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Down a Georgia country road, camouflaged members of the Three Percent Security Force have mobilized for rifle practice, hand-to-hand combat training -- and an impromptu campaign rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.
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"We're here to revive the spirit of 1776 and let everybody know that it's your right, it's your duty as a citizen in the United States of America willing to defend your person and your property, but also to work with other like-minded people to protect your country, you know, for the security of a free state, you know, a well-armed militia is necessary," said Chris Hill, a paralegal who goes by the code name "Bloodagent."
As the most divisive presidential election in recent memory nears its conclusion, some armed militia groups are preparing for the possibility of a stolen election on Nov. 8 and civil unrest in the days following a victory by Democrat Hillary Clinton.
They say they won't fire the first shot, but they're not planning to leave their guns at home, either.
Trump's populist campaign has energized militia members like Hill, who admire the Republican mogul's promise to deport illegal immigrants, stop Muslims from entering the country and build a wall along the Mexico border. Trump has repeatedly warned that the election may be "rigged," and has said he may not respect the results if he does not win. At least one paramilitary group, the Oath Keepers, has called on members to monitor voting sites for signs of fraud.
Chris Hill (L), the leader of the Georgia Chapter of the III% Security Force militia, speaks to members during a field training exercise in Jackson, Georgia, U.S. October 29, 2016. Photo: Reuters
Armed paramilitary groups first gained prominence in the early 1990s, fueled by confrontations in Ruby Ridge, Idaho and Waco, Texas, culminating in a militia sympathizer's 1995 bombing of a federal office building in Oklahoma City that killed 168 people.
Their numbers dwindled following that attack but have spiked in recent years, driven by fears that President Barack Obama will threaten gun ownership and erode the power of local government. The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks extremist groups, estimates there were 276 active militias last year, up from 42 in 2008.
In recent years, armed groups have confronted federal authorities in a series of land-use disputes in the western United States. Federal officials fear more clashes could come after seven militants were acquitted on conspiracy charges for occupying a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon.
Many fear Clinton would push the county further to the left.
The Oath Keepers, a prominent anti-government force that sent gun-toting members to the 2014 race riots in Ferguson, Missouri, called on members last week to monitor voting sites on election day for any signs of fraud.
An hour south of Atlanta, the Three Percent Security Force started the day around the campfire, taking turns shooting automatic pistols and rifles at a makeshift target range. They whooped with approval when blasts from one member's high-powered rifle knocked down a tree.
The group operates independently, but is affiliated with a national armed movement that calls for members to defend individual rights in the face of what they see as an overreaching federal government. The movement draws its name from the notion that no more than 3 percent of the American population fought in the Revolutionary War against Britain.
Amid the war games, Hill weighed plans for a possible armed march on Washington if Clinton wins.
He said he doesn't want his members leading the way, but they will defend the protesters if need be. His group will not hesitate to act if a President Clinton tries to disarm gun owners, he said.
"With Hillary on one hand we have to worry about our rights -- everything, you know, guns -- because I got a feeling first thing she's going to do is start putting more and more restrictions on our firearms. And it's going to be damn-near impossible for us to be able to bear arms anymore. And Trump, I'm just worried he's going to stir up the population and cause riots and mayhem," said Hill, who founded the militia several years ago.
Trump's candidacy has emboldened extremist groups to speak more openly about challenging the rule of law, analysts say.
Over the past week, some prominent Trump supporters have hinted at violence.
Back in Georgia, the Three Percent Security Force wrapped up rifle practice in the midday sun. They then headed further into the trees to tackle an obstacle course with loaded pistols at their sides, ready for whatever may come.
"Worst case scenario? You know, depending on who gets the office, I'm saying, there's going to be people upset everywhere. But there's going to be rioting, I don't know. Once again, you never know until it actually happens," member Phillip King said.
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