It’s the Navy, base CO, that officials, residents should ‘hear’

Published 1:30 am Friday, October 19, 2018

Elected officials and Whidbey residents should take very careful note of the activist publicity stunt, “Do you hear us.”

This concept is clearly expressed in other media coverage.

The activists state that Growlers and other current PNW Navy efforts, “… don’t fit the region’s values.”… “We would like the Navy to step back,” … “And the first step to moving back is to move the Growlers because they’re the loudest and most offensive.” Only by completely removing the Growlers, could the Navy say, “We hear you.”

Attempting to remove Growlers would only be the, “first step.”

In other words, there can be no step taken by politicians, short of removing the Navy and other military from the PNW, which will ultimately appease the activists.

Given the specialized mission of the Growler, and superb performance of our military, any step will increase risk to our excellent service members, across the board. It will also undermine our enviable, $1.3 billion local economy, with over 10,000 jobs.

Elected officials and residents should instead “hear” NAS Whidbey Island’s commanding officer, Capt. Arny’s recent editorial. It mentions other states with successful civil/military relationships.

The Navy has coexisted and flourished side by side with numerous communities, parks, refuges, wilderness areas and wildlife, heritage sites, preserves and reserves, including Whidbey Island’s own Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve.

Whidbey residents should “hear” that Ebey’s is not the activists’ reserve, despite their cynical expropriation of that name.

It was created by people who were entirely cognizant of the importance and impact of the air station and Navy carrier jets. High tempo Vietnam operations were still in recent memory in late 1970s. Moreover, the park service clearly recognizes the OLF as a primary aspect of the Reserve’s historical record.

Whidbey residents should also question the purposeful histrionics in the Oct 2, “Sound Off: Increasing the Number of Growler Flights.” The 2005 AICUZ was never a permanent or upper limit on OLF Coupeville operations. Historical use shows otherwise, and a cursory examination of Google Earth shows conspicuous low-density green zones in its vicinity. It should be no surprise the Navy proposes to operate the OLF in the manner that it has been used since jets arrived on Whidbey in the late 1950s: as a best-of-class, aircraft-carrier practice field for loud jet aircraft.

All should “hear” the OLF is vital as risk mitigation, to prepare for one of the most hazardous endeavors in all of aviation.

The “clear alternatives” the activists promote as options in the upper, high-elevation, deserts of our country, are without sensible consideration — apart from transparent self-interest.

The “unhealthily loud” disparagement of Growler noise has already been rejected by the courts as the personal disposition of relative newcomers to Whidbey. The courts chastised, “their own decisions to move to an area zoned for high noise.”

Claims of future “enormous damage” to property, “residential upheaval,” tourism and business are several degrees removed from fact. They are not supported by historical data where population and prosperity has mirrored that of larger, national economic trends and fluctuations in Navy presence.

Any professional Realtor with Multiple Listing Service can discredit current and previous activist claims concerning property values. Any commercial banker can also refute claims of business devaluation using valid appraisals.

Lastly, the Navy’s EIS does not make a “mockery” of the public and county. Our Navy conscientiously “hears” our citizens and our country. The real mockery is from activists who venture to be experts on Navy risk management and presume to speak for local government and business leaders.

Since 1902, the Navy League of the United States is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to informing our people and our government concerning the importance of our sea services to our defense and prosperity.

• Steve Bristow is the president of the Navy League of the United States, Oak Harbor Area Council.