Washington (CNN) Don't mess with Texas -- even if it's just an exercise.

Amid unfounded, Internet-fueled rumors that U.S. Special Operations Forces might be trying to take over parts of the southwest, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered Texas State Guard forces under his control to keep an eye on the U.S. military during a large upcoming training exercise.

The exercise is called Jade Helm 15.

"It is important that Texans know their safety, constitutional rights, private property rights and civil liberties will not be infringed," Abbott said in an April 28 letter to Major Gen. Gerald "Jake" Betty, commander of the guard.

Abbott ordered the guard to "monitor" the eight week-long exercise which begins in July and ends in September, across seven states. In Texas, Utah and New Mexico most of the training will take place on private land. In Arizona, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi, much of it will take place on military installations.

Some of the concerns are fueled by Internet posting of a map said to be made up for the exercise which shows Texas in bright red and lists it as "hostile" territory. The scenario for the exercise is that U.S. special operations forces travel to another continent which includes hostile nations and work with rebel underground freedom fighters there.

The question for many is do Americans need to have their civil liberties protected from involvement by the U.S. military. U.S. military officials tell CNN they welcome the state guard working with them to coordinate the exercise operations in Texas, but that one sentence in the governor's letter is without foundation.

On Monday, Abbott told reporters the guard simply will gather information, monitor the exercise and report to him about what is going on. Abbott said he has been "provided assurances," by the Defense Department that "there is nothing for the public to worry about."

Photos: Military photography of the year Winners have been announced in the 2014 Military Photographer of the Year competition, which honors the best photography by U.S. service members. This photo, taken by Air Force Staff Sgt. Vernon Young, shows Staff Sgt. Kyle McGann, an explosive ordnance disposal technician, climbing into a mine-resistant vehicle during blast-pit training on March 16, 2014. Young, a photojournalist with Airman magazine, was named Military Photographer of the Year for his work in 2014. Hide Caption 1 of 17 Photos: Military photography of the year Photographer of the year: Air Force Staff Sgt. Vernon Young – U.S. Navy Lt. Jaclyn Trosper celebrates after winning a card game on February 17, 2014, while awaiting deployment to Afghanistan. Hide Caption 2 of 17 Photos: Military photography of the year Photographer of the year: Air Force Staff Sgt. Vernon Young – An off-duty U.S. Army soldier hits golf balls in Afghanistan on March 29, 2014. Military members try to maintain a healthy balance of physical and social activities during their deployments. Hide Caption 3 of 17 Photos: Military photography of the year Photographer of the year: Air Force Staff Sgt. Vernon Young – A U.S. Air Force pilot flies a F-16 Fighting Falcon below a KC-135 tanker while being refueled in midair on June 29, 2014. The Fighting Falcon is a compact fighter that is highly maneuverable and has proved itself in air-to-air combat and air-to-surface attack. Hide Caption 4 of 17 Photos: Military photography of the year Photographer of the year: Air Force Staff Sgt. Vernon Young – U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Damion Kennedy shares a laugh with an Afghan man as he helps oversee a base detail project April 8, 2014, in Afghanistan. Kennedy and many of his fellow soldiers developed strong connections with Afghans during their deployment. Hide Caption 5 of 17 Photos: Military photography of the year Photographer of the year: Air Force Staff Sgt. Vernon Young – U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Josh Martin, an aerial gunner with the 438th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron, provides rear security on a Mi-17 helicopter in Kabul, Afghanistan, on May 31, 2014. The squadron and the Afghan air force have combined training efforts to help Afghan helicopter crews work seamlessly in support of ground forces in combat. Hide Caption 6 of 17 Photos: Military photography of the year Photographer of the year: Air Force Staff Sgt. Vernon Young – An Afghan man spends a moment alone in a military planning room before serving tea to soldiers on June 11, 2014. Hide Caption 7 of 17 Photos: Military photography of the year Photographer of the year: Air Force Staff Sgt. Vernon Young – This photo montage by Young illustrates how the Afghan air force evacuates its wounded and fallen personnel. Hide Caption 8 of 17 Photos: Military photography of the year Photographer of the year: Air Force Staff Sgt. Vernon Young – Young was also recognized for these collected photos about Staff Sgt. Chantel Thibeaux, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2014 during her first class as an Air Force technical school instructor. Thibeaux kept her spirit and disarming candor despite juggling Air Force duties, motherhood and chemotherapy. Hide Caption 9 of 17 Photos: Military photography of the year First place, Combat Documentation (Operational): Army Sgt. Harold Flynn – Soldiers assigned to Palehorse Troop, 4th Squadron, 2nd Calvary Regiment, traverse rough terrain in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on February 10, 2014. The operation, a joint effort between Palehorse troops and the Afghan national army's 205th Corps Mobile Strike Force, required reconnaissance patrols in villages around Kandahar Airfield. Hide Caption 10 of 17 Photos: Military photography of the year First place, Combat Documentation (Training): Army Pfc. Nathaniel Newkirk – U.S. Army Rangers assigned to 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, fire a 120 mm mortar during a tactical training exercise January 30, 2014, at Camp Roberts, California. Rangers train constantly to maintain the highest possible level of tactical proficiency. Hide Caption 11 of 17 Photos: Military photography of the year First Place, Feature: Air Force Master Sgt. Jeffrey Allen – Members of the Air Force's Special Tactics Training Squadron plunge into a swimming pool with their hands and feet bound before bouncing up to the surface to breathe. The drown-proofing exercise teaches students to remain calm in water during a stressful situation -- a skill that is vital during real-world operations. Hide Caption 12 of 17 Photos: Military photography of the year First place, Pictorial: Air Force Master Sgt. Jeffrey Allen – A 22nd Special Tactics Squadron airman climbs a ladder into a CH-47 Chinook helicopter hovering over the ocean on June 20, 2014. Hide Caption 13 of 17 Photos: Military photography of the year First Place, News: Air Force Staff Sgt. Larry E. Reid Jr. – Air Force cadets toss their caps in the air as U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds fly in Delta formation overhead during the U.S. Air Force Academy's graduation ceremony May 28, 2014, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Hide Caption 14 of 17 Photos: Military photography of the year First place, Portrait: Air Force Master Sgt. John Nimmo – U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Nadia Rowell poses for a portrait March 15, 2014, at the Joint Readiness Training Center in Fort Polk, Louisiana. Service members at the center receive training in patient care and medical evacuation in a simulated combat environment. Hide Caption 15 of 17 Photos: Military photography of the year First place, Illustrative: Airman 1st Class Devin Boyer – The photo illustration won a first-place award for showing how family and friends can reach out and help a service member get treatment for mental-health problems. Hide Caption 16 of 17 Photos: Military photography of the year First place, Sports: Air Force Master Sgt. Jeffrey Allen – Air Force Capt. Sarah Evans jumps rope in a gym in San Antonio in August. She was diagnosed with cancer while deployed in Afghanistan and was medically evacuated back to the United States, where her left leg was amputated. Hide Caption 17 of 17

