(NaturalNews) A U.S. military exercise involving hundreds of special operations forces including Navy SEALs and Army Green Berets that is set to kick off in a number of states around the country and focus on the South and Southwest is prompting a number of patriot organizations to man up and launch what they describe as a massive "counter surveillance exercise."In response to these covert domestic military exercises, activists have launched a Facebook page titled " Counter Jade Helm Exercises " that is hosted by Pete Lanteri, former president of Icon Tactical Industries."Since the military wants to infiltrate our towns for practice, then We the Patriots should use this as a counter surveillance exercise!!" states the page's description. "I'm calling on Militias and other Patriot groups to counter this exercise with surveillance of the military's attempt to infiltrate US towns!" Citizens concerned with increased domestic military activity can join the Facebook group to get involved in the counter-surveillance exercises and help safeguard our liberties. Department of Defense PowerPoint presentation posted online describing Jade Helm says that about 1,200 exercise participants will engage in eight-week "unconventional warfare" training with local officials."JH is a challenging eight-week joint military and interagency (IA) Unconventional Warfare (UW) exercise conducted throughout Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah and Colorado," says the PowerPoint proposal, adding that its aim is "to improve the Special Operations Forces' UW capability as part of the National Security Strategy."The presentation describes the exercises as "Realistic Military Training," which it defines as taking place outside a federal military base or other federally owned property and being "designed to ensure proper coordinate between DOD [Department of Defense] and local and regional authorities." The exercise is scheduled to run from July 15 to September 15.In addition to SEALs and Green Beret troops, other forces involved in the exercises include U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command, USMC Special Operations Command, USMC Expeditionary Units and elements of the 82nd Airborne Division. Facebook post from a 2012 GOP congressional candidate from Georgia, Greg Pallen, says he has information from "a reliable, well-connected inside source" that "militias are on high-alert" over the exercise.Pallen's post also included a Jason A video discussing the exercise as a possible prelude to martial law, given that the troops are special ops forces, not just regular forces, and that they will be operating among the civilian population, at times wearing civilian clothing so they can mesh with locals, rather than on a military base.For its part, the military says the exercise is necessary because the special operations forces need to train amid a changing threat environment. The concern by some is that the special ops troops are focusing on a changingthreat environment, given that some of the states involved in the training, like Texas, New Mexico and Utah, are deemed "hostile."Also, it's important to note that, in preparing for Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S. forces trained with actors who pretended to be Iraqi and Afghani nationals; in some cases, actual nationals from those countries who had been hired by the Defense Department to assist in the training were used.In addition, as noted by the Jason A video, so-called "urban" training by U.S. military aviation and ground forces has been increasing over the past several months. In some scenes, military Blackhawk helicopters can be seen landing in an urban environment, as if dropping off/picking up forces. Also, mock internments of citizens are being rehearsed.In the video, it is unclear whether the military units involved are regular active duty forces or state National Guard units, the latter of which are often seen on civilian highways and in the sky.To learn more or join the Counter Jade Helm Exercises, visit the Facebook page here