Who are these men?

I wasn't sure what section of this forum to post this on so here I am. My husband and I have a place of business in a strip mall next to a McDonalds. We have noticed the past two days there are several men walking around back and forth who are dressed in military type clothing, some camo, some army green, with the same boots and huge backpack almost as big as they are. They look like they havent had a shower in days. There has been one sitting on the curb between our store and McDonalds since early this morning. 8am and it is now 4pm. One of the other in what seems like their group was talking to him earlier and then walked off. There seems to be around 6 total. This is wierd and I'm curious. What do you think?

I think they're soldiers. And they may be guarding top secret alien UFO's.

It would probably help to know a little about the location.

Nothing precise, just a city.

Does sound weird, though. Have you heard anything on your local news that might be related?

Originally posted by surrender_dorothy
I think they're soldiers. And they may be guarding top secret alien UFO's.

That was my first thought lol. I am in the Michigan Downriver Detroit area and as far as I know we have no military bases close. They look like soldiers but they are dirty and unshaved... Look like they've been to war!

Do they have any weapons visible??


Any signs of what they are doing there? Do they look like they are surveilling anything, or are they just there?

Originally posted by Mechanic 32
It would probably help to know a little about the location.

Nothing precise, just a city.

Does sound weird, though. Have you heard anything on your local news that might be related?

We are in suburbs south of Detroit Almost to Toledo. I haven't heard anything on the news either. The first guy I saw yesterday, I just figured it was a homeless guy even though it is rare in this town, but that changed my mind when I started seeing more of them.

Have you considered calling the local authorities?



That is if you trust them.

Originally posted by Mechanic 32
Do they have any weapons visible??


Any signs of what they are doing there? Do they look like they are surveilling anything, or are they just there?

No weapons visible although who knows what is in the backpack. They are wearing the type of big black belts that could carry a clip but nothing is there. One guy was walking back and forth earlier. Two of them were in McDonalds eating lunch earlier. The one that is sitting down is doing nothing almost as if hes on watch. One other guy had a small compass hanging from his neck.

Oh come on! Their just soldiers, probably back from their tour and they've got nowhere to go other than the streets. It happens all the time.

I highly doubt there's anything suspicious about them.

Originally posted by Mechanic 32
Have you considered calling the local authorities?



That is if you trust them.

Yes I did call, although, no I do not trust them. The officers looked at his identification, or something he pulled from his pocket and they left. They did not stop here to explain, but the guy walked away. They didn't look in his backpack or anything

Originally posted by ChristyZ


no I do not trust them.

Whys that? If there was anything to worry about, I'm pretty sure the cops would deal with it.

Anyway, there definately not going to have weapons are they? In the middle of the street? People would be running!

I'm not worried about them, just curious.

Well, I don't know what to make of it.

Keep us posted on any further developements.

And be safe, you just never know..

They are possibly conducting some sort of survival exercise....Maybe they were dropped off in the wilderness and have made their way back to civilization?....Maybe their rendezvous is a few days away or something?...

Maybe they are just homeless?....You can get fatigues and packs pretty easily at a local government surplus...really cheap too....

Why not ask them?....Worst they could do is try to be all secretive....

I'm betting it's one of those two options...We have "agents" come in to where I work all the time.....It is a public building and they come in conducting exercises that seem to be aimed at following each other, and/or blending in with the public...It's funny because it is easy to pick up on, so I'm guessing they are new recruits.......



[edit on 21-7-2006 by JSquared]

Originally posted by Zanzibar
Oh come on! Their just soldiers, probably back from their tour and they've got nowhere to go other than the streets. It happens all the time.

I highly doubt there's anything suspicious about them.

I wish someone had thought the guys with military style backpacks on the London tubes looked suspiscious enough to call the police.

Not always a bad thing to be curious.

CX.

I wish someone had thought the guys with military style backpacks on the London tubes looked suspiscious enough to call the police.

Not always a bad thing to be curious.

CX.

True...Curiosity is a good thing....but, if they are eating at a McDonalds, hanging around all day, and were questioned by the police and then left alone, I would say that everything is ok.....

Most of the time, if someone is up to something, you can profile it...they almost always show some form of nervousness and or/inner fear....

[edit on 21-7-2006 by JSquared]

[edit on 21-7-2006 by JSquared]

The one guy who sat here all day didn't seem to have any fear, looked like he was just sitting there chillin, but I wonder why he doesnt walk three blocks down to the park where it is cooler and more comfortable.

Originally posted by ChristyZ

Originally posted by Mechanic 32
Have you considered calling the local authorities?



That is if you trust them.

Yes I did call, although, no I do not trust them. The officers looked at his identification, or something he pulled from his pocket and they left. They did not stop here to explain, but the guy walked away. They didn't look in his backpack or anything

......Because they aren't doing anything wrong. A cop wont just walk up to a former soldier down on his luck and demand to know what hes doing there and search through all of his stuff. Lots of soldiers get wounded or are put out of the service through domeother means when the military is all they know. These are men who had all their food, housing, freinds, most of their money, adn their reason for getting up in the moring taken away from them. Its not easy for a lot of them to integrate into civilian life. Give them a break.

[edit on 21-7-2006 by Tiloke]

Originally posted by Tiloke
[
......Because they aren't doing anything wrong. A cop wont just walk up to a former soldier down on his luck and demand to know what hes doing there and search through all of his stuff. Lots of soldiers get wounded or are put out of the service through domeother means when the military is all they know. These are men who had all their food, housing, freinds, most of their money, adn their reason for getting up in the moring taken away from them. Its not easy for a lot of them to integrate into civilian life. Give them a break.

[edit on 21-7-2006 by Tiloke]

You are right! The guy wasn't doing anything wrong. The strange part to me is that there are several of them suddenly around the area. I didn't expect the police to search him, I just stated what happened when they arrived. I am certainly not insensitive to veterans.

Dont be chicken go and talk to the poor man and see whats up.. but dont straight up say, "what are you doing here." just say something like, "I noticed you sittin here all day." or something and try to start a convo

Nothin too difficult with a little people skills