Sen. Ted Cruz said he also has asked the Pentagon what's going on, and has been told everything is fine. But the Republican presidential candidate also indicated he understands why people may be concerned: persistent mistrust of the federal government.

Many on the Internet are convinced something is about to happen. Several websites are expressing the worries of some residents of Bastrop County, Texas, that the exercise is going to lead to a military takeover, something Pentagon officials adamantly deny.

"Jade Helm is a long planned and coordinated exercise," Pentagon spokesman, Col. Steve Warren said. "We are not taking over anything."

But that's not stopping websites like the Oath Keepers' which says, "The Internet is abuzz with speculation these exercises are not designed to prepare U.S. troops for overseas operations, but are actually designed to prepare U.S. troops for aggressive operations against American citizenry."

Others says the military is testing the loyalty of local communities. During the exercise some of the troops will be in civilian clothes, move in civilians vehicles and carry weapons with blank ammunition. But there will be exercise monitors at all times.

Special Operations Forces officials told CNN troops often train in local areas in the U.S. with the permission of public and private landowners because it provide a realistic environment for overseas operations. And the training scenarios are made as realistic as possible with "friendly" and "enemy" territory. But in a statement explaining Jade Helm, the U.S. Army Special Operations Command said, "The size and scope of Jade Helm sets this one apart."

There will be about 1,200 troops in Jade Helm, mainly Army Green Berets, but also a small group of Navy SEALS and Air Force special operations troops as well as conventional Army infantry.