Source: The Florida Times-Union, October 6, 2006
http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/100606/opl_5444230.shtml
The soldiers and sailors we send in harm's way deserve the best protection, the best equipment, and the best training - because their survival depends on their training.
Today, the Navy's East Coast Master Jet Base is at Naval Air Station Oceana, just outside Virginia Beach, Va. Over the past decade, development from that city has sprawled onto the outskirts of the base, and airspace restrictions make serious training in realistic military conditions there nearly impossible.
In 2005, Anthony Principi, chairman of the Base Closure and Realignment Commission (BRAC), was especially concerned about reports of pilot training being severely degraded at Oceana. During the BRAC visit to Oceana, Principi noticed two pilots in flight suits and asked the senior pilot a single question: "Son, what do you think of the training environment here in Oceana?"
"It stinks, sir," the pilot replied. It "stinks" because our pilots cannot practice the way they fight.
That is why BRAC law was written so that if Jacksonville returns Cecil Field to the U.S. Navy, then the Navy must move its Master Jet Base to Cecil.
Some have equated landing on an aircraft carrier to landing on a postage stamp in the middle of the ocean. Consider the movements of the carrier deck as it cruises in heavy seas and the hazards of night flying, and you have an environment that requires absolute precision. A minor mistake can cost a young aviator his life.
Instead of providing our pilots with adequate training, we require that they practice landings with unrealistic flight patterns that "pretend" to simulate the pattern they will fly when they land on the ship.
"[Cecil affords] us the opportunity to fly anywhere you want, any day, and actually target over 100 different tactical aim points and live targets, and electronic warfare range, and the tactical range," said Capt. John Leenhouts, a former Strike Wing Commodore who holds the Navy record for landings on a carrier.
"Not only is [Cecil Field] the ideal place to train, but it has the chance to give all those young men and women a chance to train like they're going to fight and fight to win. And if we want to think about savings, let's think about saving their lives when they go out and do their job."
Some say patriotism should not be a part of this issue. With respect, this issue is all about patriotism. It's about putting the big picture ahead of our day-to-day concerns. It's about doing the right thing, because we've got soldiers across the world making the ultimate sacrifice - sacrifices that make many of the critics' concerns appear petty, quite frankly.
Of course, there are mountains of evidence showing that returning the Navy to Cecil Field would be best for Jacksonville. It would bring 31,000 new jobs, provide a $22 billion economic boost for the city and help safeguard 3,500 jobs at the Naval Air Depot and the small businesses that rely on those customers. It would help protect Jacksonville's heritage as a Navy town, rather than a town of warehouses, Waffle Houses and Wal-Marts.
But what is important is that we make sure we give the pilots who put their lives on the line for us the best chance humanly possible of returning to their families safely. If we fail to make this commitment - if we allow ourselves to put our own narrow interests ahead of theirs - then what kind of people are our pilots defending?
Jacksonville is a Navy town. Our nation is at war. The pilots fighting in that war need our help. They don't have a choice where they can train - it's their duty to go where the Navy tells them to go. But you have a choice - all of us do.
You can keep them in a substandard training environment, or welcome them to Jacksonville, home of the best training environment in the world.
We're confident Jacksonville voters will do the right thing and vote "yes" on Nov. 7 to help our young pilots accomplish their mission safely and successfully. Send a strong message that Jacksonville can rise above local politics and stand united with the young men and women we ask to fight for our freedom.
America needs Cecil Field and Jacksonville voters will see that she gets it.