The F-35 training makes Burlington a legitimate military target

As the proxy war with Russia escalates the danger increases

If you think it’s hot today, think how one hundred million degrees C will feel when you are hit with the nuclear fireball if the current proxy war with Russia escalates.

The map below shows the different damage zones for a ground-burst 340-kiloton nuclear bomb dropped on the F-35 jets at Burlington International Airport (BTV). To see the interactive map online click here

Blast and radiation zones for a nuclear strike targeting the F-35 jets at the airport in South Burlington.

If the war escalates, in a blinding flash, all of Burlington can be destroyed by a nuclear missile targeting the F-35 jets at Burlington International Airport (BTV). South Burlington, Winooski, Essex Junction, Williston, and Colchester will also be incinerated.

Eight Vermont Air National Guard F-35 jets armed with missiles are currently forward deployed to Spangdahlem Air Base  in Germany for NATO “air-policing” in Eastern Europe.

If the war escalates, those forward deployed F-35 jets, plus the remaining ones here at BTV, will be urgent and legitimate targets for Russian or Chinese nuclear missiles because each stealth, supersonic F-35 is itself capable of delivering a pair of B61-12 nuclear bombs.

So says the Department of Defense 2018 Nuclear Posture Review: “The United States is incorporating nuclear capability onto the forward-deployable, nuclear-capable F-35.” (page X). The Nuclear Posture Review further states that the F-35 is part of the “nuclear triad,” along with strategic bombers and land and submarine launched ballistic missiles. (page 16). It also states that “the B61-12 gravity bomb will replace earlier versions of the B61, and be available for [the F-35] beginning in 2021. (page 48). That means the B61-12 nuclear bomb is available for the F-35 right now.

Vermont Governor Phil Scott is the one with the constitutional (Art I, Sec. 8, Cl. 16) and the federal law authority over the training of the Vermont National Guard. Governor Scott is the one making the airport in the City of South Burlington a legitimate military target for Russia or China by continuing to order the training of the Vermont Air National Guard with F-35 jets from the runway at BTV.

Of course, the governor had the full collaboration of Guard commanders and of Senator Leahy and Senator Sanders and Congressman Welch. Vermont’s own political and military leaders are the ones responsible for foisting the F-35 on Vermont cities.

And they did it against the will of the people.

Voters adopted resolutions on town meeting ballots in Burlington in 2018 and in Winooski in 2021 respectively calling for “cancellation of the F-35 basing” and for “the state to halt the F-35 training flights in a densely populated area, such as Winooski.” The Burlington resolution won with 55.4% despite a massive $100,000 campaign against it. The Winooski resolution won with 67.1%.

Now is the time for political leaders to listen carefully to Vermonters. The decision to conduct the F-35 training in cities can immediately be reversed just by an order from the governor, who, under the Constitution, has full authority over the conduct of Vermont National Guard training.

Human shielding is a war crime

Using cities full of civilians—ironically the same civilians who voted to oppose the F-35 basing—for human shielding the F-35 jets is a war crime under the 4th Geneva Convention. (See Article 28). But it can stop now, and it must stop now. The commanders and the governor have the power to abort the illegal F-35 training in densely populated cities. They should use that power and put a stop to it now.

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 77 more so far 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>