullet "traps."
 
He told WorldNetDaily that full-powered ammunition and explosives are never used in areas where civilians are located. The "simunition" is less powerful and uses plastic bullets that can only travel 100 yards. Such bullets are not considered lethal.
 
Residents of Kingsville reported hearing machine-gun fire and explosions lasting two hours when the Night Stalkers arrived in their little town unannounced. Many suffered sufficient fear over the incident to seek medical treatment, and some are talking to lawyers about possible legal action.
 
County commissioners ordered the county judge to send a letter to the city council and to the Army to protest the attack on their town and the fact that they were not informed.
 
Night Stalkers are some of the best pilots in the world. They are expert at flying high speed helicopters at low altitudes. They delivered another elite group, the Delta Force to the site in Kingsville. They arrived in a hail of bullets and explosions that rocked the town and scared some residents nearly to death. Residents of a retirement home across the street were reported to be on the floor under their beds thinking the world was coming to an end.
 
WorldNetDaily sent Alex Jones, an Austin talk show host, to Kingsville to inspect the damage caused to two buildings used in the dramatic attack. He reported finding brass shells from spent .308 ammunition, used shotgun shells marked "HATTON Pattern Solid," extensive blast damage from grenades, multiple fires in different parts of the building, bullet holes in the floor and walls and all the windows of the building blown out completely.
 
"That doesn't sound like fake stuff to me," Jones responded when he was asked if he agreed with Sokalski's statement that less-powerful training bullets were used.
 
An active-duty Army captain who asked that his name be withheld contacted WorldNetDaily after reading Sokalski's claim. He has many years of experience and is concerned about the nature of the exercise. He knows what to look for to determine if training munitions were used.
 
"Simunition and plastic bullets do not make holes. Only live rounds do. I saw the picture of the discharged shotgun shell which may have been used for entry," Jones told WorldNetDaily. He was impressed that evidence was obtained before the scene was cleaned up.
 
Cleaning crews were actually on site at the time Jones arrived to take pictures and gather evidence. Both buildings are now cleaned up, the evidence has been removed, and they are all boarded up with plywood.
 
"Practice grenades (grenade simulators) are made of paper and look similar to a very thick toilet paper tube with clear plastic on each end. They do not function the same as a grenade (they don't cause damage when they explode). Their purpose is only to make noise. They leave paper residue that is easy to find," explained Smith.
 
"We didn't see anything like that," said Jones when told about the practice grenades.
 
"What you were told by the PA (Sokalski) isn't necessarily true," the captain charged. "Simunitions were not used. They never use that. It's a good thing your guy collected the brass because I'm sure there's none to be found now.
 
"Live rounds are used, and that's just the way they train. Also, my thoughts on that .308 round. Most entry teams don't use that as a primary weapon, however depending on what kind of air support was available you may have had mini-guns firing (from the helicopters)."
 
Numerous other military officers and former officers also contacted WorldNetDaily about the claim that training ammunition was used. They all stated that it was obvious that Sokalski was either uninformed or deliberately misrepresenting the facts.
 
"They really think we're so stupid that we can't figure this out," said Jeff Norgrove, a former Night Stalker. He said that most Night Stalkers and Delta Force members are young and unaware of what is really going on.
 
"They just do what they're told. It's exciting, and the pay is very good. They get paid much more than anyone else, and they have a great time," he told WorldNetDaily.
 
Norgrove said that a very select group of young men are recruited for these two elite groups. They receive intensive training, and are considered the very best there is. He said that he is concerned about the urban assault training that is taking place.
 
"These aren't really military exercises," remarked the captain. "What they are is SWAT training. The Army will never admit that to you, but that's what it is."
 
The exercise is always conducted in the dark of night. The helicopters are painted dark with a special paint that resembles sand paper and appears black to avoid radar detection. They fly with no lights on and have markings that cannot be seen under those conditions, according to Sokalski.
 
They fly just feet over the tops of trees and houses at high speed. One helicopter in the Kingsville raid was so low that it hit the top of a telephone pole, causing a fire by a house.
 
Soldiers get out quickly wearing black uniforms and begin firing machine guns. Sokalski was asked what would happen if a frightened resident concluded that these were unfriendly forces and decided to shoot at them.
 
"They are under orders not to return fire," Sokalski explained. The soldiers involved would call the local police to handle the shooter in such a situation.
 
Despite not knowing the circumstances of the mock attack, no one in Kingsville opened fire on the soldiers or brandished arms during the exercise.





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