Most of us were astonished last fall to hear of the Navy's plans to conduct electronic warfare training over the Olympic Forest and vicinity. Non-stop sorties of supersonic aircraft ripping through the peninsula, and now at the undeniable expense of a climate on life-support, is operational readiness on steroids. Incredibly noisy, polluting EA-18G Growlers overflying the Olympic wilderness, with virtually no restrictions on speed or altitude will do incalculable damage to that pristine landscape. This plan, if given the go-ahead as early as next spring with a U.S. Forest Service special permit, is not only irresponsible, but a precedent-setting land-grab by the military.
Imagine squadrons of the loudest, most polluting jets in the Navy inventory unleashed, later to be joined by scores of attack helicopters and other fixed-wing aircraft, to conduct dozens of daily training exercises in arguably the nation's most fragile, complex landscape. The now and future impact would be devastating.
Email Undersecretary of Natural Resources Robert Bonnie ([email protected]) and Secretary of USDA Tom Vilsack (through his Executive Secretary Brian Baenig ([email protected]). Demand that they DENY the Navy a permit to use our public lands for an Electronic Warfare Range.
The submitter of this post, is VFP-111 member Gene Marx from Bellingham, Washington. Gene is a Vietnam veteran and former Airborne Electronic Warfare Officer with VAQ-135 aboard the USS Coral Sea in 1971-72.
Imagine squadrons of the loudest, most polluting jets in the Navy inventory unleashed, later to be joined by scores of attack helicopters and other fixed-wing aircraft, to conduct dozens of daily training exercises in arguably the nation's most fragile, complex landscape. The now and future impact would be devastating.
Email Undersecretary of Natural Resources Robert Bonnie ([email protected]) and Secretary of USDA Tom Vilsack (through his Executive Secretary Brian Baenig ([email protected]). Demand that they DENY the Navy a permit to use our public lands for an Electronic Warfare Range.
The submitter of this post, is VFP-111 member Gene Marx from Bellingham, Washington. Gene is a Vietnam veteran and former Airborne Electronic Warfare Officer with VAQ-135 aboard the USS Coral Sea in 1971-72.