Pasadena residents were literally rattled and shaken by helicopters, explosions, and simulated gunfire this past Wednesday, on the night of June 3. The occasion wasn’t a production of the latest Marvel Universe superhero film, but a training exercise conducted by the U.S. military.
In a statement, Jacqueline Hill, a spokesperson for U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) confirmed that soldiers from USASOC carried out the overnight exercise, which was coordinated with the City of Pasadena, as well as applicable law enforcement agencies, to provide the most realistic training environment for U.S. Army Special Operations Forces and Aviation.
"Our ability to operate in various challenging environments is essential to being capable in the most challenging of missions. All safety precautions were observed,” Hill continued in the statement. “We appreciate the support of the citizens and residents in the surrounding areas who were impacted by the training.”
Before USASOC confirmed its involvement, it was unclear what part of the military had been training at the hospital. L.A. TACO contacted the City of Pasadena about who was participating in the training exercise before USASOC answered.
In an email response, Lisa Derderian, the chief communications officer for the City of Pasadena, wrote that the city was “not aware” which branch of the military was participating, as “they coordinated with the private property and we had very few details.”
“Our police department did provide vehicle and resident control in the area for safety,” Derderian wrote.
District 2 Pasadena Council Member Rick Cole took to his Instagram account to alert residents of the exercise, where he said the "U.S. Military is invading Pasadena’s residential neighborhoods with a night time training exercise at the former St. Luke’s hospital tonight . . . The city was informed today and was told to not release information until 5:30 p.m."
He also shared video footage of the exercise in six video posts. Simulated gunfire and explosions can be heard throughout some of the videos, with other videos showing helicopters landing and taking off in the area.
The exercise in Pasadena isn’t the first time special operations units have surged into a major city for training, or the first time limited communication surrounding the exercise caused residents alarm.
A similar operation took place in San Diego in early 2023, with simulated gunfire, explosions, and numerous helicopters. It was one of several USASOC training exercises in major cities that left residents startled.
People in Pasadena experienced something San Antonio, Dallas-Fort Worth and Raleigh residents have gone through. 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) helicopters also flew between buildings in Downtown Los Angeles at night in February 2019.
Residents of Pasadena weren’t the only ones whose evenings were disrupted by military training exercises. Residents of Diamond Bar alerted their local government and law enforcement about a similar exercise on the same night.
We reached out to Diamond Bar Council Member Andrew Chou, who provided the following statement by email:
"The city received no advanced notice. After receiving numerous inquiries from our concerned residents, I asked our staff yesterday (Thursday, 06/04) morning to verify whether it was a movie production or a military exercise. I was told that our staff contacted CalPoly officials and confirmed that it was indeed a military exercise by the Department of Defense."
Residents in the City of Long Beach and the City of Industry were also alerted about military exercises in their areas.
"Tonight (6/4), the US Military will conduct a training exercise in east Long Beach until 2 a.m. During this time, you may see and hear helicopter activity, controlled explosions, and simulated weapons fire,” read the post on the official IG account for the City of Long Beach, with similar language shared by the City of Industry Sheriff’s Department.
Meanwhile, the Arcadia Police Department clarified that a training exercise at Santa Anita Park on the night of June 3 was a training exercise by the LAPD SWAT team, and not by the military, as some residents speculated.
The military exercises come just after Marines wrapped up a major training operation in the U.S. Southwest. The 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, an air-land-and-sea capable force, conducted "Realistic Urban Training" from late May through June 3. That training took place at multiple locations, including Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Marine Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, and Luke Air Force Base. Helicopters flew over Orange County on June 3.
USASOC’s aviation arm includes the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne). The "Night Stalkers" are the top Army aviation unit and transport special operations troops. They have a long history through the Global War on Terror, and carried SEAL Team Six on the mission that killed Osama Bin Laden in 2011.
Most recently, they flew Delta Force soldiers into Caracas in the Jan. 3 raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. They also flew helicopters during combat search and rescue operations in Iran after an F-15E fighter jet was shot down in April and the pilot and weapons system officer were downed.
