Ecton, complaints send wrong message to military
Ecton, complaints send wrong message to military
Sept. 30, 2003 12:00 AM
If Wayne Ecton were just another citizen in Scottsdale, his declaration that military jets are not welcome at Scottsdale Municipal Airport would amount to nothing more than a muted gripe uttered around the office water cooler.
As a member of the City Council, however, his words carry a lot of the same meaning as signs posted in windows by proprietors hostile to members of the armed forces: "Soldiers, sailors and dogs keep out."
Ecton issued a formal apology under a barrage of criticism from his constituents, but whether it is accepted remains to be seen. It is extremely difficult to unring a bell.
Ecton apparently reflected the sentiments of Scottsdale residents annoyed by the noise of six F-18 jet fighters operated by the Navy and Marine Corps that made refueling stops at the airport in recent weeks. Rick Luango, who lives close to the airport, said some of the jets "scared the living daylights" out of his wife as she was taking a shower.
True enough, military jets are noisier on takeoff than the corporate passenger jets that commonly come and go at the airport, but surely a Scottsdale resident with even the most sensitive ears and easily jangled nerves can put up once in a while with what amounts to a sound of freedom. The roar can even be comforting.
When an Air Force F-16 made a low pass over the burning Pentagon on Sept 11, 2001, survivors and rescue crews on the ground joined in a loud cheer, thankful for being protected from another flying bomb that might be headed their way. Combat infantry soldiers in wars from Korea to Iraq also have been elated by the roar of close-support fighter jets flashing overhead.
Ecton and his small following apparently fail to realize that fighter jets do not simply materialize in the sky at the hour they are desperately needed. They show up in the right place at the right time because of hours upon hours of combat crew training. That vital process no doubt brought the F-18s to Scottsdale Airport. It's only a guess, but there may have been another reason: The military may be checking out the potential of operating during a crisis from secondary airports not likely to be prime targets of a terrorist attack.
No matter the reason for the military jet use of the airport, some people will complain, those who apparently seek to defy the three rules of real estate purchases: location, location, location. They buy homes close to an airport, then start complaining about aircraft noise as soon as a telephone is installed. That sort of complaint contributed to the closing of Williams Air Force Base east of Chandler and imperils the future of Luke Air Force Base on the west side.
The military is sensitive to the public's complaints. Flight patterns have been altered at military air bases, including Luke, to mitigate noise. Once the word gets around the operations rooms of military squadrons, commanders and briefing officers will put the Scottsdale Airport off limits unless there is some compelling military reason to use it. So it won't be necessary for Ecton to campaign for big letters painted on the Scottsdale Airport runway: NO MILITARY.
With the United States at war, however, all of Scottsdale ought to welcome jet fighters. The complainers can continue to grouse about the flocks of corporate jets hauling millionaires to Scottsdale for a weekend of golf or whatever, even though those flights doubtless contribute mightily to the tourist business. Scottsdale can deal with the fun birds in whatever way it chooses.
For now, however, the City Council should promptly enact a resolution - even with Ecton presumably voting no - that welcomes the military to Scottsdale Airport, or anywhere in the city, and dispatch it to the Department of Defense asking that it be circulated to posts, camps, stations and bases around the world.
Jay Brashear was a reporter, editorial writer and editor of the editorial page for The Phoenix Gazette, retiring after 39 years with that newspaper. He can be reached at
scottsdalebuzz@yahoo.com. The views expressed are those of the author.