In a story about the Mayor of Jacksonville and Cecil Field.
"It is clear to me, and I think it’s clear to our City Council, that this community does not want a master jet base," Peyton said.
He later added: "We’re going to lay out steps to halt any effort to return Cecil Field to a master jet base."
In doing so, he brought to an end an almost unbelievable turn of events led by the federal Base Realignment and Closure Commission that would have resurrected Cecil Field as a naval base.
The base had held that role for decades before it was decided in 1993 to end Cecil’s role as a jet base and transfer its jets to Oceana Naval Air Station in Virginia Beach, Va. In 1999, Cecil Field was reborn as a business park.
The BRAC panel decided to offer the jet base and its 11,000 jobs to Jacksonville if the communities surrounding Oceana couldn’t develop and fund a plan to push back development that had badly encroached on the Virginia base by March. Jacksonville and Florida also had requirements to meet.
Those who were against transforming Cecil Field were buoyed by Peyton’s announcement.
"We’re extremely excited about this," said Westside resident Katja Palmer, secretary of the Better Westside Project, which mobilized about 2,000 residents against the jet base proposal. "If I weren’t in a suit, I would be doing somersaults."
"I’m elated at the decision," said Earl Hindman of Middleburg. "I’m glad the mayor listened to the people. This could have been the best thing he did for his re-election campaign. Don’t tell me you can’t fight City Hall."
But some were less pleased with the decision. [Source]
And one of those people would be me. Now it is far from certain that the BRAC commission would have made the decision in March of next year to move the base here, but whiny residents really annoys me. The reason for the complaints was euphemistically said "lower their quality of life" when what they meant was jet noise. Without our military then their quality of life would really be lowered. When I used to be stationed at NAS Whidbey Island the sign outside the gate said that Jet Noise was the Sound of Freedom. The only question should be whether it is a prudentially a good move to move the base from Oceana down to Cecil Field and whether this would best satisfy the needs of the Navy. Now considering that I use to sleep in a rack that was right underneath and between two catapults on an aircraft carrier, I don’t have much sympathy when it comes to complaints about jet noise. The old support the troops, but not in my backyard. Patriotism as long as there is zero inconvenience to it.
When I use to live in the Norfolk-Virginia Beach area there was already major problems at Oceana considering the amount of residential area in the approach path to the base, but about six years back they decided to close down Cecil and move the F/A-18 squadrons up to Oceana. I was fairly skeptical that they would move the base anyway, because if they did it was really boneheaded planning. Though of course the BRAC commission could still make the decision, but it is less likely considering that they were playing Virginia Beach and Jacksonville against each other to receive the best deal. Though maybe this is the first time in history a politician has turned away a major base with all the money it would mean to the local area. So while I disagree with him on the basis for the decision it is kind of amazing.
But several retired Navy officers and at least one congressman said Peyton’s capitulation to a minority from the Westside who didn’t want the base in their neighborhood sends a negative message to the Navy.
"Now, it is important that the Florida congressional delegation come together to work hard to reassure the Navy that they are a welcome part of Jacksonville," said U.S. Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., whose district includes Cecil Field.
Retired Navy Capt. John Leenhouts, who testified as an expert on Cecil Field for Jacksonville in Florida’s Base Realignment and Closure hearing in July, said Peyton’s move could hurt the city’s chance to get a nuclear-powered carrier. It could also hamper the Naval Air Depot’s chance to get more work at the end of the decade because the majority of planes it works on now will be retired, he said.
"This sends a strong message to the Navy that Jacksonville is not a strong advocate of the military," said Leenhouts, a former Navy pilot who flew a record 1,645 carrier landings. "It’s a sad day for the Navy and a sad day for Jacksonville."
In a news conference Thursday, Peyton admitted it would have been easier to convince the Navy to move a nuclear carrier to Jacksonville if Oceana Naval Station’s master jet base was moved to Cecil Field. This year, the Navy said it wants to mothball the Jacksonville-based USS John F. Kennedy, and Florida politicians have been lobbying to bring a nuclear carrier in as the JFK’s replacement.
"We’ll do all we can … to find a way and build a case to attract a nuclear carrier," Peyton said. [Source]
Just as long as nobody is annoyed by it.
5 comments
When I was stationed in West Berlin in the early 1980s, we had jet noise from military fighter jets all the time: Soveit military fighter jets, MiG-25’s and 23’s. They would sometimes intentionally break the sound barrier over the city shattering hundreds of windows. Just because they could.
When I left the Air Force, I moved to Austin, TX, where TAC F-4’s from Bergstrom AFB often caused annoyance to my neighbors when they flew over.
To me their noise was like music, because they were on my side.
I agree. Just like immediately after 9-11, when we had American soldiers flying and standing tall between us civilians and terrorists, if necessary. I got warm fuzzy feelings of love when I saw them, heard them. Could not believe it when I kept hearing MSM airheads talking about it being like an invasion.
As if our young people protecting us are anything remotely similar to invasionary forces. Good grief.
I certainly hope these people don’t come looking for federal funds for development of a stunted economy sometime in the future.
God bless and keep our troops!
