Los Alamitos, military town, isn’t immune to mixed feelings over troop deployment ...Middle East

Every day, Los Alamitos Mayor Shelley Hasselbrink and her neighbors hear the sound of troops drilling at Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos — a two-square-mile base wedged in a four-square-mile city.

It’s a sound, she said, that she’s come to appreciate because it makes her feel safe.

The feeling isn’t universal.

About 4,000 Army National Guard troops have been training at the Los Alamitos base since June 8, when they were federalized — over the objection of Gov. Gavin Newsom — on orders from President Donald Trump.

The troops were called in after thousands of people protested Trump’s immigration policies in general and Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in Los Angeles and Santa Ana specifically. About 700 infantry Marines also were mobilized in Los Angeles as a way to protect federal buildings during the the protests. They are being housed at the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station.

The federal deployment of troops on U.S. soil has raised multiple questions — including whether the Trump administration would seek to employ emergency powers under the Insurrection Act. It also prompted more protests, including criticism for potentially escalating tensions and violating established protocols.

But, in Los Alamitos, the troop presence hasn’t been a bother for the surrounding community, Hasselbrink said. Most troop activity has been confined to the two-square-mile area, keeping traffic and other potential hassles to a minimum.

“The feedback is very positive,” said Hasselbrink, who lives in a Los Alamitos neighborhood known as “Carrier Row,” with streets named after famous vessels such as the USS Lexington, the USS Saratoga and the USS Midway.

“We realize we’re in a military town.”

For now, public access to the base has been closed due to “force protection posture,” and the base, like all other U.S. installations, is on high-security due to the recent airstrikes in Iran. That status has limited interactions between the base and the community, and it meant that the base’s usual Fourth of July fireworks show was a livestream event, not a public one.

But the holiday also marked a moment when those who aren’t thrilled with the federalization of the National Guard, or the use of U.S. military to control Americans on American soil, made their presence known. Dozens of people turned out on the Fourth for a protest just outside the base’s main gate, on Lexington.

Many of the protesters chanted “Question your orders,” said Robert Winter, a photographer and longtime resident of Cypress. He said he came by the event at Los Alamitos — and has gone to other protests — to give balance to what he sees as a “lack of coverage” about anti-military protests by the mainstream media.

Protesters, according to Winter, were “quite informed” about the military’s historic role, and were frustrated by the current administration’s use of American troops on American soil.

“These folks were remembering Vietnam and the Nuremberg Trials and said they know there is a high chance of someone would give an order that is really bad,” Winter said, summing up what he heard from the protesters.

Though the protest was peaceful, Winter said a group apparently opposed to the protesters stood by and watched. He also said the protest drew dozens of supportive car honks and the odd middle-finger salute from passing motorists.

Another Cypress resident who attended the protest — Roy Rausch, who founded the Los Alamitos Army Airfield Aviation Facebook group — noted that he hasn’t seen much discontent near the base.

What he has noticed, he said, is a massive setup of tents and other temporary structures built to house the thousands of guardsmen.

“This is the biggest presence I can remember. It’s built like a little city for the California troops,” said Rausch, who has lived the area for about 50 years.

“The amount of what they’ve put up to create the city seems like more than a 60-day thing to me.”

Last week, about 150 of those troops were pulled back into wildland firefighting duties as part of their full-time jobs as Task Force Rattlesnake, said Col. Brandon Hill, a spokesman for the California Military Department.

“Those personnel are currently redeploying back to their home of records and will be back with their hand crews as early as Monday,” he said. The teams are scattered throughout the state and are part of Cal Fire.

Los Alamitos Mayor Hasselbrink said she was told at the outset of the deployment that troops would be at the Los Alamitos base for a 60-day mission. But, she added, that time frame could be expanded or cut short.

And while the deployment in Los Alamitos is one of the biggest in decades, Hasselbrink said the biggest difference from weekend training rotations is its insularity. During normal training rotations guardsmen come and go off the base, with many grabbing lunch or making other purchases outside the base.

But under the rules of the current deployment, soldiers adhere strictly to a central mission under Army North Command’s Task Force 51, meaning they mostly stay on base.

The job of keeping 4,000 troops safe, sheltered — and entertained when they’re off duty — falls to Lt. Col. Dan Fox, commander of the base.

Related Articles

The temporary tent city includes an indoor mini-golf green, arcade games and pinball machines.

“I would have liked to have that when I deployed,” said Fox, a 24-year Army National Guard veteran.

When they get to use those facilities isn’t up to Fox but, instead, is determined by troop commanders that fall under Task Force 51, who are led by Gen. Scott Sherman.

“Their downtime is mission dependent,” Fox said, adding that soldiers spend their days training for various duties and grabbing chow during breaks.

Beyond their mission-oriented training, soldiers also spend time exercising on their own. Only after they’ve put in a full eight-hour shift are they allowed to hang out in the recreation tent.

Those eight-hour shifts aren’t standard 9-to-5 routines; Fox said soldiers come and go 24 hours a day.

The troop presence is “not overwhelming,” Fox said. Still, he’s been working with the community to avoid traffic disruptions and any other potential impact on locals.

So far, he said, the expanded troop presence hasn’t posted any logistical challenges and he hasn’t heard any community complaints.

“What (we’re) looking for is where there are any holes are in the plan,” Fox said. “Where do I need to ask for more resources? What things (do) we have here that aren’t as necessary?” If he knows those answers, Fox said, he “can prioritize.”

“If, in the future, we are called to do this again, I want to make sure all the lessons I got here, I transferred… so we can do this better next time,” he added.

“If the governor in the future calls and says, ‘Hey, Los Alamitos, we got a problem and we’re sending people to deal with it’ (I’ll be) better prepared.”

Or, he added, “if the Secretary of Defense, or the President, in the future says we need to do this again, that we’re ready to support.

“That’s what we’re here for, to make sure the soldiers are taken care of and supported to do whatever mission there is.”

Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Los Alamitos, military town, isn’t immune to mixed feelings over troop deployment )

Also on site :

• Ukrainian teachers told to pretend they can’t speak Russian
• Couple Bring Cat To Vet, Realize Something Heartbreaking Once They Arrive
• Kylie Jenner’s Stunning European Vacation Snapshots Are Giving Us Major Life Goals Envy