The residents of San Diego were a bit shocked by some of the low flying helicopters cruising around the city this week, despite the city has long been known as a hub of military activity.
San Diego residents took to social media to report loud booms along with the choppers throughout the week as they wondered if WWIII was starting after hearing the loud noises.
Especially loud noises were heard on Tuesday night in the Serra Mesa section of San Diego.
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, DailyMail reports.
The choppers were taking part in ‘realistic environment’ training.
‘Hybrid training environments – combining a physical structure with a synthetic training environment – can provide realism and repeatable training opportunities,’ Army Technology described the practice.
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.’
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.
