Round-the-clock artillery exercises at Camp Pendleton generating noise complaints

North County Times ^ | 8-17-09 | Mark Walker

[greedo]

CAMP PENDLETON ---- While artillery men generally consider blowing things up a slice of heaven, the loud booms emanating from Camp Pendleton day and night of late has left many outside the gates saying they are experiencing a slice of hell.

"I don't object to noise during normal hours and I don't mind it up until about 10 p.m., but they need to have a little consideration for people who need peace and quiet so they can sleep," said Allen Mortend, a longtime Oceanside resident who lives just outside the base gates.

Base officials say they have received dozens of noise complaints from Temecula to Carlsbad to sometimes San Marcos as the artillery barrages go on.

On Monday, they invited reporters and a couple dozen other civilians to witness crews from the 1st Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment honing their targeting and firing skills and to explain why the shells are being fired round the clock.

"It's the sound of Marines training, and we know it's loud," said Lt. Col. Bob Manion. "But many of these units are deploying soon, and in the artillery there's a low tolerance for mistakes. You can't simulate it; you have to get out and do it."

Manion's boss, Col. Larry Holcomb, the battalion commander, put it a little more succinctly.

"We are a nation at war, and sometimes people forget that," he said.

The unit has been practicing its deadly skills since a week ago Monday. The firing continues at night, battalion commanders said, because their troops need to be proficient in the dark as well as daylight.

Crews are firing M198 howitzers and M777 cannons, a newer version the battalion is incorporating that weighs about 9,200 pounds, nearly half the weight of a howitzer.

[greedo]

A High Mobility Artillery Rocket System is launched at Camp Pendleton by Battery T, 5th Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment,
1st Marine Division, July 29, during a centralized fire direction exercise  by Cpl. Shawn Coolman

U.S. Marines assigned to Weapons Company, Task Force 2d Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force - Afghanistan, fire a mortar round during combat operations  by Sgt. Ray Lewis

The United States Marine Corps (USMC) M-198 155mm Howitzer gun crew of 4th Battalion, 14th Marines, Mike Battery, Gun 4, left to Right, Sergeant Justin Grafton (gunner), Private First Class Matthew Camp (cannoneer), Sergeant Mike Dasher (section chief), Lance Corporal Josh Rosenberger (cannoneer), Corporal Will McGee (assistant gunner), Corporal Jonathan Layman (ammunition team chief), and Lance Corporal Jonathan Fox (cannoneer). Marines at Camp Fallujah, Iraq, engage enemy targets in support of Operation Phantom Fury.  by Lance Corporal Samantha L. Jones, USMC

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Camp Pendleton "noise advisory"

[Riley]

While artillery men generally consider blowing things up a slice of heaven,

That would be Combat Engineers and EOD guys. Artillerymen blow things up that are far away.

I'm close enough to Quantico that occasionally I'll hear something go 'boom'. Not close enough to be an annoyance, though.

[R. Scott]

I wonder what was there first, Camp Pendleton or Mr. Mortend. He reminds me of the idiots who move in beside an airport and then complain about the noise.

[GeronL]

Wow, that is some epic crap.

[greedo]

Wiki says Camp Pendleton was built in 1942.

Anybody who bought a house after that knew exactly what they were getting.

[jude24]

I wonder what was there first, Camp Pendleton or Mr. Mortend

This is a growing problem. Consider, as another example, Camp Bullis in San Antonio, Texas. It used to be in the middle of nowhere, but now pricey homes are popping up adjacent to that Army base, and people are complaining about hearing artillery in the middle of the night.

Personally, I say Mission First.

[ardara]

Mr.Mortend is a colossal JERK!
Semper Fi

[tlb]

Facing the same problem, the Germans built the world’s largest silencer.

http://www.panzerbaer.de/images/bw_pzh_155mm_m109_schalldaempfer_wtd_meppen-001.JPG

[albie]

but they need to have a little consideration for people who need peace and quiet so they can sleep,”

...wonder how he’d feel about the “dirty bomb” or a nuclear warhead going off during his “peace and quiet”?

