The Utah National Guard dismissed conspiracy theories that a U.S. military training exercise set to take place this summer in seven western states was a covert military takeover, television station KSTU reported on Tuesday.
“This is simply an opportunity for them to train in a battlefield environment that emulates something overseas and we cannot recreate this on the small space of a training facility like Camp Williams or Dugway,” Utah National Guard Lt. Col. Steven Fairbourn said.
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert (R) also brushed off the conspiracy theories last week, with a spokesperson telling TPM the program is nothing more than a “standard training exercise.”
Utah’s response to Jade Helm 15 differs from that of Texas, where Gov. Greg Abbott (R) ordered the State Guard to monitor the military exercises.