Letter To The Editor - MD Coast Dispatch

Missed Opportunity

Editor:
Having read the letter from Hardwire CEO George Tunis, I think we've lost an opportunity. I think residents nearby to the rifle range never had a clear picture of the opportunity he offered. I think reconsideration by all involved would be best for our community.

Yes, Worcester County has a rifle range where even machine guns are commonly used.

What I foresaw for our community with small scale engineering tests was a presence at the Worcester County Training Range that was willing to maintain the area better and, importantly, a user who would notify locals of testing times.

George Tunis said his charges were going to be smaller than charges previously detonated in Newark. He said that military testing protocols for the armor he protects troops with create a noise-dampening effect because the charges are buried. He said that instead of open-air/flat surface testing as previous AFT training had been, his would be buried and surrounded by woods. They would still go boom, but quieter.

Finding a much-needed training and testing site here is like choosing a landfill site near Denver: It's all breathtakingly beautiful but they still must have a landfill.

Much of our seacoast is indeed beautiful, too, but this isn't about further scaring of the old borrow pit nor burying of trash.

It's about single detonations.

Deer still browse near the county range despite thousands of machine-gun rounds. Ducks still use the bayfront salt ponds.

Eagles positively thrive at Aberdeen Proving Grounds where fantastically more powerful explosions take place almost daily.

Animals generally do thrive where people are absent.

Unfortunately, Aberdeen's off limits to our local manufacturer except when summoned for military testing. He has to take a truckload of money elsewhere for small-scale engineering tests.

I say this to Worcester County's residents: George Tunis is a man of his word. Let us see and hear for ourselves whether there is intolerable noise from these tests, Let local residents dispel their notions and know facts -- test the various charges.
I believe Newark will benefit when they know the truth.

Give Hardwire a chance. Let ATF or the OC Bomb Squad noise-test various charges.

In all of my 30-plus years at sea, several times a week the ocean's quiet tranquility is shattered with the sonic booms of Navy jets on training maneuvers. They're clear to go supersonic outside 20 nautical miles. Hurts your ears, rattles your bones, scares the tar out of you -- the sound of freedom.

I think Worcester County can survive and endure smaller scale noise a few days a year that our soldiers might survive a direct hit in battle. What cost would we not bear that they might enjoy the benefit of coming home. Ours is only the cost of an extra rumble of thunder, a sound of freedom that rolls across our bay and farmland, soon to become as peaceful as a father's hug returned from battle.

Hardwire's products brings soldiers home alive.

Capt. Monty Hawkins

Source; http://www.mdcoastdispatch.com/articles/2011/10/28/Letter-To-The-Editor/Voices-From-The-Readers-161