# JFKSWCS honors Pinelanders for their work



## Ravage (Sep 30, 2009)

http://news.soc.mil/releases/News Archive/2009/September/090930-01.html

FORT BRAGG, N.C. (USASOC News Service, Sept. 30, 2009)  – The Soldiers and Civilians of the 1st Special Warfare Training Group (Airborne) will pay homage to the citizens of Central North Carolina who support the exercise known as Robin Sage, at the exercise’s South Safe House in Candor, Oct. 3, at 11 a.m.

“The purpose of this day is to honor those civilians who have made this training a success,” said Lt. Col. Robert C. Greenway, commander, 1st Battalion, 1st SWTG (A). “Since Sept. 11, 2001, 44 Robin Sage classes have been conducted throughout Central North Carolina. About 6,000 total Soldiers have successfully prepared to meet our nation’s enemies thanks to the tireless support and enthusiasm of countless citizens represented at the ceremony.”

“We could not recreate this exercise without the help of the local citizens who have volunteered, and continue to volunteer, their time to help train our Soldiers,” said Maj. Gen. Thomas R. Csrnko, Commander of the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School. “These men and women, these Pinelanders, are truly great Americans who deserve to be recognized for all the support and time they have given our Soldiers.”

The extent of the support of the Pinelanders is what makes the exercise a success including:
500 Civilian Auxiliary Role players providing the necessary supplies, land, information, and transportation essential to successful training.
300 Guerrilla role players representing the armed resistance with whom our students must work with to liberate the “Pineland” citizens from an occupying power.
70 enemy personnel actively opposing our Soldiers and their resistance counterparts.
Countless town, village, city, county, state and federal law enforcement and emergency services agencies who freely give of their time to support a safe and realistic training exercise.
“Pinelanders” are willing to sacrifice their time, land, and effort to make Robin Sage the oldest and only recurring UW exercise in the world.

The continued support of our citizen volunteers ensure the successful preparation of Army Special Forces Soldiers who often find themselves deployed in harm’s way within a year of graduating of the Special Forces Qualification Course.

Robin Sage is the culmination exercise of the yearlong Special Forces Qualification Course, conducted eight times a year across 15 Central North Carolina counties, encompassing 8,500 square miles.

Robin Sage is designed to provide realistic training in unconventional warfare tactics and techniques and has been conducted for more than 40 years with the help of civilian authorities and the citizens of central North Carolina. 

NOTE TO NEWS MEDIA: News media interested in covering the ceremony should contact USAJFKSWCS Public Affairs Office at (910) 396-9394, or e-mail pao_swcs@soc.mil.  Media should provide a list of representatives covering the event along with after-hours contact information to include e-mail addresses, so we may keep you advised of changes to the program schedule.







> Special Forces students participating in Robin Sage coordinate with auxiliary members Rick Campbell and John Russell, both better known as Col. Rick and Pyro in Robin Sage. To add realism to the exercise, auxiliary forces, consisting of civilian volunteers in various parts of the state act as role-players during the training.  Participation by these auxiliary members is crucial to the success of the Special Forces training. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Curt Squires)


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## car (Sep 30, 2009)

Here's to the Pinelanders. 

While I'm not a "longtabber," I've "helped out" with Robin Sage a few times. The real essence of the training is the participation of the locals - the indigs. Kind of a basic premise of SF operations. The relationship between SWC and the folks "out there" is incredibly important - and like the article says, it wouldn't be possible for our folks to be the QPs they are without the help of the Pinelanders.

Thanks for the post, Rav.


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## Gypsy (Sep 30, 2009)

Great to see this, good on those who help in this manner during the training of our future Warriors.


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## LongTabSigO (Sep 30, 2009)

What an amazing group of patriots.  They are among the most unsung of the heroes of special operations.....


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## JJOIFVET (Sep 30, 2009)

Robin Sage, those were some fun times.


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## x SF med (Oct 1, 2009)

Pinelanders are some of the hardest working people in the SF Training Cadre - and they volunteer to do it, year after year.  They should be honored by the schoolhouse.

Thank you all, I love you and hate you.  (any grad of The Q understands exactly what I mean)


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## am1602 (Oct 4, 2009)

Viva La Pineland
Having been a member of the G-force out there it was one of the best experiences and it taught me so many valuable things that I plan to use in the real world Army soon enough.


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## HOLLiS (Oct 4, 2009)

Free Pineland.................  


Job well done.


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## ghillie762 (Oct 10, 2009)

I work with those guys everyday. We don't do near enough to show our appreciation of them. It was a great day for all that came.


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