Editor,

In their last desperate throes of achieving a political solution, the groups known as COER, WISE, CCA, Sound Defense Alliance, Protect Olympic Peninsula, Quiet Skies Over San Juan or any other name fail to recognize the one intractable truth: The jets will never leave Whidbey Island, and there is no one who can force them to do so.

There is no judge with the power to compel the U.S. Navy to move their jets. All the lawsuits ever filed about military aircraft have one potential outcome – a very small amount of money.

In 40 years, COER and their allies have achieved exactly zero political success.

The Navy has evolved, politicians have run from their groups at every turn with the rare exception of a few tepid election year responses.

After this election year is over and the FEIS and ROD are signed, we will be right back to generic form letters and Facebook rants.

The jets have already been purchased and shipped to Whidbey. There is no judge or politician who can put them back in the box to Boeing.

They are vital to the national defense of the United States, and the Electronic Attack community will always be directly linked with “Team Whidbey,” the most powerful community team across all military bases.

Whidbey is the crown jewel of naval aviation. It has the most available and robust airspace in the nation, the darkest nights for FCLPs at Coupeville, and a community that absolutely loves its Navy base.

The Pearl Harbor references in pleas lately are a completely foolish attempt to conjure an irrational and emotional reaction from people in power.

Pearl Harbor has nothing to do with Growlers on Whidbey. I assure you that if someone attacks Whidbey with a nuclear weapon, our response as a nation will not be to launch Growlers, but the complete annihilation of the enemy using weapons that they will never find.

These groups have zero chance of achieving their stated objectives. COER will file their NEPA lawsuit, which will get tied up in federal court for six to eight years.

In the end, the result of the lawsuit may produce some taxpayer-funded cash settlement that will barely cover the cost of the lawsuit.

And that whole time, the jets will be in the air; politicians still won’t answer the phone.

You are defeated, COER, just like your predecessors. NEPA doesn’t require your consent, only consideration of your input, which will be amply discussed in the EIS. Your demands don’t meet the purpose and need of the Navy or the process.

We will see you in 20 years for the next jet coming to Whidbey — my kids will be flying Growlers or Joint Strike Fighters from the best base in the Navy – NAS Whidbey Island, Washington.

John Stevens

Coupeville