Operation Morning D.E.W.: New Conspiratorial Campaign Signals Threats Against U.S. Military Weapons Programs
Executive Summary
A new online campaign titled “Operation Morning D.E.W.” is calling on U.S. military veterans to form a “brigade” of 3,000 individuals to counter what it alleges are the military’s use of chemical, biological, and directed energy weapons on U.S. civilians. While framed in religious and conspiratorial language, the post explicitly signals intent to launch a “counter-offensive” to “eliminate” the military’s programs and warns of “severe consequences” for over $100 billion worth of weapons—rhetoric that represents an escalation from online grievance to potential action.
Key Judgments
1. Operation Morning D.E.W. mirrors prior extremist campaigns that fuse religious prophecy, anti-government conspiracies, and calls for direct action—creating a permissive environment for sabotage or violence.
Evidence: The messaging invokes Jesus’s return, frames U.S. military programs as “treason” and “murder,” and calls on veterans to prepare a counter-offensive, similar in tone to the “Operation Leaning Tower” campaign launched by Veterans on Patrol (VOP) in July.
2. The explicit mention of “over $100 billion worth of your weapons” combined with a “Notice of Intent” signals a possible plan to disrupt, damage, or interfere with military property or infrastructure.
Evidence: This rhetoric shifts from abstract grievance to direct targeting of assets—using language associated with legal filings or military operations to imply imminent action.
3. By explicitly courting military veterans and their advocates, the campaign is attempting to harness both credibility and tactical know-how for a potentially disruptive or violent movement.
Evidence: The call for a 3,000-person “brigade” echoes militia recruitment patterns where veterans’ skills and networks are leveraged to lend legitimacy and operational capability to fringe movements.
Analysis
“Operation Morning D.E.W.” represents the next evolution in a pattern of domestic extremist rhetoric that blends conspiratorial grievance with calls for direct action against U.S. government infrastructure. The campaign’s themes—directed energy weapons, chemical and biological agents, and “treason” by the military—are all common motifs within online conspiracist spaces tied to QAnon-adjacent and sovereign-style anti-government communities. By invoking religious eschatology and casting its call to action as a moral or even divine duty, the movement increases its appeal to individuals predisposed to viewing violent resistance as justified.
The post’s explicit recruitment of 3,000 military veterans is particularly concerning. Such a recruitment drive signals an effort to move from passive online outrage to an organized network capable of real-world action. This tactic mirrors historical militia recruitment drives, where veterans are sought for their tactical expertise, perceived legitimacy, and ability to access secure spaces or information.
The mention of “over $100 billion worth of your weapons” and an impending “Notice of Intent” strongly implies that the campaign’s adherents are contemplating direct disruption of military programs or assets. Even if framed as “lawful” or “authorized” action—as was done by Veterans on Patrol’s Operation Leaning Tower—this language provides a moral and pseudo-legal framework for sabotage or interference.
This development comes amid a broader ecosystem of conspiratorial anti-government activism. The narrative of “weather weapons” or “directed energy weapons” has been a key mobilizing myth for groups like VOP. Operation Morning D.E.W. appears to draw from the same ideological pool but expands the target set from weather radar systems to broader military programs—potentially including supply depots, research facilities, or contractor infrastructure.
From a threat perspective, while the group’s actual operational capability is unknown, the convergence of conspiracy rhetoric, religious framing, veteran recruitment, and explicit reference to government property raises the risk of low-tech sabotage or harassment of military facilities. Even absent organized attacks, the campaign can radicalize individuals to act independently, making early warning and interagency coordination critical.
Sources
Veterans on Patrol Telegram Channel – Sample messaging on “weather weapons” and military “treason”
Semper Incolumem – Operation Leaning Tower: Latest Militia Messaging Signals Intent to Disrupt Weather Infrastructure
