Air Force sending F-35 jets from Eglin Air Force Base to train in Vermont July 12 to 28

US Air Force is reinforcing the vicious and illegal assault on Vermonters initiated by Vermont political and military leaders

Open Letter to Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Geraghty, Commander, Eglin AFB

Dear Brig. General Geraghty,
The article "Eglin Air Force Base F-35's set to train in Vermont" states that F-35 jets from Eglin Air Force Base will train from the Burlington International Airport in South Burlington Vermont from July 12 to 28. "Their scheduled take off windows are between 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. from July 13 to 15, July 18 to 22, and July 25 to 28."

Pilots from Eglin Air Force Base do not need to train from the runway in the most densely populated cities of Vermont

They have a perfectly good runway at Eglin Air Force Base.

In fact, Eglin Air Force Base has two runways: one aims directly at the City of Valparaiso, one mile from the end of the runway.  The other runway aims away from any populated area, as shown by this map.  

To settle a lawsuit filed by then Valparaiso Mayor Bruce Arnold, Eglin Air Force Base commanders agreed not to use the runway that aims at Valparaiso for routine F-35 training: The 2015 settlement allows “for takeoffs and landings on the runway that sends traffic over Valparaiso only in the event of emergencies, unplanned contingencies and weather." Thus, Air Force commanders stopped routinely assaulting civilians in Valparaiso with the 115-decibel F-35 jets hundreds of times a month.

In view of that agreement to protect civilians in a densely populated city, how do you justify now sending Eglin F-35 jets to assault 3,000 families in the working-class City of Winooski, which is also one mile from the end of the runway, and in the Chamberlin neighborhood of South Burlington, a densely populated area of over 1000 working-class homes lining both sides of the runway?

What is the reason for traveling to Vermont to assault civilians with the ear- and brain-damaging 115-decibel F-35 jets when the Air Force has a perfectly good runway it can use at Eglin Air Force Base that aims away from populated areas?

As the top commander at Eglin Air Force Base, you must know that bringing F-35 jets to a runway that is intermingled with densely populated cities will hurt thousands of civilian families. Among those families, some 1,300 children. Is that the purpose? Are you ordering Eglin AFB pilots to train with F-35 in the densely populated Vermont cities so they have practice hurting civilians? Practice hurting children?

Practice they can no longer get at Eglin Air Force Base in view of the agreement with the Mayor to use the runway that aims away from Valparaiso?

If you sustain the order to train with F-35 jets in Vermont cities you will knowingly violate Air Force Policy Directive 51-4 (par. 1.7) , Air Force Targeting Doctrine (p. 66-69), and DoD Directive 2311.01 (p. 3).
 
657 Vermonters submitted a Complaint to the Inspector General of the Vermont National Guard regarding the illegal F-35 training flights in densely populated cities that violate human rights and military regulations. Regulations that require commanders to protect civilians from all military operations, including military training.

Please immediately abort the planned F-35 training flights in densely populated Vermont cities. Please report those responsible for planning this gross abuse and violation for investigation by the Inspector General at Eglin Air Force Base and the Inspector General in the Pentagon. Please hold those responsible to account, as required by Air Force Instruction 51-401 and DoD Directive 2311.01. 
Thank you.
Best regards,
James Marc Leas

Write or call your public servants and demand an immediate halt to F-35 training in cities.

Governor Phil Scott 802-828-3333 Chief of Staff <Jason.Gibbs@vermont.gov>

Vermont National Guard's Complaint Line: 802-660-5379 (Note: the Vermont Guard told a reporter that it received over 1400 noise complaints. But the Guard won’t release what people said).

Submit your report & complaint to the active online F-35 Fall 2021-Summer 2022 Report & Complaint Form: https://tinyurl.com/5d89ckj9

See all the graphs and in-your-own words statements on the F-35 Spring-Summer 2021 Report & Complaint Form (513 responses): https://tinyurl.com/3svacfvx.

See links to the graphs and in-your-own words statements on all four versions of the F-35 Report & Complaint Form since Spring 2020, with a total of 1670 responses from 658 different people plus 74 more on the form that will remain active through summer 2022.

Senator Patrick Leahy 800-642-3193 Chief of Staff <john_tracy@leahy.senate.gov>

Senator Bernie Sanders 800-339-9834 <Senator@sanders.senate.gov>

Congressman Peter Welch 888-605-7270 Chief of Staff <patrick.satalin@mail.house.gov>

Burlington City Council <citycouncil@burlingtonvt.gov>

Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger <mayor@burlingtonvt.gov>

Winooski Mayor Kristine Lott <klott@winooskivt.org>

S. Burlington City Council Chair Helen Riehle <hriehle@sburl.com>

Williston Selectboard Chair Terry Macaig <macaig@msn.com>

VT Senate President Becca Balint <bbalint@leg.state.vt.us>

VT House Speaker Jill Krowinski <jkrowinski@leg.state.vt.us>

Attorney General TJ Donavan <DonovanTJ@gmail.com>

States Attorney Sarah George <Sarah.fair.george@gmail.com>

Vermont’s Federal Prosecutor <usavt.contactus1@usdoj.gov>

Adjutant General Brig Gen Gregory C Knight <gregory.c.knight.mil@mail.mil>

Major J Scott Detweiler <john.s.detweiler.mil@mail.mil>

Wing Commander Col David Shevchik david.w.shevchik@mail.mil

Vermont National Guard Inspector General Lt. Col. Edward J Soychak <edward.soychak@us.af.mil>

US Air Force Inspector General Lt. Col. Pamela D. Koppelmann <pamela.d.koppelmann.mil@mail.mil>

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall <Frank.Kendall@us.af.mil>