Robin L. in TX
I live in an area of heavy airplane traffic on the eastern seaboard –between the Pentagon and Shanksville, PA. On September 11, 2001, by order of the governor, we ran to retrieve our children from school. Our skies were eerily quiet that day except for the occasional jet fighter out of Dover AF base. Somehow, the children didn’t notice them until it was time for bed. One terrified boy ran downstairs to me and said, “Mom, there aren’t supposed to be any planes today!!” I sat him on my lap and soothingly told him, “Honey, that’s one of our fighters. They are protecting us. Want to stay up with me to listen for another one?” He did, and not very long after we heard one of our fighters tearing through the sky overhead. It was like a lullabye to my boy.
I grew up out at Cecil Field, and John Leenhouts is a good friend of mine. He was spot on when he said those things about Peyton. The mayor has shown his lack of a backbone, and lack of real support for our military. Coincidentaly, about 2 weeks later, he launched a huge “we love the military” sort of campaign. Too little, too late I’m afraid.
Sorry but I must be the unpopular one in this particular thread and soundly reject the reasons (which are few, other than name calling apparently) for the support for moving the Navy back to Cecil. Many of you certainly show a rather lack of knowledge (ignorance could be used here without prejudice) in the issues that changed the minds of not only the Jacksonville city council, but the Mayor as well.
First, this had absolutely nothing to do with Patriotism. If anything, the “minority” that fought bringing the Navy back to Cecil supported the viewpoint of the Navy itself. The Navy continues to this day to prefer Oceana over Cecil. Also, the Navy itself testified before the BRAC that the conditions present at Oceana do not negatively impact the training operations at the base. It is amazing how so many civilians and retired Navy people “know better” than the current Navy leadership and the DoD. So with respect to the aforementioned, it would be fair to say that those continuing to fight to bring the navy back to Cecil should stop fighting their military’s desires and “support the troops” instead. Many, Many of those who fought the Navy returning are retired military of all branches, combat veterans, and I at least one ex-POW. So calling them un-patriotic really weakens any argument to that point. As for Leenhouts, his erroneous testimony before BRAC (along with everyone elses)was additional ammo used by the opponents to stop this very very wrong thing to do. Had the task force that testified before BRAC only had 50 percent of their testimony correct, then this whole thing would not have seen the light of day and we would not even be talking about this. This “The Sound of Freedom” stuff has merit, as I love the sound of the military aircraft. However, there are other sounds of freedom. I also think that the voice of the people is very important also. None of the people effected (this goes for ALL of Jacksonville)were given a voice before our elected officials went parading before the BRAC promising everything based on inaccurate testimony. Since we are not in a military state (given to us by people fighting before a military was created)I prefer to think that the voice of the people is the true sound of freedom.
As for the Local issues in Jackonville itself. The city could not afford a master jet base at Cecil. All the rosy economic benefits that the so called “experts” threw out (including the one the Governor put together) would not have been enough to save the taxpayers from a backbreaking burden. One thing that was certain, was that Jacksonville would have had to share (mostly with Clay county) any economic benefit that would have come as a result of the Navy’s return. However, Duval county taxpayers would have been stuck with the entire liability as a result of the Bert Harris Act. Thousands of homes built in the area since the Navy left in the old AICUZ (vintage 1984 still in place), including all of those built or already there in the new AICUZ (which would be much larger if the Navy returns) would not sufficiently protect it’s occupants from the noise. None of the special building requirements were enforced. This is contrary to the Mayor’s testimony before BRAC in August where he said that these building codes were enforced. This goes for ANYWHERE around both Cecil and Whitehouse, homes, schools, libraries, apartment buildings…..everything. Therefore, Jacksonville would have been subjected to well over a billion dollars in lawsuits alone for Property Value loss and resident upgrade requirements. Schools in the APZ as well as the AICUZ noise zone would have had to be moved. In Virginia Beach alone there is a lawsuit going now for over 500 million dollars by 2100 residence in the area and they have a good chance of winning. The people participating in that lawsuit do not have half the case that those living around Cecil and Whitehouse OLF would have against Jacksonville. You’re probably wandering why Jacksonville would be sued and not the Navy. Well this whole process has been set up where the City of Jacksonville, not the State or the Navy would be the triggering proponent. Therefore their action alone starts the ball rolling and they would be most liable. Yet in all of this, no one has come down on the City of Virginia Beach for actively thwarting any Navy efforts to curb their reckless building spree around the base. The Navy has for years tried to get the city government their to abide by their own laws. And let’s not let the citizens of Virginia Beach off the hook either as they are right in the middle of allowing this to happen, yet no one calls them unpatriotic.
And ya know what…….these are only a few of the issues that had to be considered by the Jacksonville leaders. Environmental, Health, Infrastructure, and yes……even that nasty buzzword “quality of Life” deemed as so dispicable by a previous post, are all just a few of the additional hurdles in FORCING the Navy back to Cecil.
So in closing, I respectfully suggest that you look at the entire issue at hand rather than automatically brand these very patriotic people (as if they care)as unpatriotic if in your view they do not “throw themselves on their own sword” for the military, and they perhaps will not look at you (as if you would care)as unpatriotic just because you wish for something other than what the military trully wants, which happens to be the case here.