| Chapter Five of Pax Americana: The Military Industrial Complex and the War On Terror by Danny Quintana |
| Journey Through the War Factory |
Our large, beautiful country produces virtually every type of product and service on Earth. Weapons are only one small segment of industrial
production. However, despite the fact that there is a lot more to our economy and our country then the Pentagon, the defense spending
coalition enjoys incredible political power. And as we travel through our great country we can clearly see how and why the defense spending
coalition is so powerful.
It does not matter where you live in America. All you have to do is get in your large sports utility vehicle and start driving. Within one to two
hours from your home, in every major city of every state there is either a defense contractor or a military base. Politically, the defense
spending coalition is up there with the insurance lobby and tobacco and firearms lobby in terms of power in the beltway.
Our journey through the war factory begins from my small home in West Valley, Utah. Approximately, five miles from my front door, we meet
defense contractor, Alliant Tech Systems. In their own words: ATK—Alliant Techsystems—is a $3 billion aerospace and defense company
with leading positions in propulsion, composite structures, munitions, and precision capabilities. The company employs approximately 15,200
people and has three business groups: Aerospace, Precision Systems, and Ammunition.
Their Aerospace division is headquartered in Magna, Utah approximately 20 miles from Salt Lake City. With gross revenues of over $3.47
billion and several plants in Utah, it is an important component of this state’s economy. It is one of the largest employers in Salt Lake County. 1
production. However, despite the fact that there is a lot more to our economy and our country then the Pentagon, the defense spending
coalition enjoys incredible political power. And as we travel through our great country we can clearly see how and why the defense spending
coalition is so powerful.
It does not matter where you live in America. All you have to do is get in your large sports utility vehicle and start driving. Within one to two
hours from your home, in every major city of every state there is either a defense contractor or a military base. Politically, the defense
spending coalition is up there with the insurance lobby and tobacco and firearms lobby in terms of power in the beltway.
Our journey through the war factory begins from my small home in West Valley, Utah. Approximately, five miles from my front door, we meet
defense contractor, Alliant Tech Systems. In their own words: ATK—Alliant Techsystems—is a $3 billion aerospace and defense company
with leading positions in propulsion, composite structures, munitions, and precision capabilities. The company employs approximately 15,200
people and has three business groups: Aerospace, Precision Systems, and Ammunition.
Their Aerospace division is headquartered in Magna, Utah approximately 20 miles from Salt Lake City. With gross revenues of over $3.47
billion and several plants in Utah, it is an important component of this state’s economy. It is one of the largest employers in Salt Lake County. 1
During the Depot’s heyday, over 4,000 employees were working at jobs that included everything from repairing military equipment to
detonating munitions. The Depot witnessed the end of World War II in the late 1940’s, the Korean War in the early 1950’s, the Vietnam War in
the 1960’s, and the brief Gulf War in 1991. The Depot could not survive the peace dividend of the Clinton Administration. From their website
they state the following:
Tooele Army Depot (TEAD) was established in 1942 in an area with a historical tradition of Indian cultures. Early Desert Archaic Indians
inhabited the Tooele Valley and probably a portion of the North Area some 11,000 years ago. They were followed by the Late Desert
Archaics, the Fremont culture, and the Numic-speaking culture. The Goshute people, who currently inhabit reservations in the surrounding
area, are descendants of the Numic-speaking culture. 2
In 1996, this ammunitions storage depot and equipment repair facility was virtually shut down as the arms race lost it’s momentum and the US
re-aligned this hundreds of other defense facilities nationally. Today, approximately 532 people are employed at this once vibrant facility than
once had over 4,000 workers. 3
The base re-alignment process closed hundreds of military bases nationally over the intense political objections of the various politicians and
their affected constituents. Many employees found employment elsewhere and others just moved to new communities. My aunt Edith moved
from her home in San Antonio to Ogden, Utah to work at Hill Air Force Depot, after Kelly Air Force Base was re-aligned. When the Tooele
Army Depot was “re-aligned” over 3,000 jobs were immediately lost. People had their lived disrupted. Some workers got divorced, and others
found new jobs and the older ones just retired into history.
