N.J. residents split over F-16 strafing

Washington Times ^ | Sunday, November 28, 2004

[JohnHuang2]

The Washington Times
www.washingtontimes.com

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N.J. residents split over F-16 strafing

Published November 28, 2004

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LITTLE EGG HARBOR, N.J. (AP) -- The night custodian was going about her rounds when she heard the patter of what sounded like footsteps on the roof of the Little Egg Harbor Intermediate School. She thought someone might be running atop the building, but police found nothing.
    The next morning, authorities realized what had made the sound: the impact of 20 mm rounds fired by a National Guard F-16 fighter on a nighttime training flight over a target range four miles away.
    The incident has divided residents of the fast-growing region around the Warren Grove Gunnery Range -- some fear for their safety, while others consider it profoundly unpatriotic to question the military during a time of war.
    "Had it missed the school and hit one of our houses, we'd be talking about dead bodies now," said Township Committeeman Arthur Midgley. "We can't have this. This must never happen again."
    But Terry Hickman, a 10-year Army Special Forces veteran, defended the range and the pilots who train there.

[7.62 x 51mm]

"...the patter of what sounded like footsteps..."

Wouldn't 20mm rounds do a boatload more damagwe and noise than 'pitter patter'? From my time in Nam, it would seem so. But, maybe there's a 'PC'-20mm I don't know about?

[FredZarguna]

Man, is that ever a dopey headline. Kind of reminds me of the story about Silent Cal (30th President) who once went to church without his wife, who was feeling poorly. On his return, the normally dutiful churchgoer tried to pry details from the reticent Coolidge. It supposedly went something like this:

"Well, dear, what was the sermon about?"
Calvin: "It was about sin."
"And what did the minister say about sin?"
Calvin: "He was against it."

Not really sure how the community "divides" over a friendly fire accident. Don't you have to be "against it?"

[pete anderson]

consider it profoundly unpatriotic to question the military during a time of war.

When the military turns their guns on American civilians on American soil I think it may okay to question the military.

[7.62 x 51mm]

damagwe = damage... but then, you knew that.

[Ichneumon]

Wouldn't 20mm rounds do a boatload more damagwe and noise than 'pitter patter'?

It said that the range was four miles away, I'd think that the rounds would have lost a lot of velocity by then.

[sinanju]

"...the patter of what sounded like footsteps..."

Wouldn't 20mm rounds do a boatload more damagwe and noise than 'pitter patter'? From my time in Nam, it would seem so. But, maybe there's a 'PC'-20mm I don't know about?
____________________________________________________________

I'm not an ordnance guy, but is it possible these training rounds have an inert, rather than HE filling?

[Slings and Arrows]

Yep - the training rounds are simple lead slugs.

[sinanju]

Yep - the training rounds are simple lead slugs.

Well! There's our answer.

[NaughtiusMaximus]

Isn't NJ a blue state? (Hey, suck it up, liberal weenies.)

[Stallone]

'residents split'.

Geez, that is dopey.

'Lumber town divided by chainsaw massacre.'

'New Yorkers up in arms over gun legislation.'

'Autoworkers crash party.'

'Boeing soars'.

'Hillary washes pantsuit after 12,325 consecutive wearings'.

[FredZarguna]

My all-time favorite, I believe from the NY Sun, Headless Torso Found in Topless Bar.

[FredZarguna]

But, maybe there's a 'PC'-20mm I don't know about?

Actually, it's called the French-20mm.

[nw_arizona_granny]

N.J. Ping

[MikefromOhio]

depends on which side of the building she was on....if she was on the opposite end, it could very well sound like pitter patter or whatever....

[Wiz]

Agree. If they hate the place and are showing an unpatriotic manner, they have the right to move to Canada. I live near a base and I don't complain because I know they are there to protect our country. I also believe our superior force do not often make a miss on their targets.

[Larry381]

I live near a base and I don't complain because I know they are there to protect our country. I also believe our superior force do not often make a miss on their targets.

...but when they do it might be a good idea to be in that old air raid shelter you built in 1959 especially when they start spraying the neighborhood with live 20MM AP rounds and have a few flares and a French flag ready to let them know you surrender.

[shubi]

"Not really sure how the community "divides" over a friendly fire accident. Don't you have to be "against it?"

If you were stupid enough to vote for Kerry, you might be for getting strafed by our own Air Force.

[shubi]

If it sounded like pitter patter, the school is too big. It is no wonder our kids are not getting good educations.

[Preech1]

I can see how a community might be split over a public school getting strafed by an F-16. I am a homeschooler, and if half the community were homeschoolers, I could see half of them saying "See!?! Public school is dangerous for the youths and the government knows it as well..."

(sarcasm off....)