JBLM: Army isn't listening to the public

I read with great dismay that the military is going to allow the testing of the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) at Joint Base Lewis-McChord despite the dozens of letters and public comments voicing opposition to the proposal (TNT, 1-20).

According to the article, the voices of opposition far outweighed those in favor of the proposal.

Why was public input sought when it appears there is total disregard for the input provided? Was the decision already made before the Army asked for public comments?

Not being a member of the military, I do not know the names of the bombs or rockets that currently explode at JBLM. I do know, however, what it feels like when my house shakes and when my nerves are rattled while waiting for the next explosion.

On a recent day, the bombs or rockets were particularly loud, causing the house to shake once again. If the noise and reverberation of current explosions cause this much distress, I worry what the HIMARS will cause with the dramatic increase of decibels.

The Yakima Training Range is there for a purpose. It should be used to test the HIMARS rather than “testing” the nerves of the thousands of residents who live in the surrounding communities.

This story was originally published January 22, 2016 at 1:41 PM with the headline "JBLM: Army isn't listening to the public."