In Tooele County at Rush Valley our nation has built an incinerator to destroy American chemical weapons of mass destruction. Tooele
County has 44% of the nations’ chemical weapons stockpile that would make them a superpower if they ever seceded from the union. Several
of my friends work there. Some of the employees were fired for refusing to falsify documents regarding the problems with destroying some of
the most deadly chemicals ever created. The plant cost over One Billion Dollars employs approximately 903 people if you include the private
company and major defense contractor, E G & G that manages the facility. 4 The pay is good and the work, like all industrial work, is very
dangerous. If you don’t watch what you are doing you will injure or kill someone, possibly yourself.
detonating munitions. The Depot witnessed the end of World War II in the late 1940’s, the Korean War in the early 1950’s, the Vietnam War in
the 1960’s, and the brief Gulf War in 1991. The Depot could not survive the peace dividend of the Clinton Administration. From their website
they state the following:
Tooele Army Depot (TEAD) was established in 1942 in an area with a historical tradition of Indian cultures. Early Desert Archaic Indians
inhabited the Tooele Valley and probably a portion of the North Area some 11,000 years ago. They were followed by the Late Desert
Archaics, the Fremont culture, and the Numic-speaking culture. The Goshute people, who currently inhabit reservations in the surrounding
area, are descendants of the Numic-speaking culture. 2
In 1996, this ammunitions storage depot and equipment repair facility was virtually shut down as the arms race lost it’s momentum and the US
re-aligned this hundreds of other defense facilities nationally. Today, approximately 532 people are employed at this once vibrant facility than
once had over 4,000 workers. 3
The base re-alignment process closed hundreds of military bases nationally over the intense political objections of the various politicians and
their affected constituents. Many employees found employment elsewhere and others just moved to new communities. My aunt Edith moved
from her home in San Antonio to Ogden, Utah to work at Hill Air Force Depot, after Kelly Air Force Base was re-aligned. When the Tooele
Army Depot was “re-aligned” over 3,000 jobs were immediately lost. People had their lived disrupted. Some workers got divorced, and others
found new jobs and the older ones just retired into history.
In Tooele County at Rush Valley our nation has built an incinerator to destroy American chemical weapons of mass destruction. Tooele
County has 44% of the nations’ chemical weapons stockpile that would make them a superpower if they ever seceded from the union. Several
of my friends work there. Some of the employees were fired for refusing to falsify documents regarding the problems with destroying some of
the most deadly chemicals ever created. The plant cost over One Billion Dollars employs approximately 903 people if you include the private
company and major defense contractor, E G & G that manages the facility. 4 The pay is good and the work, like all industrial work, is very
dangerous. If you don’t watch what you are doing you will injure or kill someone, possibly yourself.
AlliantTech Systems produces a host of products for it’s primary customer, we the
people via our Federal government. These products include smart munitions,
rocket engines for the military and for space exploration. Some of the employees
are my friends and family members- and neighbors. They enjoy hunting, camping
and hiking in Utah’s beautiful mountains and fishing in our small lakes and streams.
One of my friends, a scientist of the first order, plays and instructs wheel chair
tennis and ice hockey. Despite the incredible damage that can be done to by these
smart munitions, and rocket engines carrying deadly payloads, none of the
employees that I know are interested killing or injuring anyone.
This is common worldwide. Most individuals are rarely interested in violence. They
are just interested in doing their jobs and enjoying their lives. Laborers play a small
part in the defense spending coalition. Employees are selling their labor in a world
where there are over 150 million people who are unemployed and over two billion
live on less then $2.00 per day. With globalization, employees either sell their labor
to defense contractors for a very livable wage in competition with other high skilled
workers or they can try to support themselves and their families for less money
elsewhere.
people via our Federal government. These products include smart munitions,
rocket engines for the military and for space exploration. Some of the employees
are my friends and family members- and neighbors. They enjoy hunting, camping
and hiking in Utah’s beautiful mountains and fishing in our small lakes and streams.
