old story, Robin Sage?

**Bill Harsey** · 06-12-2006, 09:40

A few years ago some Army men, participating in the Robin Sage exercise near Ft. Bragg, NC got tangled up with a local sheriff's deputy and shooting was involved.

Does anyone know the publicly available results of this?

**Kyobanim** · 06-12-2006, 10:25

I don't remember the outcome but I know it was discussed on this board.

Did you use the search button?

If I remember correctly, the LEO was exhonerated (sp?). Memory tells me that it was determined the the SF candidate that was killed thought that the LEO was part of the exercise and tried to dissarm the deputy. Also, it was said that there was no commo between the Army and LEO about the exercise.

Keep in mind that I have a terrible memory and I might have just pulled all that I wrote out of my forth point of contact.

Sten · 06-12-2006, 10:38

Google found this:

http://www.training.sfahq.com/articl...on_02_11_1.htm

excerpt:
11-1-02 Posted 7 a.m.

FORT BRAGG (AP) -- A newly released Army report about the shooting death of a soldier during Special Forces training in February is raising new questions about what really happened.

Two witnesses to the fatal shooting give accounts that conflict with the version given by the sheriff's deputy who killed 1st Lt. Tallas Tomeny during the during the "Robin Sage" exercise in Moore County, according to the report obtained by The News & Observer of Raleigh.

The two witnesses -- one civilian and one soldier who were both involved in the training exercise -- said Deputy Randall Butler shot and killed Tomeny after Tomeny had been disabled by a chemical spray, and wounded another soldier who was reacting to the shooting of Tomeny......(more on link)

**18C4V** · 06-12-2006, 10:49

That was my class.....04-01 and that was two of my classmates. The one who was wounded was an 18C classmate of mine who I went though Phase 2, 3, and 4.

The chow hall at Camp Vance (A-stan) is named in honor of Tomeny.

CoLawman · 06-12-2006, 10:56

The family of Lt. Tallas Tomeny have filed a lawsuit against Deputy Randall Butler and the Sheriff's Department.. Phelps the other soldier wounded in the confrontation has also filed a suit against the deputy and the Sheriff's Department.

Deputy Butler was cleared during the investigation by the GBI and by the Military investigation. Apparently the ruling was "accidental death."

There was no substantiation that Lt. Tomeny attempted to take the deputy's weapon. In fact the deputy sprayed mace at Tomeny which caused Tomeny to back up in apparent pain. When Phelps jumped out of the truck to assist, this caused the deputy (Butler's words) to believe that he was in danger due to being outnumbered, and aware of the two "machine guns" he had discovered. Butler fired at Tomeny first, killing him and then fired at Phelps striking him twice in the chest.

I have drawn conclusions based on statements that have been released. But my conclusions mean nothing, I just hope justice is served in the civil courts.

I recall that we have a member on this site that was a classmate of these soldiers at the "Q"

I guess we were posting at the same time!

x SF med · 06-12-2006, 11:01

In the olden days, we just had to worry about the paramilitary arm of the KKK trying to steal weapons/equipment from the RS guys. We had good coordination with the LE in the AO - not that the ywere friendly all the time, but they knew we were there.

**Pete** · 06-12-2006, 11:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by x_sf_med

In the olden days, we just had to worry about the paramilitary arm of the KKK trying to steal weapons/equipment from the RS guys. We had good coordination with the LE in the AO - not that the ywere friendly all the time, but they knew we were there.

You forgot the good 'ol boys running a batch of shine. Did have a few run ins with them. None turned out Bad, in fact a couple turned out right good.

Our team shared a little log cabin with a bootlegger one time. "She" looked just like WC Fields. It was the season when the original Battlestar Galactica came out. That was on TV while she was running the operation.

SF - Known to travel with interesting people.

Pete

x SF med · 06-12-2006, 11:23

Pete-
the 'leggers knew more about our ops than we did - and were very friendly and generous

... and actually warned my RS team about the KKK, I guess it's because we cut so much firewood for them durng 'turn down / hearts and minds' every cycle - and Mr Johnson got that huge field cut every 3 months...

**Bill Harsey** · 06-12-2006, 11:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kyobanim

I don't remember the outcome but I know it was discussed on this board.

Did you use the search button?

No.

Thanks everyone, including Kyo, for the follow ups.

CPTAUSRET · 06-12-2006, 13:08

Bill:

I believe I recall reading a report of the incident written by TR, said report was on another site, in a private room.

uboat509 · 06-12-2006, 14:58

I went through the Q shortly after this happened, in fact I was in student company waiting to start when they brought these two guys' bags back from Sage. One of the consequences of this whole thing is that during Sage we were not allowed to do anything without a cadre member with us. It was all a lot more closely controled than what we had heard about precious classes.

SFC W

AngelsSix · 06-14-2006, 18:17

I met this deputy a few years ago, and after speaking to a few of his co-workers, realised that the man had been seriously distressed by the event. He took it really hard. Most of the stories I had read and heard about the event failed to mention that fact.
Sad as the death of a promising young man was, it was sadder that someone had to survive the act.

Doc · 06-14-2006, 18:27

I remember this happening. I had been back in GP for a few years after Instructor duty at SWCS.

TR knows more about this event than any other person I know. Maybe one of you can ask him when he gets back to posting on here.

It was tragic and since I wasn't there, I won't comment on it.

RIP

DOL

kgoerz · 06-14-2006, 18:30

I just remember the knee jerk reaction that prohibited all other Schools/Organizations from using LEO'S in their training. Reminded me of the mass punishment of taking away Flash-Bangs from everybody due to a few individuals using them incorrectly in the mid 90's

**Pete** · 06-15-2006, 04:30

I think the big reaction from most SF was WTF.

Robin Sage had been running for so long and involved so many people from the area, police incuded that most would assume that everybody's first though gravitated to "Robin Sage". Newspaper articles "Robin Sage starts..." were in a lot of the local papers, not front page but in there.

I was not involved with the altercation in any way but my big question at the time was "Why didn't the LEO know Robin Sage was running?" At the weekly/nightly pre-shift briefing "Guy's, Robin Sage is running in our area again. Keep your eye's out for Military looking guys in civilian cloths, acting strange and with weapons."

The civilians are used to Paratroopers coming down in their back yards in the middle of the night but I'm still sure the LEOs get some strange calls during a Robin Sage.