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Fort Lewis missile testing may cause sonic booms

Monday, September 8, 2008 9:03 AM PDT

By The Associated Press

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FORT LEWIS, Wash. — Fort Lewis neighbors are accustomed to the sound of artillery. They could be hearing sonic booms from a new artillery rocket known as HIMARS.

The Army is conducting an environmental assessment to determine if HIMARS training can take place at the fort and the Yakima Training Center.

Army officials may decide next year whether to conduct a test firing. That would require that the fort harvest about 1,300 trees in a 41-acre acres south of I-5 above the Nisqually River.

Two HIMARS battalions started moving to Fort Lewis last year from Oklahoma and Germany. Each is equipped with 18 of the launchers, which can be carried aboard C-130 cargo planes.

The rockets knock out enemy artillery, air defense sites and troops.

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jibjab123 wrote on Sep 8, 2008 9:31 AM:

" The article states "The rockets knock out enemy artillery, air defense sites and troops.". I bet the rockets also knock out enemy fillings within a 5 mile radius! "

DW wrote on Sep 8, 2008 9:50 AM:

" Bring on the rockets baby.... "

Realist wrote on Sep 8, 2008 10:59 AM:

" I grew up in Lacey and hearing Ft. Lewis practice wasn't uncommon. One day, my aunt from Portland came up to see my Mom. They were sitting on the back porch enjoying an iced tea, suddenly... BOOM! BOOB BA BOOM! My aunt screamed, fell out of the chair and the iced tea went flying. "What the %$#@% was that?" she said. My mom looked at her and said, "What was what?" Even when I visit my parents now, I hardly notice the sounds. Sorry, I'm just trying to liven up Monday morning! :o) "

country gal wrote on Sep 8, 2008 11:13 AM:

" Realist: you made my day! "

Just a person wrote on Sep 8, 2008 12:32 PM:

" Let'em practice. It's great to know that they are getting the training/practice over here to use the skills over there. We should all be thankful we have yet to experience such attacks on our homeland "

happymom wrote on Sep 8, 2008 12:44 PM:

" realist..that reminds me of a camping trip to Mayfield Lake....on Sunday morning, cooking breakfast, there is a jet screaming over our head at the tree line so close, I literally had heart palpitations. "

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