[greedo]

The Marines would only be interested in technology that makes artillery...LOUDER.

[don-o]

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Rock on you Devil Dogs!

[don-o]

Thought you might be interested in the pics, if not the idiocy revealed in the story.

[wolfcreek]

I grew up next to the largest military complex in the free world, Ft. Hood, TX.

That’s the sound of FREEDOM, BABY!

[BlueLancer]

Having lived on or around Fort Hood since 1975, the sound of artillery, close air support, and Abrams and Bradleys firing on their tables is like thunder, both distant and close. When they're really going at it, my house vibrates slightly, like a boat on rolling waves.

Personally, I love it, as does my family and my pets. I live about 10 miles from the ranges, so I must admit that I don't get the crack and bang of close-in fire, but the rolling ground and pounding thunder is something that helps to put me to sleep at night.

When I used to live in Midland, Michigan, when I got up in the morning and smelled Dow Chemical Company doing their stuff, I knew that it was the smell of my father making money.

Here by Fort Hood, it's the sound of freedom.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RESISTOR

Swear allegiance to the flag, whatever flag they offer;
Never hint at what you really feel.
Teach the children quietly for, someday, sons and daughters
Will rise up and fight while we stood still.

Der Elite Møøsënspåånkængrüppen ØberKømmändø (EMØØK)

[DemforBush]

"Crews are firing M198 howitzers and M777 cannons, a newer version the battalion is incorporating that weighs about 9,200 pounds, nearly half the weight of a howitzer."

I saw the M777 on R. Lee Ermey's new show on History Channel (forget the name). That is one *impressive* piece of field artillery.

As for the complaints... my only complaint would be that I didn't get a ringside seat to watch the stuff going BOOM!

[Crazieman]

I live near McConnell AFB in Wichita, KS. Before the B1s were pulled out of it, a wonderful sound was a deep, deep, thunderous rumbling, and sometimes a roar depending on the wind. The B1s were playing with their afterburners again.

I don’t know if there were complaints though.

[R. Scott]

We’ve had a similar case here. Oceana Naval Air Station was out in the middle of nowhere but Virginia Beach slowly encroached. Now it’s surrounded by homes, shopping centers, a mall and a school. People who lived there only a few years organized and wanted to close the base because of noise.
What did they expect?

[HiramQuick]

stationed at the Navy Base, Hensley Field (now defunct) in the late 70’s I would catch 30 - 40 noise abatement calls a night from the then silk stocking neighborhood of Las Colinas 10 miles to our north. 4 squadrons of phantoms, all reservists and doing night ops would come back in, Rwy 17, turnbase leg onto final 3000 feet right over Las Colinas.

The standard response ..”Did you see a red star on the tail ... no ... Thank God we are safe again.”

The same dirtballs that built their million dollar homes in the early 70’s KNEW they were building their exclusive Ben Nelson country club on the flight plan. The same morons formed a group to try and force us to shorten our downwind leg to 5 miles. Couldn’t get it through their thick heads approach in a Phantom is not like pulling into your driveway in your Benz.

RWY 35 was a different story ... our TCA only extended 1000 ft past the field boundary to the north but rose to 30,000 feet. (Regional DFW controlled the airspace from there north) Launching was always a problem, waiting for slots and permission from a godawful busy DFW. Our solution to avoid hour waits for approval ... launch and stand the old F-4’s vertical on burner and reach 20000 within field boundaries. Grand Prairie took the brunt of the noise .. their response .. most of them were on the railroad tracks at the perimeter of the base applauding as we stayed on burner .. it was a heck of a show a heck of ride and not very fuel efficient. Noisy as well.

Freedom always comes at a cost.

[HiramQuick]

Not Ben Nelso, Byron Nelson ... old age ... finding the gingko biloba

[wolfcreek]

My Mom and GM live near the turn-around for jets patrolling the Bush Crawford ranch to boot.