I was surprised to learn that the Air Force had been doing such close-air support training flights over the area for several years. They stopped three years ago upon discovery that they were not complying with the National Environmental Policy Act. NEPA requires assessment of the environmental impact of such an operation.
Surely the Air Force has better public-involvement expertise than was on display this afternoon. The last-minute cancellation of the previously scheduled scoping meeting, the spotty notification about today’s, scheduling it at 4 p.m.–6 p.m. on a Friday, as well as assuming that issuing press releases is adequate public notice in this day and age all demonstrate Mountain Home AFB’s need to call in reinforcements.

I am concerned that the Air Force presentation last night was full of weasel words, and spin (just like the DOPAA Scoping Document). When asked hard questions- like where has Urban CAS been taking place – evasive answers were still given with perhaps some degree of truth (perhaps) only emerging after a series of questions.

Some of what we were told was false – and contradicted by the Air Force’s own documents. For example, the AF Major said there would be no increase in flights to train ranges if MORE Singapore planes are brought to Mountain Home – as is proposed in a Dec. 2017 Draft EA. Yet that EA shows there WILL be an increase in flights.

I was also dismayed at how the Major downplayed the safety risks of conducting Close Air Support (CAS) training over the densest population in Idaho with particular training activity concentration over and in the heart of cities. He cited F-15 safety. Just this week, there is a news report on what caused the crash of two A-10s 50 miles from Nellis last year. It was Pilot Error, and the training being conducted was CAS.

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2018/04/13/pilot-error-blame-10-collision-nevada-investigation-shows.html

Dave brought up some very good points near the beginning of questions. He asked what military planes seen very recently were doing in Boise – a reply was they were practicing landing at the Boise Airport (I wonder what NEPA analysis covers safety concerns with this training activity over civilians?).

The other question was whether the AF planned to do what the Idaho Army Guard is now doing at the Orchard Training Area in Snake River Birds of Prey. The Army Guard at Orchard is basically inviting out of state Guard units and other branches of the military to come and train and tear up the desert- to profit off of payments for Orchard use, and now they want MORE land. The AF answer to this question was No this proposal is only for MHAFB use. But of course that could change very quickly if the AF did a follow up EA or CX enabling planes from other bases (and countries) to use a million Idaho civilians and the urban “chaos” the AF claims it needs for War Game training.

Rabula: YES. I think you have hit on something. There is evidently a growing military contractor industry associated with CAS. And there is the paving and building contractor industry associated with always building more stuff at MHAFB for Singapore so that Idaho’s public lands and wildlife can be sacrificed for training disturbance from a foreign military. And now under the MHAFB Urban CAS scheme, we civilians are about to become a Training Asset of sorts. YOU can bet someone will find way to profit off us being War Game fodder.

perhaps some people are missing the point that part of the training is for the ground crew as well.

Their training is, “You must operate in this environment WITHOUT being detected or noticed”.

Wearing a uniform or driving a marked mark does NOTHING for the ground controller.
This isn’t science and it’s pretty easy to realize the objectives for such training, right?

So it is perfectly acceptable to be in disguise– absolutely.
IF someone does call 911 to report suspicious behavior, that controller has failed the training.
In Syria, that controller would be dead. In Boise, 12 cops might show up (maybe just as lethal though).
This training is essential – specially given our current world situation.

And you all may misunderstand how those lasers work. They’re not using the same laser you use to play with your cat.

If this actually happens-I would ask Katie Kite to intentionally go find those ground crews and identify the jets . It will be fun. Maybe they could give you a call-sign as the enemy spotter adversary, like “Killer Kate the Kat Lady” But don’t expect they tell you when and where they will be. If you get a photo of a confirmed spotter or a jet in training, I’ll give $100 to your favorite enviro-terrorism group.

—-A lot of unnecessary worry and meddling.

Is it possible or probable that we the people of Boise will be used for target practice while military contractors are profiting from the exercises? This should not be allowed in the same sense that cattle should not graze public lands for free, nor drilling, nor waste storage, etc. etc.

I do believe we’ve stumbled into a defense contractor’s business enterprise. It’s hiding in plain sight behind the patriotic ‘support of troops’ banner. Mr. Mayor, you could probably make enough in fees off of this new urban training range to pay for your friends to do another trolley study. Why give it away?

Easterner: Katie Kite here. The meeting was Standing Room only in the Marion Bingham Room. 80 – 100 people is my guess – as some folks had to leave early, but others showed up at the time of the little-publicized meeting which overlapped with work and commute hours.

I think it’s very good for patriotic people to ask lots of probing questions of our government and its military. As great as is America, it’s not as though our government is not subject to incompetence, or even corruption. It takes a vigilant citizenry to make a democracy work, and I heartily thank the people who make the effort to attend these meetings, and seek answers that are to the benefit of us all.