Republic of Pineland Special Warfare Don Currency
By Matthew M. Peek, Military Collection Archivist, State Archives of North Carolina
Editor’s Note: We have previously published a history of the training exercise known as “Pineland,” operated by the U.S. Army Special Warfare School at Fort Bragg, NC. We are reusing that history, with an addition as it relates to the paper currency used there and displayed in this post.
The U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School (or SWCS) traces its origins to 1950, when the U.S. Army developed the Psychological Warfare (PSYWAR) Division of the Army General School at Fort Riley, Kansas. The U.S. Army Psychological Warfare Center and School, a unique organization with operational tactical units and a school under the same umbrella, moved to Fort Bragg from Fort Riley in April 1952. In 1956, the PSYWAR Center and School was renamed the U.S. Army Center for Special Warfare/U.S. Army Special Warfare School. The school was given the responsibility to develop the doctrine, techniques, training and education of Special Forces and Psychological Operations personnel.
In 1960, the school’s responsibilities expanded to include counterinsurgency operations. In 1962, the Special Warfare Center established a Special Forces Training Group, to train enlisted volunteers for operational assignments within the Special Forces groups. The Advanced Training Committee was formed to explore and develop sophisticated methods of infiltration and exfiltration. On May 16, 1969, the school was renamed the U.S. Army Institute for Military Assistance. The curriculum was expanded to provide training in high-altitude, low-opening (HALO) parachuting and SCUBA operations. The institute comprised the Special Forces School, Psychological Operations, Military Assistance Training Advisors School, Counter-Insurgency School, Unconventional Warfare School and Department of Non-Resident Training. Since 1985, the school has been operating at Fort Bragg as the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School.
The Special Warfare School’s Special Forces Qualification Course (or SFQC) holds a two-week culmination exercise (or CULEX) called Robin Sage. Robin Sage has been conducted with help from local citizens since 1974. Before that time, the exercise was smaller, and bore several different names. The training area for the CULEX is the fictional country of Pineland (also labeled the “Republic of Pineland”), stretches across 8,000 square miles of what now constitutes 15 central North Carolina counties in 2016. The Pineland scenario makes use of the services of thousands of North Carolina civilians, who volunteer to assist in the exercise as role players representing guerrilla leaders and members of the Pineland populace. The exercise also uses military role players who act as guerrillas. Fake paper currency, called “Don” to mimic the names of paper currency from Southeast Asian countries (such as was encountered by the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War), was printed in various denominations by the Army to be used by the Special Forces trainees and civilian role players during the exercise.
During the scenario, SFQC students work to assist the government of Pineland, which is facing an insurgency. Following a coup that deposes the legitimate government, the SF students work with role players to raise and train a guerrilla force that will fight the usurpers and attempt to restore the Pineland government. The unique training area and unconventional-warfare (or UW) training environment allow instructors to stress the Special Forces candidates, assessing their ability to think on their feet and accomplish their team’s missions.
Republic of Pineland Don Currency
The Military Collection at the State Archives of North Carolina has recently acquired three original undated Republic of Pineland fake paper currency known as “Don,” in denominations of 10, 20, and 50 Don. The currency was used during the U.S. Army Special Warfare School fictitious country of “Pineland” exercises in North Carolina.
The currency was named to mimic the names of paper currency from Southeast Asian countries (such as was encountered by the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War). The currency lists fake country leaders for Pineland, using joke names, such as the president of Pineland being Dougal Canteth and the defense minister being Seymour Bombs. It was printed in various denominations by the Army to be used by the Special Forces trainees and civilian role players during the exercise.
Based on the type of paper and printing style, these pieces of currency appear to date from the 1980s or 1990s. The currency is example of common ephemera used by U.S. military forces during training exercises.
Resources
Historical information and information on Pineland training taken from the following sources:
- U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School’s “About” webpage at www.soc.mil/SWCS/about.html
- “The big picture: SWTG introduces the comprehensive training environment,” by Maj. Gregory A. Parkins and Maj. Ed Williams, U.S. Army Special Operations Center of Excellence webpage, viewed at http://www.soc.mil/swcs/SWmag/archive/SW2402 SW2402TheBigPicture.html
- Kevin Maurer, “Patriots of Pineland” article, Our State, published November 3, 2013, viewed online at https://www.ourstate.com/patriots-pineland/
- Folder 1, Republic of Pineland Exercise Don Currency, MMP 17, Miscellaneous Military Papers, Military Collection, State Archives of North Carolina, Raleigh, N.C.
