She said that the Navy wants to resume its training in Vieques because of the coordinated training that it allows and the unique qualities that it possesses. The panel's October report agrees with this conclusion.
But professors who signed Perl-Matanzo's petition disagree, wondering why the Navy couldn't use another spot for training.
"I can't figure out why the U.S. Navy can't find another place to test its weapons," said John Womack '59 Womack questioned whether such an extensively integrated training range was even necessary. "It's 1999," he said. "The United States faces no mighty threat to our shores." But the Navy's Jeffries disagreed that the training range is superfluous. "We believe it is vitally important to use the Vieques range," she said. "Recent operations in Iraq and Kosovo have shown how important it is to be ready [for combat]." The Oct. 18 report maintained that the Navy's operations in Vieques were important. It proposed that the Navy continue its presence in Vieques for five years while it looks for an alternate training site. Read more in NewsRecommended Articles
