City Government
Air Guard AWOL At Vista Neighbor Meet
April 27, 2017 
Empty seats in foreground due to City and Air Guard AWOL.
Despite a prior acceptance to attend a panel discussion about the F-35, both the Idaho Air NAtional Guard and a rep from the Boise Airport failed to attend a Vista Neighborhood meeting Thursday evening.
Seems both the Guard and Airport folks are able to attend one sided support group meetings of Realtors, Micron, Chamber of Commerce, and a KBOI Radio- NNC business breakfast, but when it comes to common residents, they are AWOL.
The controversy over attracting the F-35 fighter to Boise’s Gowen Field is quickly polarizing the community. The Air Guard has joined Boise officials carpet bombing the local media and business-oriented venues with their message, demeaning and trivializing those opposed to the F-35. The city repeatedly characterized adverse views as “misinformation.” They even sent a letter to each neighborhood association president claiming the city’s info was accurate, but the other views were erroneous.
Simply put, that city message says the IANG has a big economic impact and means jobs. No one argues that point. The opponents simply don’t want the noisy F-35 tearing up the sky. Repeatedly folks have joined the GUARDIAN calling for some F-35 fighters to fly in and out of Boise using full afterburners and performing just as they would under various training maneuvers so citizens can judge for themselves if it is unduly noisy.
About 100 people attended the meeting. There seemed to be grass roots support to circulate a petition to establish just how many citizens support the effort to seek an alternative flying mission to the F-35.
The Vista Neighborhood Association meeting had an impressive panel including an engineer, a wildlife biologist, a children’s health and hearing professional, and a PhD economist offering their views and responding to audience questions. Each one provided reasoned information and opinions.
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Apr 28, 2017, 9:32 am
You put together a panel stacked with opponents to the F-35 and then expect to proponents to show up and take abuse for being a patriot? You want the F-35 to demonstrate with full afterburners when in all likelihood most of their takeoffs will be without afterburners making them much less quiet? At least you acknowledged that the Air Guard is an important contributor to our economy. Interesting.
EDITOR NOTE–Phil, the stacked panels are the ones with only ANG brass and the airport folks selling their plan. There is nothing patriotic about making noise with the possible exception of firecrackers on July 4th. The citizens at the meeting will be the abused if the noise drives them from their homes. For the most part these folks are supporters of the USA, the Air Guard, and their neighbors. We have heard nothing about a “plan B” or alternative flying mission. Do you believe the commander in chief and the congressional delegation would allow the ANG to be dissolved if not chosen for the F-35? Claiming the economy as the excuse to use public money in a PR campaign against the citizens is a red herring.
Apr 28, 2017, 1:38 pm
For fear of attribution, I am commenting anonymously.
I am a military member, Combat Veteran, and Very patriotic.
I am not opposed to F35s in Idaho, just opposed to them being stationed in populated areas such as the Boise Airport.
Training, the training range for the Air National Guard is at the Saylor Creek Bombing Range. It is an 110,000-acre bombing and training range associated with Mountain Home Air Force Base that is located 25 miles north of the range. In the recent past, the Secretary of the Air Force said that the Air National Guard would move to Mountain Home and co-locate with the Active Air Force… Makes perfect sense.
Economically – Some personnel of the National Guard live in Mountain Home and commute to Boise, and some Active Air Force personnel live in Boise and commute to Mountain Home. Economically personnel from both organizations live in the valley and contribute to the economy. Stationing F35s in Mountain Home would not have a detrimental impact on the economy.
A little know fact is that there are approximately 110 Full-time Air Guard personnel currently working in Mountain Home.
Noise – There is a significant impact to populated areas when any military aircraft starting with an F identifier is operating in a close proximity, such as the Boise. The noise can be heard in most cities and towns from Boise to Middleton and Caldwell. This affects not just residents on both ends of the runway, but entire valley.
If F35s were stationed at the base in Mountain Home where comparable aircraft already operate the impact would be negligible. The town of Mountain Home evolved because of the Air base.
The logical, most cost efficient and environmentally sound location to station F35s is at the Mountain Home Air Force Base.
Apr 28, 2017, 3:28 pm
PB: Seriously?
Proponents should welcome the forum to try to change minds with facts and well-reasoned rationales for basing the F-35s in Boise, as well as being able to address why Mt Home is not a viable alternative.
If they can’t make that case–to everyone affected or interested–then we have reason to question the position.
And, once and for all, can we please stop the insinuations that citizens who oppose this are either not patriotic or, at minimum, less patriotic than proponents? That’s just demonizing and name calling…as well as false.
Apr 29, 2017, 9:52 am
Phil, ANY public opportunity to make one’s case, if you have a serious and coherent and honest case to make, should by embraced by the proponents of the F-35 mission for Gowen Field. Your own premise makes the City/ANG look weak. You might want to rethink your tactical writing efficiency.
Apr 29, 2017, 10:11 am
“You want the F-35 to demonstrate with full afterburners when in all likelihood most of their takeoffs will be without afterburners making them much less quiet?” Brewer
Isn’t less quiet noisier?
Is most one more than half?
Geez.
Apr 29, 2017, 10:17 am
How about all the STACKED panels the city, chamber, state and radio stations are doing? NO fairness there!!!!!
Apr 30, 2017, 8:31 pm
I came across this timely video about Military Information Support Operations (MISO): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZelF95xZK-k
“Military Information Support Operations (MISO), previously known as Psychological Operations (PSYOP), uses themes and messages to reach target audiences in order to influence their emotions, motives, reasoning, and ultimately the behavior of foreign governments, organizations, groups, and individuals.”
What it shows is exactly what the citizens of BOISE are receiving.
“The key to any propagandist or MISO operator is understanding the condition of the target audience, their vulnerabilities, plausible lines of persuasion, use of symbols, determining if they are susceptible to the symbols and lines of persuasion, getting the message to the target audience and observing the effects.”
I can’t wait to see what steps are next in this poisons offering to get the public to accept pollution at it’s finest.
This weekend I spent time with a Guard member. Great guy. Said he needed to keep his guys busy with work and that wasn’t an easy job. They need more work. He said the F-35s would be good for business. Just like all other industries, the IANG is based on a growth model. Everyone wants to grow their business; even the business of war. No wonder we plunder both locally and globally.
May 3, 2017, 3:18 pm
There are many reasons for and against
the F 35.
Importantly Boise is promoted as a desirable place to live. Sound, like air are key to a healthy environment.
Mountain home personnel are accustom
to commuting. Keep the planes there.
Boise is growing fast enough. We do not need to ‘get use to it’ Ask those for it where they live?
Please review your thinking there is
a perfect alternative Mountain Home.
Sincerely, Carolyn Johnson