'Warfare Exercise' Coming To 2 Dozen NC Counties: US Army

NORTH CAROLINA — The United States Army will conduct a training exercise in North Carolina Jan. 22- Feb. 4, according to the military.

The participants are the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg and it's known as the "Robin Sage" exercise.

The Robin Sage exercise is essentially war practice, and the Army is warning the public well in advance so they know it's a military drill and poses no danger to civilians.

Conducted in rural counties, the Army won't say exactly where the Robin Sage will take place, but Alamance, Anson, Bladen, Brunswick, Cabarrus, Chatham, Columbus, Cumberland, Davidson, Guilford, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Montgomery, Moore, New Hanover, Randolph, Richmond, Robeson, Rowan, Sampson, Scotland, Stanly, Union, and Wake counties received the warning.

Chesterfield, Dillon, and Marlboro counties in South Carolina are also included.

The locations in the exercise are known as "Pineland" which is of course fictional and serves as the location for the practice war.

People in those counties might hear the sound of blank gunfire, flares and other equipment used as the exercise involves real-world wartime scenarios.

Special Forces troops prepare for a year, per the Army, before conducting the Robin Sage, and it's considered their final test.