Prepping for World War III? US soldiers in low flying choppers conduct ‘realistic’ urban combat training over San Diego – as shocked residents report hearing ‘bomb-like booms’
- San Diegans wondered if WWIII was starting after hearing the loud noises
- The choppers were taking part in ‘realistic environment’ training
- The training puts soldiers intense environment that is still low risk
The city of San Diego has long been known as a hub of military activity, but even its residents were a bit shocked by some of the low flying helicopters cruising around the city this week.
San Diego residents took to social media to report loud booms along with the choppers throughout the week.
The United States Army was conducting ‘realistic environment’ training in the California city.
Camp Pendleton in San Diego had warned people in the city that they would be training from January 28 to February 5.
The ‘realistic’ style of training is meant to be a way to put soldiers in an intense environment that is still low risk and largely cost-friendly.
The city of San Diego has long been known as a hub of military activity, but even its residence were a bit shocked by some of the low flying helicopters cruising around the city this week
‘Hybrid training environments – combining a physical structure with a synthetic training environment – can provide realism and repeatable training opportunities,’ Army Technology said of the practice.
Especially loud noises were heard on Tuesday night in the Serra Mesa section of San Diego.
Local police confirmed the explosions came from a now closed electronic building in the neighborhood, according to NBC San Diego.
Lt. Col. Mike Burns, a spokesman for U.S. Army Special Operations Command, said that 100 soldiers were working on ‘coordinated, essential air & ground mobility operations and close-quarter combat training’ in a statement.
‘The training consisted of air and ground mobility operations and close-quarter combat training to enhance soldiers’ skills by operating in a realistic environment,’ he added.
‘Different environments provide new and different training experiences. Training off of a military installation offers more realism and greater training value. Safety precautions were in place to protect participants, and planning considerations were taken to minimize impact to the community.’
On Twitter this past week, the locals were clearly not expecting quite a noisy training session.
San Diego residents took to social media to report loud booms along with the choppers throughout the week
Local police confirmed the explosions came from a now closed electronic building in the neighborhood
San Diego is home to a total of seven different military bases, with the armed forces being one of the city’s main economic drivers
One person, who captured the action on video, wrote: ‘Low-flying helicopters doing ‘military drills’ in San Diego last night. Prepping for WW3?’
Another was baffled and looking for answers: ‘Ok downtown San Diego, who has info on these terrifying pitch black helicopters?’
A user who goes by the handle Big Red added: ‘Legitimately thought we had started a war. 5 military helicopters buzz LOW over the house. Followed by bomb-like booms a few min later. #SanDiego.’
San Diego is home to a total of seven different military bases, with the armed forces being one of the city’s main economic drivers.
