Why I would like to close JBLM

Here in the South Sound area, we have a major military base known as Joint Base Lewis-McChord. I have gone on some day trips that have taken me past the West side of the base. From what I have seen, that land would be better suited for a public park.


I'm not a big fan of the military. It seems to me that funds spent in an attempt to bully other nations is excessive. Even if you can defend the size of our bloated military, how can you defend the location? Modern military is far more mobile, and it would make more sense to focus military bases away from the public.

There is one serious benefit to having the base. Land that would have otherwise been developed was protected. JBLM is home to one of the best forested stretches along the Puget Sound. Unfortunately, that land is not accessible to the general public.

With how much the Puget Sound region has developed, I think that the public would be more eager to keep the natural areas intact. This is what I want. JBLM should be shut down and converted into park land.

There would be other benefits to shutting down JBLM. Opening up areas that are already partially developed could help absorb more of our growing population. This could help protect sensitive areas elsewhere that would otherwise be developed.

The base has an airfield that could be converted for other uses. One possibility would be to create a commuter airport that could take some of the strain off of SeaTac.

Another possibility would be the development of a theme park. There have been talks in the past about developing a theme park in the area. If land in an area accustomed to noise became available, it could be more suitable than any other location previously evaluated.

What are the benefits of keeping JBLM? Not much. An argument can certainly be made regarding employment and bringing money to the area, but it's no secret that I value quality of life over the economy. That would put parks over a noisy employer that brings people to our state who are only here due to obligation.

Some people might also argue that the military protects us, but I can honestly say that I do not feel any safer living so close to people who are trained to kill. Protection might make sense if our military were used to defend citizens rather than act as an offensive force overseas, but let's get real. Protecting citizens has nothing to do with our nation's modern military.