Olympic Peninsula Beaches Training Grounds for Navy SEALs

In his excellent article, Truthout‘s Dahr Jamail has exposed plans that the Navy is proposing combat military training on our beaches with the famed Navy SEALs. The militarization of the Olympic Peninsula is happening right under our noses. During these training exercises, what will happen to the real seals, sea lions, whales, and all the birds that frequently surround Protection Island, Admiralty Inlet and all other coastal waterways?

I found out that politicians and other reporters are being told that the Navy “has not decided whether to even propose this additional SEALs training—and the January date is not accurate.” The detailed Navy slideshow PDF depicts a very well-thought-out plan in all of Puget Sound. Here is what one of the slides states:

FY16 TRAINING REQUEST

• Currently for FY16 NSWG3 is:

Requesting environmental and real estate support for 6 new areas in addition to  the 21 received for FY16, along with the 1 in the EIS brings the total of training areas requested to 28.

• Two training cycles:
  • The first from mid-January through mid-February 2016
  • The second from mid-February through mid-April 2016

It is absolutely befuddling to think that military vessels, airplanes, soldiers, and weapons will soon “decorate” our entire Olympic Peninsula.

If you live in Washington state, please write to Representative Derek Kilmer right away and let him know that, proposed or not, our recreational beaches and public areas must not be turned into military combat training areas. It is hazardous to humans, wildlife and our entire marine ecosystem.

Thank you!

Connie Gallant
Board President