The comment period that was previously closed as of June 20 is now re-opened till the end of August. Comments may be sent to Nicholas Germanos at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia -- Email address removed">Nicholas. Email address removed
One of Greco's key criticisms was that according to Air Force scoring sheets, there were no structures within either the F-35 crash zone or the F-35 unsuitable-for-residential-use noise zone. At the same time, the Air Force environmental impact statement states that these areas include 2944 homes, 6675 people, 5 schools, 6 churches, and many businesses. That closely approximates reality on the ground.
Col. Freeman said the information about the areas being clear of buildings and people came from the National Guard office in Washington, D.C., who got their information from the Vermont National Guard in Burlington. So far there is no explanation for why the Vermont Guard, which desperately wants the F-35 in Burlington, managed not to account for the populated communities over which they fly almost every day.
Public support for the F-35 continues to be strong, but the Air Force's admissions of error haven't had time to sink in yet. An anonymous poster campaign asks people to "Please show your support for keeping the F-35 in Burlington," by signing a petition, although it doesn't explain how to "keep" something that doesn't yet exist.
The F-35 is not yet operational despite already being the world's most expensive weapons system ever. The F-35 had had development difficulties that put it currently a decade behind schedule and 100% over budget, with no firm readiness date yet. But testing of F-35 prototypes has been accelerating in recent months, apparently with some success and without serious setback, according to manufacturer Lockheed Martin. https://f35.com/news-events/news-releases.aspx
Public opposition also remains strong, and a measure off just how strong will be the turnout Thursday night to protest at the Democratic Party fundraiser at the Ethan Allen Homestead in Burlington. There they will confront U.S. Senators Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders, Congressman Peter Welch, and Governor Peter Shumlim, all of who have taken reflexively supportive positions on the F-35 without articulating any compelling rationale.
The organizers say their message for the state's titular leaders will be, "Stop the F-35! Support not destroying neighboring communities."
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