Editor,
Lawfare has infested our community.
Lawfare is an activist tactic of a deliberate and sustained campaign of misinformation and numerous lawsuits, via traditional and social media, government, politics, uninformed policymakers and the courts. Even the stratification into multiple groups is standard.
Any headline, YouTube video, social media, official/quasi-government body or court venue will do. Most efforts are straws in the wind, looking for kindred sentiment.
Anti-Navy groups have waxed and waned over the years on Whidbey. This particular group(s) should be commended for its ceaseless energy, creativity and breathtaking dissimulation via lawfare. They even seem to speak directly for Coupeville and Central Whidbey.
For instance, the recent state Department of Health, “Association Between Noise and Health” report is a lawfare success. Using prodigious, extraneous footnoting, it takes long leaps, while linking “similar noise” and “paucity of research” directly to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. “Seahawks” or “loud rock music” could be easily substituted for NAS Whidbey, with more substantiated applicability.
“Subjective discomfort” is likely the only relevant Whidbey phrase in the entire report. “Highly variable” and “subjective outcome” are fitting, both for those who like the Navy and those who do not. This is also aligned with a genuine, NAS Whidbey-related court ruling which states, “it is difficult to detect a difference between those who dislike [Navy] action, and those who suffer from real anxiety or stress.” (WNT, Aug. 11, 2015)
Please consider these corrections to anti-Navy lawfare messaging:
• Health: After 50 years of practice at OLF Coupeville and roughly 80 years of jet operations around the world, there should be health-related “noise clusters” here and everywhere, with explicit correlation.
There are none.
• Property: Since the first Growler squadron began in 2009, median residential sales prices increased by $60,000 in the town of Coupeville, to $288,000 in 2016. Central Whidbey volume of vacant land sales also steadily increased since 2009. Plus all Whidbey correlations are to national trends, entirely unrelated to OLF operations. All of this is verifiable through an MLS.
• Impact: Despite decades of “toxic noise” and “acoustic hazard zones” due to Navy jets, the Olympic National Park just saw its sixth busiest year and is the seventh most visited national park in the nation. —Google. Deception Pass, next to NAS Whidbey, is the most visited Washington state park. By extension, surrounding areas have seen no diminution of economic benefits.
• Additionally, there can be no valuation or impact discussion without the context of the $1.2 billion economy, and over 10,000 jobs, provided by NAS Whidbey.
• Noise: The Growler is a new jet with a new sound. It is not louder than the Prowler. Memories are short. Navy carrier personnel knew the Prowler’s distinct sound, louder than any other aircraft on the flight deck.
We should recognize and reject lawfare tactics in all its forms and falsehoods. A small group of vocal activists should not speak for our community, put our aircrew at risk through less optimized training, nor be allowed to risk aspects of our Fortune-500-level NAS Whidbey economic engine.
We should instead focus upon the reason for more Growlers. It protects our armed forces in superlative fashion. It and the Prowler have a perfect record of protecting aircraft in combat. Also, its aircrew expertise has saved many, many lives of ground forces. Growlers are in the highest possible demand due to this protection.
For this peerless capability, Growlers deserve our praise, support and thanks.
Since 1902, the Navy League is a nonpartisan, worldwide organization. It is dedicated to informing the American people and their government, advocating for strong sea services and strong economic well-being.
Steve Bristow, president
Oak Harbor Navy League
