Editor,

In response to Katlaina Rayne’s Jan. 7 letter on the Navy EIS, we are a Navy town and island, and Naval Air Station Whidbey Island’s economic impact is significant.

There exists a love-hate relationship. Some of the civilian sector speaks out of both sides of their mouths thanking the Navy for its service and then at the same time stabs them in the back for being noisy and environmentally unfit.

I served for 30 years, exposed to all sorts of noise and toxicity as was my family and the families of countless thousands of others whom raised families here right in the pattern and are no worse for the wear.

My daughter is a RN, and my son also in the medical profession without any health problems. The assertions made about the effect of jet noise on children playing outside is unfounded, as are false statements about the crash rate of F/A-18s.

The F/A-18 has been in the United States Navy since the early 1980s and is a reliable and safe aircraft, much more so than its predecessors, the EA-6B, A-6 and A-3, which were 1960s and ‘70s technology.

Get your facts straight and cite the sources of information in comparison to the legacy jets. Firefighting chemicals — the part per million of affected water is so low that I don’t care — I drink it and bathe in it.

Serving on an aircraft carrier, sometimes our water tasted and smelled of fuel, but we drank it anyway, not much choice, and I am still here at age 62.

The letter writer is a rebel-rousing, politically correct, misinformed individual. I would dare to say 80-90 percent or greater appreciate the Navy, active and retired. NAS Whidbey will remain.

Many on and off the island love to get glimpses of the Navy jets being skillfully flown. I know I do. You should too.

David Christopherson

Coupeville