If the Joint Strike Fighter 35-B (JSF 35-B) scenario unfolds as many of us would like, there will be another “new day” for MCAS Beaufort in December when The Department of The Navy announces that two training and three operational squadrons of the state of the art (space age to those of us over 60) Joint Strike Fighter 35-B (Alternative 1) will be based in Beaufort.

Having read the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the JSF 35-B, I am certain Beaufort will see some changes. How many people will be coming? What companies will move here to create jobs to support the initiative? What will be the difference in “sound”? What will be the number and frequency of flights? And will there be new and better opportunities for our young people? (If we are serious about improving public education, we must be equally serious about bringing more meaningful jobs to the area.)

I urge you to look at the following website, www.usmcjsfeast.com, so you too can learn more about the opportunity. Furthermore, I would encourage you to post comments, as I will post this, in the public comments section of the same web site.

I strongly support what is referred to in the report as “Alternative 1”, with the understanding that an Auxiliary Landing Field will be necessary. Let me explain.

I remember the day when — sitting in Mrs. Johnson’s fourth grade mobile classroom behind Beaufort High School (now the site of Beaufort Elementary) — the first new Marine Crusaders made their first flight over Beaufort signaling to the community that the abandoned Naval Air Station was reactivated as Marine Corps Air Station, Beaufort.

We were excited about new classmates (and teachers) that would be transferred in to Beaufort. We were told there would be better jobs for those who lived here..

It took a little while to get used to the sounds of jets roaring over our small town. Beaufort was, at the time, perhaps a little “too quiet” for many of the younger people growing up here. But not long thereafter, MCAS, its aircraft and families became – and have since been – an integral part of the fabric of our community.

Over the years, many of us have developed strong business and personal relationships with military personnel and their families. Many “military brats” (as we then called them) like Joan Webster Fordham, Sue Ann Carver Reedy, Pat Conroy, Connie Hipp, Kathy Conroy Harvey, Pat Owings Alley, Stephanie Edwards — to name only a very few among the many – adopted Beaufort as their hometown and have since contributed to the betterment of the community. We know civil engineers and building contractors who work almost exclusively at MCAS.

Today, the annual economic impact of MCAS Beaufort is more $615 million, which is to say nothing of the human resources and rich cultural diversity the military brings to Beaufort. Perhaps even more importantly, many of us feel that by hosting the military in Beaufort, our community is contributing to a strong and vital national defense.

And finally, the JSF 35-B is the aircraft of the future for Marine Corps aviation and what we know today will be phased out. If this aircraft is not incorporated into MCAS Beaufort’s future, we could lose the base and its annual economic impact of $615 million. This would be a huge blow to our economy.

The other day, I received the following letter from a “concerned taxpayer.”

“I realize allowing more squadrons and aircraft into MCAS Beaufort means more revenue for local businesses and the City and County of Beaufort, BUT at what price? . . . . Now, the amount of noise generated by Marine aircraft in and out of MCAS Beaufort can be very annoying, especially flying at night and sometimes even up to midnight. I would hope that the Marines can comprehend that most people enjoy their evening hours at home and would prefer that the noise within the home can be controlled with a volume button, not drowned out with jet noise. . . . If a vote should ever come about, I would check the box to eliminate MCAS Beaufort altogether.”

I understand the writer’s concern. At the same time I hope the writer will understand our community’s concern for the 8,800 jobs, the $615 Million economic impact and the hope for a brighter future and even better job opportunities.

Furthermore, I hope that those who have recently moved to Beaufort understand and can appreciate, as many of us do, the more than a century long relationship between the Marine Corps and the Citizens of Beaufort County. I hope they will understand that Parris Island expanded during the depression giving many without hope the means for a brighter future at one of the dimmest times in American History. And I hope they will understand that the recession proof military presence in Beaufort continues to be the main stay of our economy.

Over the past several years, local governments, land owners have been preparing for this opportunity.

Beaufort County’s Rural and Critical Lands Program purchased development rights of 719 acres around MCAS Beaufort, protecting the Air Station from construction that might affect or intrude on air operations

In partnership with MCAS, the Beaufort County Open Land Trust purchased development rights protecting 520 acres
Beaufort County, the City of Beaufort and the Town of Port Royal are creating a Transfer of Development Rights program to help mitigate encroachment, if necessary in the future, around MCAS. (This program is viewed by the Department of Defense as a model project like no other in the country.)
Beaufort County Council, and all of our municipalities in concert with six neighboring counties, passed resolutions that support bringing the JSF 35-B to MCAS Beaufort.
In closing, I ask all to leave comments on the website and to join me and many others in supporting the JSF 35-B in Beaufort and the inclusion of an Auxiliary Landing Field which will undoubtedly mitigate the potential differences in noise that may come with the change.

Let’s not be afraid to open our eyes to a brighter day for our hometown!

Billy Keyserling
billyk@islc.net