Recently released unclassified documents reveal Biloxi’s acting Mayor Kenny Glavan signed an agreement with SOCOM Air and Ground Special Forces authorizing the military to conduct Jade Helm 15 exercises in Biloxi this Summer.
The agreement allows SOCOM to conduct ground, air, and
maritime maneuvers in the city from August 1 to August 8, 2015. US military
personnel will conduct “full mission profile training” at three locations:
160 E 5th Street, Biloxi, MS-- Jimmy Buffett’s Magaritaville Casino, a 68,000 sq ft waterfront property on Back Bay that closed in September 2014.
185 E 8th Street, Biloxi, MS-- Former Heinz processing plant, a 27 acre waterfront site on Back Bay that is adjacent to the railroad.
2003 Lawrence Blvd, Biloxi, MS-- Formerly Beauvoir Elementary school,
closed in 2011 due to lack of funding.
Acting Mayor Glavan also signed authorization allowing the
Federal government to conduct aerial surveillance of the school property from
March 19 to August 8, 2015.
During the Jade Helm 15 exercises, military personnel will
use helicopters, fixed wing aircraft, and maritime vessels to stage an
extraction on 45-65 Ground Troops from the area. The action will include
ballistic and explosive breaching of some facilities, helicopter infiltration
drills, simulated explosions and surface to air conflict, and “live fire sniper
shots into bullet traps. Troops will also be using non-lethal PKM’s, A-47s, and
RPGs.
SOCOM officials have briefly mentioned Mississippi as a site for Jade Helm
15, but this is the first confirmation of an exercise location within the state.
By: Shannon Knutsen, W.A.R. LLC
