Residents of south Texas’ Bastrop County were furious about special forces exercises called Jade Helm 15, which the Army said are set to take place over the summer. Texans confronted Lt. Col. Mark Lastoria at an April meeting of Bastrop County Commissioners Court, where they accused Lastoria of plotting to seize their guns, to import ISIS fighters and to implement martial law. Pointing to the Army insignia on his uniform, Lastoria denied their allegations, touting his institution’s 240-year history of defending the United States.
