Miramar to Close.

[46Driver]

Just saw a list of the proposed bases to be closed with the 2005 BRAC (Base Re-Alignment and Closure plan) Miramar is on the list. Others include the NAS Meridian, Vance AFB, Marine Corps Recruiting Depot San Diego, and Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Center.

Miramar will be interesting. It is home to 4 CH-46E squadrons as well as 4 CH-53E squadrons. Where they will go, who knows. Edwards AFB? March AFB? MCAS Yuma (Arizona)? 29 Palms (the desert in California)? Or will the skid squadrons move out of Pendleton to Yuma or 29 Palms and the Transports go to Pendleton? (Pendleton is not big enough to absorb those 8 squadrons from Miramar.)

 

[jthorp]

Whoa!!

Holy Crap!! Isn't there a C-130 squadron there, too? B/c I thought was one of our loooong list of three station choices!!

 

[bunk22]

I hope if doesn't make the final cut. It's a great place to bounce for FCLP's. Othewise it's El Centro

 

[Crowbar]

Yeah, don't forget the 6 or 8 Hornet squadrons there. Those damn hippies in California have been wanting to close Miramar at least as long as the Marines have been there. The rich people dont like that the helos take off, then fly close to their expensive beach homes while headed north towards Pendleton.

I really hope it won't go away. They already took El Toro and Tustin from us, all of which went to Miramar. I doubt if Yuma can take the great influx of people/aircraft (2 whole MAG's). Hopefully it won't all go to 29 Palms. Maybe like 46 Driver said, just split everything up. Fixed wing to North Island maybe? I think that place is overcrowded as it is, though. But if they were to do that, there's plenty of small airfields on the west coast where everything could be split up and sent to. That would be logistical and maintenance hell, though, splitting MAG's like that. Oh, well, I guess we'll just have to see what happens.

Not to mention MCRD. That's been "in the works" for years so they can expand that airport. Where would the Marine Corps be if it lost its primo recruit depot (I think I heard of some island somewhere...)? That debate has been going on for many years, the first I heard of it was in 1995. Which means it was probably an issue when I went to boot camp there in 1994. Guess those kinds of things just aren't big issues with the recruits...

 

[NozeMan]

Like Crowbar suggested, what about North Island? I know that within the next few years, the Navy will be phasing out it's S-3 squadrons, half of which are based at North Island. That would make a lot of room for the Hornets that are at Miramar. Don't know if they'd have room for all of the helos though, considering there are already a ton of Navy ones there.

 

[bunk22]

Originally posted by NozeMan
Like Crowbar suggested, what about North Island? I know that within the next few years, the Navy will be phasing out it's S-3 squadrons, half of which are based at North Island. That would make a lot of room for the Hornets that are at Miramar. Don't know if they'd have room for all of the helos though, considering there are already a ton of Navy ones there.

That's a pipe dream. The complaints from the locals from just S-3 noise is many as it is. Sound abatement is huge there and there is no way they would let Hornets fly out of NI.

I remember bouncing one day at Miramar. We would arrive at base ops and one of the ground crews would take us to the LSO shack. We were out there for about 2 hours and when we got back to base ops, the CDO looked a bit flustered. In those two hours, there were 61 complaints about our aircraft making too much noise. The jets are noisy but fast so I guess our slow moving props just drove the locals crazy.

 

[phrogdriver]

We should ditch Miramar. The locals are nothing but trouble with their whining. Move everyone to Yuma.

 

[Q-ball]

I heard of possibly moving the jets to Lemore and a majority of the helos to 29 Palms or Yuma. If that does happen there will be a lot of unhappy west coast Helo guys. Six weeks in the "stumps" for CAX is bad enough, who'd want to be there for 4 years.


Q

 

[46Driver]

If I had to take a guess for the helo side of the house:

Pendleton currently has 4 skid squadrons, 2 Phrog squadrons, and the Phrog FRS.
Expect all of those squadrons to move to either Yuma or 29 Palms.
Expect the 4 Phrog squadrons and the 4 CH-53E squadrons to move from Miramar to Pendleton.

This way, the transports are closer to the grunts while the skids get more open ranges. Question is: are all of the Phrog squadrons on the West Coast in the float cycle? I remember the 2 Pendleton Phrog squadrons were non-deploying for a while. Having them out at 29 Palms would certainly make life easier for the East Coast CH-46 squadrons.

Q-ball, you are correct - there are going to be some mighty unhappy West Coast helo pilots.

 

[phrogdriver]

They'd probably spuce things up a bit at the Stumps if everyone moved there. I'm an East Coast guy, but everyone says the situation at Miramar is almost intolerable as far as training goes. As the place becomes more of a high-density urban megalopolis, the pressure on that base will only get worse. At least 29 Palms and Yuma's neighbors don't complain much. Well, at Yuma they don't call the base because they're afraid of the INS, but that's another story.

 

[stevew]

Originally posted by phrogdriver
We should ditch Miramar. The locals are nothing but trouble with their whining. Move everyone to Yuma.

I say keep Miramar and ditch the locals!!

 

[paikea]

Originally posted by bunk22

Originally posted by NozeMan
Like Crowbar suggested, what about North Island? I know that within the next few years, the Navy will be phasing out it's S-3 squadrons, half of which are based at North Island. That would make a lot of room for the Hornets that are at Miramar. Don't know if they'd have room for all of the helos though, considering there are already a ton of Navy ones there.

That's a pipe dream. The complaints from the locals from just S-3 noise is many as it is. Sound abatement is huge there and there is no way they would let Hornets fly out of NI.

I remember bouncing one day at Miramar. We would arrive at base ops and one of the ground crews would take us to the LSO shack. We were out there for about 2 hours and when we got back to base ops, the CDO looked a bit flustered. In those two hours, there were 61 complaints about our aircraft making too much noise. The jets are noisy but fast so I guess our slow moving props just drove the locals crazy.

I ate breakfast the Hotel Del Coronado back in the summer. I remember all those S-3s flying around and it was probably a good couple hundred feet from the hotel. Personally, I loved it.

 

[airwinger]

Please keep Miramar, otherwise how can we keep that dream on your selection card of:
1.Hornets WEST(Miramar)
2.Hornets WEST(Miramar)
3.Hornets WEST(Miramar)
4.Hornets Anywhere
5.wings

 

[E5B]

Originally posted by phrogdriver
At least 29 Palms neighbors don't complain much.

What neighbors? lol

 

[Enishi1983]

well, maybe miramar will disappear due to the damn hippies with their flower power, but my memories of TOP GUN will live on forever...