[Old Crow]

From an e-mail forwarded to me yesterday:

Luke AFB is west of Phoenix and is rapidly being surrounded by
>civilization that complains about the noise from the base and its
>planes,
>forgetting that it was there long before they were. A certain
>Lieutenant
>Colonel at Luke AFB deserves a big pat on the back. Apparently, an
>individual who lives somewhere near Luke AFB wrote the local paper
>complaining about a group of F-16s that disturbed his day at the mall.
>When
>that individual read the response from a Luke AFB officer, it must have
>stung quite a bit.
>
>
>
> The complaint:
> Question of the day for Luke Air Force Base: Whom do we thank
>for
>the morning airshow? Last Wednesday, at precisely 9:11 a.m., a tight
>formation of four F-16 jets made a low pass over Arrowhead Mall,
>continuing
>west over Bell Road at approximately 500 feet. Imagine our good fortune!
>Do
>the Tom Cruise-wannabes feel we need this wake-up call, or were they
>trying
>to impress the cashiers at Mervyns early bird special? Any response
>would be
>appreciated."
>
> Tom MacRae, Peoria
>
>
>
> The response:
> Regarding "A wake-up call from Luke's jets" (Letters, Thursday):
>
> On June 15, at precisely 9:12 a.m., a perfectly timed four-ship
>flyby of F-16s from the 63rd Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base
>flew
>over the grave of Capt. Jeremy Fresques. Capt. Fresques was an Air Force
>officer who was previously stationed at Luke Air Force Base and was
>killed
>in Iraq on May 30, Memorial Day. At 9 a.m. on June 15, his family and
>friends gathered at Sunland Memorial Park in Sun City to mourn the loss
>of a
>husband, son and friend. Based on the letter writer's recount of the
>flyby,
>and because of the jet noise, I'm sure you didn't hear the 21-gun
>salute,
>the playing of taps, or my words to the widow and parents of Capt.
>Fresques
>as I gave them their son's flag on behalf of the President of the United
>States and all those veterans and servicemen and women who understand
>the
>sacrifices they have endured. A four-ship flyby is a display of respect
>the
>Air Force pays to those who give their lives in defense of freedom. We
>are
>professional aviators and take our jobs seriously, and on June 15 what
>the
>letter writer witnessed was four officers lining up to pay their
>ultimate
>respects. The letter writer asks, "Whom do we thank for the morning air
>show?" The 56th Fighter Wing will call for you, and forward your thanks
>to
>the widow and parents of Capt. Fresques, and thank them for you, for it
>was
>in their honor that my pilots flew the most honorable formation of their
>lives.
>
> Lt. Col. Scott Pleus
> CO 63rd Fighter Squadron
> Luke AFB
>

[bsmith13]

I hope those who complained feel like $][!t.

[chiefs70]

Originally Posted by bsmith13

I hope those who complained feel like $][!t.

Fortunately, he did. I ran this through Snopes and it included a bit more information and the follow up letter written by the individual who complained. I'll give him credit for having the stones to respond in public.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/wakeup.asp

[bsmith13]

I'm glad you posted that. It restores my faith in humanity. A bit.

[chiefs70]

Originally Posted by bsmith13

I'm glad you posted that. It restores my faith in humanity. A bit.

It just goes to show everytime we get our blood up and shoot off at the mouth - or pen, keyboard, etc - it usually comes back to bite us in the rear.

Of course I (we) are in the minority but I love it when I get to see military aircraft. I used to live near McConnell AFB in Wichita, KS and I loved it when they would practice alerts and the F-16s scrambled to provide cover while the B-1s - which are now both now gone from McConnell I understand - performed full afterburner takeoffs was a treat every single time. Heck, I grew up by Forbes Field in Topeka, KS which is home to a ANG refueling wing and that got me excited.

In the end, if we were all more tolerant and less reactionary we could save ourselves a lot of embarassment as this guy learned.

[bsmith13]

Excellent point, Chief. I put my foot in my mouth so often I have Athlete's Tongue.

[STARMAN 352ND]

I bet that guy in (Tom) Peoria feels a little small right now...
I like the way the Air Force Col. Pleus fired back in the news paper.
JP

[smartd]

Fabulous response from the Col.

Most airbases/airports were built many years ago before suburbia caught up with them.
I have been visiting NAS Oceana Virginia, amongst other US base since the late 70's. Over the last few years the newbie homeowners in the area have lobbied for the closure of the base. Most old time locals respond that the jet noise is the "Sound of Freedom".... live with it. That noise and the men/women who are part of the military keep both our countries free.

[MULE]

Scott Pleus is an old friend of mine. Said he just had to write it.

[Rush104]

Originally Posted by smartd

Fabulous response from the Col.

Most airbases/airports were built many years ago before suburbia caught up with them.
I have been visiting NAS Oceana Virginia, amongst other US base since the late 70's. Over the last few years the newbie homeowners in the area have lobbied for the closure of the base. Most old time locals respond that the jet noise is the "Sound of Freedom".... live with it. That noise and the men/women who are part of the military keep both our countries free.

You're absolutely right, Smartd. If any good has come from these knuckleheads who bought the houses, it has been the rallying of the majority of the citizens to Oceana's cause. It's heartwarming to see all the cars driving by with "I Love Jet Noise" bumper stickers.
You know, since 9/11, I haven't heard these people whine (publicly) about the jet noise. I think their shakedown attempt was seen for what it was; after all the ringleader of the jet noise lawsuit against the Navy was a RETIRED US NAVY CAPTAIN! Now, although I wonder how these people could not notice Tomcats, Intruders, Hornets (and later) Super Hornets buzzing the neighborhood while they were checking out their future homes, I can cut them some slack if they had no previous exposure to the military prior to moving to VB. That Captain, though, has no excuse. He, of all people, should have had a clue as to what life was going to be like near a major military air base.
With all that being said, I blame the so called leadership of the city of Virginia Beach for what's going to happen to Oceana. They're the ones who ignored the Navy's advice concerning development around the base; as a result Oceana's going to be closed in the not too distant future. Although Oceana survived BRAC 2005, the Navy has put the city on notice that Oceana cannot meet projected mission requirements due to the encroachment. It's gone, probably within the next 20 years. The Navy is looking around for a site for a new Master Jet Base to replace it.