Letter: Navy should still post Growler practice schedule

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, October 15, 2025

Editor,

As a result of the Republican Shutdown, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island’s civilian employee who publishes the weekly FCLP flight schedule has been furloughed, and there is no fallback planned for publishing the flight schedule.

This will have a wide-ranging and detrimental effect on the health and well being of your constituents who could be caught in harms way by their ignorance of planned FCLP operations, i.e., when they will start and end and begin again.

FCLPs generate noise that can cause permanent hearing loss in adults and children in just a few seconds of exposure, increase risk of cardiac infarction for at-risk adults, and create risks for the unborn. And for many who work from home, the schedule is critical for scheduling their virtual and phone meetings or arranging counseling sessions, etc.

Since FCLP operations will occur under a weekly flight schedule regardless of the shutdown, it seems the only thing needed is a few moments of Navy personnel time to post it. The Navy prides itself for being a good neighbor; needlessly withholding the schedule works against that image.

The community would very much appreciate it if you would intercede for your constituents to impress on the Navy the need to post the flight schedule, the next one being due for the week of Oct. 12–18.

Bob Wilbur

Citizens of Ebey’s Reserve