The National Guard’s new Y2K RAID team

July 6, 1999

A new National Guard RAID unit is being organized and trained to respond to domestic terrorist threats, with a team in every state and territory in time for Y2K.

Each team is made up of 22 full-time National Guard members and is prepared to deal with domestic threats from terrorist groups using weapons of mass destruction.

As the new year approaches, the National Guard in most states has progressed from weekly to twice-weekly meetings to prepare plans for Y2K contingencies, according to a guard officer who attends the meetings. Each meeting takes place in secure areas, such as the Plans Operations and Training section of Guard facilities. The RAID teams meet and train on a daily basis.

Details of the National Guard RAID teams were found in a recent report issued by Mark E. Gebicke, director of National Security and International Affairs.

Articles in WorldNetDaily exposing secret National Guard Y2K plans forced many guard units, and the National Guard Bureau, to hold more secret meetings to decide how to handle the disclosure. In January, WorldNetDaily broke the story that the National Guard Bureau had secret plans to test a method for national mobilization without the use of telephones in the event of Y2K disaster. Another article detailed many of the concerns of guard officers and Y2K planners regarding expected Y2K contingencies and civil disturbances.

One National Guard officer, who participates in the twice-weekly secret meetings, recently contacted WorldNetDaily to express his concerns over the seriousness of expected Y2K consequences.

“There is no valid, logical reason to keep this information from the public, other than political. The current administration seems to believe the American people are not capable of dealing with the truth,” explained the officer in a phone interview over the weekend.

“We are talking about far more than just possible loss of power and phone service. We are planning for civil unrest, as well as attacks from foreign and domestic enemies,” he described.

The consequences of Y2K will present an ideal opportunity for enemies of the United States to take advantage and attack. There are so many different threats that the source said it is highly likely that at least one or more will actually carry out multiple attacks using Y2K as the ideal opportunity to strike.

He was concerned that militia groups in all parts of the country are considered a threat. WorldNetDaily earlier this year exposed plans by the FBI to infiltrate militia groups and prepare to one day round up members.

“Most of these people are good quality Americans who are genuinely concerned about our nation, but they are all being categorized (as a threat) because there are a small number among them who are the real problem. The really far-off extremists,” he explained. “There’s no reason to go after everyone just because of a few nuts.”

A National Guard Bureau contact who previously spoke with WorldNetDaily was reluctant to provide new information in a recent phone conversation. He did confirm the existence of the RAID teams and admitted that his Y2K committee now meets almost daily just outside Washington, D.C.

In January he told WorldNetDaily that the guard was preparing for Y2K disruptions that were expected to last about two or three weeks. Now he admits that plans are being made for “consequences for a very extensive period.” Just what those consequences will be he would not say. “Scary, very scary,” was his only comment.

Another National Guard source, a full-time civilian computer information systems employee, reported that the Guard is continuing to purchase and install large generators in preparation for Y2K at all armories across the nation. At the local armory level, he says, “an attitude of complacency has set in.” Lower level guard members are not being told the full extent of the expected Y2K problems, and plans are still being handled on a “need-to-know basis.”

He said lower level guard members know only what the general public knows.

“They are being allowed to believe that Y2K consequences will not amount to more than a few minor inconveniences. That’s not what we are planning for. We’re planning for major, simultaneous disasters in all states and territories,” he said.

Only the upper level of the National Guard command structure is aware that the National Guard’s own computers are not functioning properly, and there is great concern that they will fail in the new year — perhaps before.

There was no response from National Guard public affairs.

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