FORT BRAGG ó Students attending the Special Forces Qualification Course here will conduct a two-week training exercise across a 15-county area in central North Carolina beginning Friday.
The exercise, called “Robin Sage,” is conducted in or near Alamance, Anson, Cabarrus, Chatham, Davidson, Guilford, Hoke, Montgomery, Moore, Randolph, Richmond, Rowan, Scotland, Stanly and Union counties.
Scheduled to end Feb. 22, the exercise has been coordinated with public safety officials throughout the exercise area. Residents may hear blank gunfire and see occasional flares, neither of which poses any risk to persons or property.
Residents who encounter a problem should contact local law enforcement officials, who will immediately contact exercise control officials.
Conducted by the 1st Special Warfare Training Group here, Robin Sage is designed to provide realistic training in unconventional warfare tactics and techniques. It is the final training exercise before graduation and assignment to one of the operational Special Forces groups.
Robin Sage has been conducted for more than 40 years with the help of civilian authorities and the citizens of central North Carolina. 
To add realism of the exercise, auxiliary forces of civilian volunteers throughout the state will act as role-players during the training. Participation by these auxiliary members is crucial to the success of the Special Forces training, and anecdotal evidence gathered from past trainees attests to the realism they add to the exercise.
Approximately 200 servicemembers will support the exercise from units across the military to include Fort Bragg. These military members will provide realistic opposing and guerrilla forces the students will encounter in the country of Pineland.  
Safety is the No. 1 priority for this exercise and the following safety measures have been implemented:
– Formal written notification is given to the chiefs of the law enforcement agencies in the affected counties, with a follow up visit from a unit representative.
– All civilian and non-student military participants are briefed on procedures to follow if there is contact with law enforcement officials.
– Personnel role-playing as Pineland law enforcement officers wear distinctive hats and armbands.
– Students are instructed and tested on the exercise’s rules of engagement. This includes procedures to follow if there is contact with law enforcement personnel during the exercise.
– Students will only wear civilian clothes if the tactical situation warrants, as determined by the instructors and will wear a distinctive armband.
Questions concerning the exercise should be referred to U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School Public Affairs Office at (910) 396-8390/9394.