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National Guard Catches Flak From Residents Over School Shooting
POSTED: 10:44 am EST November 9, 2004
LITTLE EGG HARBOR, N.J. -- Residents angry that an Air National Guard F-16 strafed an intermediate school last week fired back at the military Monday night, demanding it cease live-fire operations at a nearby target range.
The military is still investigating last Wednesday's incident in which a jet fighter on a nighttime training exercise accidentally fired 25 rounds from a 20mm cannon, some of which struck the Little Egg Harbor Intermediate School. A custodian was the only person in the part of the building that was hit at about 11 p.m., and no one was hurt.
Maj. Gen. David Wherley, commanding general of the District of Columbia National Guard, said no disciplinary action has been taken against the pilot, whose fitness to fly is still being evaluated.
At a community meeting called to discuss the incident, residents and township officials sharply criticized the military, demanding assurances it would not happen again.
"The fact that it hit a school is terrifying," said Becky Myers, who was holding her 8-month-old daughter Emily as she spoke. "Little Egg Harbor Intermediate is not out in the middle of nowhere. It could have hit across the street and gone through somebody's living room while their little kid was sleeping."
"It's very, very scary," added Kevin O'Rourke, whose son attends the school. "The kids showed up in class today and saw holes in the ceiling." Township Committeeman Arthur Midgley called the incident "an outrage, totally unacceptable." He called for the military to change its flight patterns in the area.
Brig. Gen. Maria Falca-Dodson, deputy adjutant general for the New Jersey National Guard, said the military shares residents' anxiety.
"We, too, find this unacceptable," she said. "We are as concerned as you are. We, too, have residents that are members of this unit and their children go to the schools here."
She estimated it would be at least 30 days before the investigation is completed.
The plane involved belonged to the 113th Wing of the District of Columbia Air National Guard, based at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.
The military has temporarily halted operations at the Warren Grove range, where the pilot was supposed to be aiming at a stationary target on the ground about 31/2 miles from the school.
Several residents were angry that the military did not notify the town of the incident, but instead responded to inquiries after damage was noticed at the school.
"As soon as they determined the weapon had fired, they stopped training and returned to Andrews and began the process of figuring out where those bullets went," said Wherley. "There was no way at 10 o'clock at night to figure out who do you call and who do you not call."
http://www.wnbc.com/...823/detail.html
POSTED: 10:44 am EST November 9, 2004
LITTLE EGG HARBOR, N.J. -- Residents angry that an Air National Guard F-16 strafed an intermediate school last week fired back at the military Monday night, demanding it cease live-fire operations at a nearby target range.
The military is still investigating last Wednesday's incident in which a jet fighter on a nighttime training exercise accidentally fired 25 rounds from a 20mm cannon, some of which struck the Little Egg Harbor Intermediate School. A custodian was the only person in the part of the building that was hit at about 11 p.m., and no one was hurt.
Maj. Gen. David Wherley, commanding general of the District of Columbia National Guard, said no disciplinary action has been taken against the pilot, whose fitness to fly is still being evaluated.
At a community meeting called to discuss the incident, residents and township officials sharply criticized the military, demanding assurances it would not happen again.
"The fact that it hit a school is terrifying," said Becky Myers, who was holding her 8-month-old daughter Emily as she spoke. "Little Egg Harbor Intermediate is not out in the middle of nowhere. It could have hit across the street and gone through somebody's living room while their little kid was sleeping."
"It's very, very scary," added Kevin O'Rourke, whose son attends the school. "The kids showed up in class today and saw holes in the ceiling." Township Committeeman Arthur Midgley called the incident "an outrage, totally unacceptable." He called for the military to change its flight patterns in the area.
Brig. Gen. Maria Falca-Dodson, deputy adjutant general for the New Jersey National Guard, said the military shares residents' anxiety.
"We, too, find this unacceptable," she said. "We are as concerned as you are. We, too, have residents that are members of this unit and their children go to the schools here."
She estimated it would be at least 30 days before the investigation is completed.
The plane involved belonged to the 113th Wing of the District of Columbia Air National Guard, based at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.
The military has temporarily halted operations at the Warren Grove range, where the pilot was supposed to be aiming at a stationary target on the ground about 31/2 miles from the school.
Several residents were angry that the military did not notify the town of the incident, but instead responded to inquiries after damage was noticed at the school.
"As soon as they determined the weapon had fired, they stopped training and returned to Andrews and began the process of figuring out where those bullets went," said Wherley. "There was no way at 10 o'clock at night to figure out who do you call and who do you not call."
http://www.wnbc.com/...823/detail.html
A lot of kids dream of blowing up their school, but precious few have actually carried out an air strike against their school.
Thanks to J m HofMarN for this one!
This post has been edited by Ninja Duck: 09 November 2004 - 12:47 PM
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