Proposed missile-defense system at Fort Custer gets first close-up look at public meeting

BATTLE CREEK, MI – Civilian members of the U.S. Department of Defense, military leaders and support contractors worked Tuesday evening to explain a missile defense system that could be built in Calhoun and Kalamazoo counties.

As part of the long process to decide which of four military installations the U.S. Department of Defense should build an intercontinental ballistic missile defense site to protect the eastern U.S., the Missile Defense Agency held the first of two public "scoping" sessions to answer questions from area people and invite them to provide input.

About 80 people spent time looking at poster illustrations of various aspects of the proposed project, watching a short video of how such a system works and questioning experts on Tuesday evening at McCamly Plaza Hotel in downtown Battle Creek.

A second gathering is scheduled for 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday in The Great Hall at the Sherman Lake YMCA, 6225 N. 39th St. in Augusta.

"The biggest thing (question) that a lot of folks had was whether it was armed," said Dane Kenney, chief engineer for the Missile Defense Agency's Ground Missile Ballistics.

The missiles that are to be used to shoot down any intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) fired at the United States, will not have an explosive element, said Kenney.

"We're a kinetic energy system ... that goes up and uses basic physics to destroy the inbound (ICBM)," he said.

The public sessions include no formal sit-down presentations. Visitors moved from one station to another to hear about different aspects of the proposed project, starting with how it has progressed thus far and how the Missile Defense Agency is using such events here and at the three other proposed locations to put together environmental impact statements.

The other locations are in Maine, Ohio and New York state. Congress has not approved the project, but the Missile Defense Agency has the green light to investigate the possibilities.

The interceptor missiles are what the military calls strike-to-kill projectiles. They have been likened to shooting a bullet with a bullet, and their success rate, at just over 50 percent, has caused some to question their effectiveness.

Lt. Col. Chris Snipes, program manager for the Continental United States Interceptor Site for the Missile Defense Agency, has confidence in the system and the need for it.

"This system would be used only in the nation's defense," Snipes said. "If any missiles or interceptors are fired from this location it would be because someone is firing at us."

MORE: Pros, cons of missile defense debated

The interceptors would destroy intercontinental ballistic missiles in outer space. Snipes said ICBMs need to travel that high to find and reach their targets.

The environmental impact statement that is being developed, which includes an assessment of the potential effect the project would have on the quality of life of area residents and on military personnel transferred here, is not expected to be completed for at least another 18 months.

There were no protestations, arguments or debates from those who attended the event.

Two tables with writing supplies were provided for those who wanted to express their thoughts and concerns in writing. A stenographer was also stationed in a quiet area to take down the thoughts, concerns and suggestions of anyone interested.

The event attracted any number of individuals who formerly worked at Fort Custer or had family connections there.

David Fruin of Battle Creek visited to learn what part or parts of the military training center were being considered and whether his business, a 112,000-squre-foot records retention facility, just north and east of Fort Custer would be affected.

Two areas in the south and southwest portions of the mammoth training center grounds are being considered, and are far removed from his business.

"I think it's good for the community; the construction alone (and) the amount of concrete they're going to pour to produce these things," Fruin said, referring to the 75-foot-deep concrete, in-the-ground silos that will house 20 to 60 interceptor missiles.

Construction of the project has been estimated to be about $700 million and the MDA estimates that the region-wide economic impact of the project will be about $3.2 billion, including 300 jobs directly and up to 1,800 jobs that support the project.

Fruin's wife, Kim, said she thought the event did a good job of presenting information.

"I think it's a fantastic opportunity for growth and jobs in Battle Creek," Kim Fruin said.

Among the many questions remaining to be answered are such things as how the project will safeguard the area's water systems and air.

Safeguarding the air includes more than the air quality. It includes how the project, which will have a secured no-fly zone above it, will reroute commercial air traffic on the busy travel routes between Detroit, Chicago, Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids and all parts south. Aircraft would have to fly around the missile defense zone.

Sandy Nordmark is concerned about how the project, which is expected to involve clear-cutting about 1,300 acres of trees and flattening what is now hilly terrain in the southern part of Fort Custer, will ensure that ground water and surface water are not contaminated.

"What we're really concerned about is ground water," said Nordmark, a Ph.D in fishery and wildlife administration who worked at Fort Custer before retiring several years ago and who has worked as a consultant. "Fort Custer is unique. The southeast corner, near I-94, has a tremendous amount of surface and groundwater, fed by a big area."

She said it supplies wells in a large area.

"I want to make sure they map those areas and understand how wide-ranging the influence would be if they disturbed, interrupted or destroyed that flow," Nordmark said.

Recharging a groundwater system is a slow process and once a groundwater system is contaminated, is it very difficult to decontaminate, she said.

"Battle Creek has a rich military heritage at Fort Custer and I believe this will be a great addition to our military presence in the area," said Thomas Charron, who retired in 2009 from the 110th Fighter Wing of the Air National Guard adjacent to Fort Custer at the W.K. Kellogg Airport. He was a master sergeant.

He said he thinks building such a system is wise particularly to deter unpredictable adversaries such as Iran and North Korea.

"If we make it doubly difficult for them to succeed in attacking our cities, it would pause them long enough so we would be able to push toward a peaceful resolution to whatever problem that might arise between our two nations," he said. "It would pause them for a diplomatic resolution between two nations."

But he said, "Diplomacy is only as effective as the force that backs it up and the will to use it."

His wife, Maryanne Charron, a retired school teacher, said, "My main concern was ... the impact on the environmental quality."

But she said she likes the idea of what the project would do to help the Battle Creek area economy.

Jayne Wilson, of Battle Creek, said, "I wanted to know what they're looking to make Fort Custer look like. They had maps of how it could be laid out, and the facility, and how it's going to look compared to the community."

But she said a lot is still undecided and she wants to know more about the jobs that might result from the project.

Wilson retired from the Air National Guard this past year after 27 years of service. She now works for another federal agency.

She said she is concerned about the project raising Fort Custer's visibility and potentially making it a bigger target for enemies. "All you have to do is watch the news everyday to be concerned," she said.

But she said site selection and environmental study is a long process and "after that, they said they may ask for another whole year of study."
She said, "I'm not against it. I definitely think Battle Creek could use the jobs and I would like to see how that would better our area."

What do you think?

Through Tuesday, a totally unscientific MLive poll asking readers if they think a missile system should be built at Fort Custer, resulted in 949 votes in favor (66.69 percent of the voters) to 156 votes against (22.35 percent). Readers who said they needed more information, cast 156 votes (10.96 percent).

You can access and take the poll by clicking here.

MLive Business writer Al Jones may be contacted at ajones5@mlive.com. Follow me on Twitter at ajones5_al.

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