FORT BRAGG — This month, Army Special Forces candidates will participate in the Robin Sage training exercise, held in Rowan and other counties as the final test of the Special Forces Qualification Course.

Between Aug. 30 and Sept.12, students will participate in the exercise before graduating and moving on to their first assignments in Special Forces.

Robin Sage is a two-week culmination exercise. The participants are students at the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, based at Fort Bragg.

The exercise’s notional country of Pineland encompasses Alamance, Anson, Cabarrus, Chatham, Cumberland, Davidson, Davie, Guilford, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Montgomery, Moore, Randolph, Richmond, Robeson, Rowan, Scotland, Stanly, Union and Wake counties.

Military and civilian support personnel, as well as community volunteers, will participate in or provide support for the exercises.

Soldiers from units across Fort Bragg act as opposing forces and guerrilla freedom fighters, also known as Pineland’s resistance movement. To add realism to the exercise, civilian volunteers throughout the state are role players.

All Robin Sage movements have been coordinated with public safety officials in the towns and counties hosting the training. Residents may hear blank gunfire and see occasional flares. Controls are in place to ensure there is no risk to civilians or property. Residents with concerns should contact local law enforcement officials, who will then contact training officials.

For the Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, safety is always the top priority during training. The following measures have been implemented:

• Formal written notification has been made to the chiefs of law enforcement agencies in the affected counties, with a follow-up visit from a unit representative.

• Civilian and nonstudent military participants are briefed on procedures to follow if there is contact with law enforcement officials.

• Students will wear civilian clothes only if the situation warrants, as determined by the instructors, and will wear a distinctive brown armband during these instances.

• Training areas and vehicles are clearly labeled.

Robin Sage is the U.S. military’s premiere unconventional warfare exercise and the final test of over a year’s worth of training for aspiring Special Forces soldiers. Candidates are placed in an environment of political instability characterized by armed conflict, forcing soldiers to analyze and solve problems to meet the challenges of the real-world training.

Questions about the exercise should be referred to the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School’s public affairs office at 910-396-9394 or pao_swcs@socom.mil.

In the event of an emergency, residents should contact a local law enforcement agency.