Letters

0 Comments | Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Jun 19, 2007

NORAD NOTES

Gazette report requires clarification

I would like to correct inaccuracies in The Gazette's June 15 article, "Closing NORAD may cost $12B." I would like to provide readers much-needed information that adds some balance to the discussion about Cheyenne Mountain.

North American Aerospace Defense Command is not Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station. The commander of NORAD and U.S. Northern Command has repeatedly said he has no intention of closing NORAD or Cheyenne Mountain. NORAD officials do not have the authority to close CMAFS. The United States Air Force, through Air Force Space Command, operates CMAFS.

NORAD and U.S. Northern Command will continue to leverage the investments previously made in Cheyenne Mountain.

Closing CMAFS (reportedly $12B) and moving some of the NORAD functions to Peterson Air Force Base from Cheyenne Mountain are two entirely different actions.

This article has done a serious disservice to the Colorado Springs community. It is simply inaccurate to associate moving NORAD personnel from CMAFS with costs identified with closing the entire CMAFS installation in the Base Realignment and Closure process. The two are separate and distinctly different actions.

We no longer face the same threats we faced 40 years ago. To meet the challenges of today's complex environment, NORAD and U.S. Northern Command need a single, primary operations center located at Peterson. The operations center in Cheyenne Mountain will continue to be manned as an alternate command center and location to train our people. The new command center at Peterson will encompass state- of-the-art equipment and connectivity to more than 150 other U.S. response organizations. This will allow better sharing of information and improved responses during times of emergencies.

We take our stewardship of taxpayer dollars very seriously; nevertheless, our return on taxpayer investment is not measured in share value or dividends as in the corporate world, but in freedom to live a life secure from attack. We are committed to defending our homeland and providing the public the most accurate information on our activities. The Gazette owes its readers the same commitment to accuracy.

Michael B. Perini

Director of public affairs

NORAD and USNORTHCOM

Colorado Springs

DO YOUR DUTY

Riders cannot clean up after their animals

I am so tired of The Gazette printing letters complaining about animal feces. As a former horse owner, I can tell you that it is literally impossible for a rider to clean up after his horse out on the trail. What is a rider to do, stop and pull a shovel from his trusty saddle bag to clean up when his horse stops to relieve himself? And what about deer, bear, mountain lion, elk and coyote feces? Maybe we should banish these animals from the trails, too.

Since the trails are part of our city's park system, I suggest the Parks and Recreation Department dispatch the little skid loaders used to remove snow from the trails in winter to those same trails on a weekly or monthly basis to clean up what cannot be done by riders or wildlife native to our area.

Dog feces should, of course, be picked up by dog owners. The little plastic bags sold at any pet store do the trick, and providing trash receptacles every half mile or so on the trails would certainly go a long way toward helping to solve the problem.

So please, quit complaining, people. Our trails are for everyone to enjoy, not just those of you who don't appreciate domestic animals or native wildlife.

Leslie C. May

Colorado Springs

OFF THE BEATEN PATH

Most off-road enthusiasts take care of the land

I was very disappointed and somewhat offended by the negative references to "4x4 outlaws" in the June 8 Quick Escapes feature of the Out There section. Just as all bikers are not gang members, the great majority of people who are into serious 4x4 off-roading "tread lightly" and are not tearing through trails, busting up campsites, scaring women and small children or causing chaos and destruction.

My family frequently explores national forest and Bureau of Land Management trails. We have often commented that the deeper or higher we go, the less trash there is; you must have a capable fourwheel- drive vehicle to access the land.

Just recently we were out off Highway 24 exploring when my 4- year-old son noticed trash and rubbish on a trail. He said, "Daddy, we need to stop and clean this up so that it does not get shut down and we can't four-wheel anymore." Of course, we stopped and cleaned up the broken bottles and other garbage.

I might add that this spot was easily accessible by any vehicle - - two-wheel-drive, four-wheel-drive or motorcycle.

The article unfairly portrayed all people who enjoy 4x4 off- roading.

Mikki Stull

Fountain