Camp Pendleton Is Not a Good Airport Option

* I would like to respond to the commentary by John Graham (“Send in the Marines to End Argument Over an O.C. Airport,” Orange County Voices, Dec. 31) regarding his views for Camp Pendleton to serve as the location of a major international airport. As the base commander, I take great exception to his notion that a civilian airport should be put here.

Those who truly understand the nature of Camp Pendleton’s mission and the full extent of military training operations occurring here daily, to include hazardous live-fire activities by ground and aviation forces, are clearly aware that the siting of a civilian airport on this base does not make sense and would be totally incompatible with the Marine Corps’ mission.

This base is home to 35,000 Marines and sailors of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. It is arguably one of the busiest installations in the country, and a cornerstone of Marine Corps’ amphibious training and war-fighting capabilities. Those who are familiar with Camp Pendleton’s geography also understand that, because of the mountainous terrain covering 80% of the base, in reality there’s relatively little land suitable for the placement of an airport.

Those areas having topography more suitable for airport operations are, ironically, also those land areas most encumbered by environmental restrictions. Finally, when considering the presence of an existing large military airfield facility on Camp Pendleton, coupled with over 240 square miles of FAA-designated Special Use Airspace (which overlies the base to protect adjacent civil aviation operations against the hazards of live-fire military training activities), it’s easy to understand why building an international civilian airport at Camp Pendleton is illogical.

As to his comments that “the Marines don’t need big beaches anymore” and “beach landings haven’t been used since the Korean War,” I’m afraid he’s way out of touch with national defense doctrine. In today’s world, as much as ever, the Navy and Marine Corps mission requires these two services be capable of projecting U.S. military power ashore from the sea whenever the protection of our national interests may require it.

EDWARD HANLON JR.

Major General, U.S. Marine Corps

Commanding General

Camp Pendleton

* John Graham, a business professor at UCI, didn’t say that reports ultimately disqualified the base as being a commercial airport for several reasons, mainly because of the military’s strong objections and promised battle to the proposal.

But even airline officials were objecting and cited numerous and serious problems associated with sharing the airfield with the military. One was that the military would rightfully be in control and thus could demand precedent over commercial air transportation operations on the property. Critical concerns with that site were evident then, and the reasons for them exist today.

Next, Mr. Graham said that the decision to nix Pendleton was made with consultation from the mayor of Newport Beach. By leaving out crucial information, he made it appear as if Newport Beach and the county did not want Pendleton and conspired to stop an airport at the base. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Several years before, our county government had made an agreement with Newport Beach officials to find another suitable airport site if the city would allow a John Wayne Airport expansion. Newport kept its end of the bargain and the county was trying to keep its. The mayor’s letter was actually a disappointed concurrence that the evidence did indeed indicate Pendleton had fatal flaws and therefore could not serve as the site promised them.

By the way, it was not Newport Beach that objected to Pendleton at public meetings during that time, but--you guessed it--South County people. Yes, the same ones who now oppose and are fighting the El Toro airport.

It is wrong for people such as Graham to state that a major international airport at Pendleton is a sound idea because that offers false hope at a time when it is critical to forge ahead with the more viable options.

BARBARA LICHMAN

Airport Working Group Director

Newport Beach