One of my friends, a scientist of the first order, plays and instructs wheel chair
tennis and ice hockey. Despite the incredible damage that can be done to by these
smart munitions, and rocket engines carrying deadly payloads, none of the
employees that I know are interested killing or injuring anyone.
This is common worldwide. Most individuals are rarely interested in violence. They
are just interested in doing their jobs and enjoying their lives. Laborers play a small
part in the defense spending coalition. Employees are selling their labor in a world
where there are over 150 million people who are unemployed and over two billion
live on less then $2.00 per day. With globalization, employees either sell their labor
to defense contractors for a very livable wage in competition with other high skilled
workers or they can try to support themselves and their families for less money
elsewhere.
The Range is used by the 388 and 419 Fighter Wings that are stationed at Hill Air Force Base. This major air force base has been kept alive
by the great political will of Utah’s powerful senators and former congressman James Hansen. Hill Air Force Base is the largest employer in
northern Utah providing over 17,000 jobs and bringing in hundreds of millions of dollars into the state’s economy. 11Like the rest of the
nation, Utah played an important part in World War II, especially in the conclusion of the war. Wendover, Utah was home to the Wendover Air
Field. The purpose of this airfield was to provide a practice range for bomb crews with targets that included a mock city and moving targets. At
one time, the airfield provided a large number of jobs.
Wendover Air Field, along the Utah-Nevada border about 100 miles west of Salt Lake City, was the training site for the 509th Group prior to
their mission over Japan to drop the atomic bombs in 1945.**** By late 1943 there were approximately 2,000 civilian employees and 17,500
military personnel at Wendover. Construction at the base continued for most of the war, and by May 1945 the base consisted of 668
buildings, including a 300-bed hospital, gymnasium, swimming pool, library, chapel, cafeteria, bowling alley, two movie theatres, and 361
housing units for married officers and civilians. 11 With the war’s end, the use for the base died down and so did the town that was built
around this facility. The base is now inactive and has been turned over to Wendover, Utah. The town is located next to Wendover, Nevada. A
large Mexican population lives in the poor, shoddy housing of Wendover, Utah. They supply the labor for the casinos on the Nevada side.
But every part of the state has a military facility or a defense contractor or university with research contracts for the Defense Department. At
Orem, Utah next to Utah Lake there is a major steel plant built in 1941 far inland to protect it from Japanese bombing strikes. During the war
the plant employed over 10,000 people producing steel for ship- building and a host of other war products. 12. The plant is now obsolete and
has been in bankruptcy twice. It is no longer competitive with mini-mills and foreign steel producers. The demand for surface ships like those
used in World War II no longer exists. In a world that is constantly changing, companies must either adjust and build products for the market
place of today and tomorrow or face extinction. Geneva has not properly adjusted to the marketplace of today and will probably not be around
tomorrow.
Our journey south towards Nevada takes us past small rural, primarily agricultural communities that have a new industry, prisons. With our
war on drugs, and over two million people now incarcerated, if the war economy cannot create jobs, then we can build more and more
prisons. Gunnison, Utah has a medium security correctional facility that houses 800 inmates.13
Utah’s rural communities are also the homes for many of America’s factory farms. The Norbest turkey farms in Central Utah feed our obese
nation. 14. Despite the massive pollution that comes from these farms, they feed millions a diet of second hand protein and contribute to our
health and environmental
problems.15
On the other side of the state are the abandoned uranium mines in Montecello and Moab. Beginning in the early 1950’s Utah mines produced
massive amounts of uranium for our nuclear weapons program 16. So much uranium was produced that the market became saturated and
today the government still has mountains of uranium ore. The waste from the production has caused environmental cleanup problems for the
residents who live next to these once productive mines.17
The miners in the four corners area who worked in the uranium mines have become the victims of their own production. Many uranium miners
have developed cancer from the inhalation of radioactive dust. Some of the best uranium mines were located in poor Indian communities.
These workers have lost their health in the name of national security 18. But they succeeded in producing uranium ore for our nuclear
weapons program.
The uranium ore came from the four corners area. After the ore was enriched and turned into weapons grade material at Oak Ridge,
Tennessee and Hanford, Washington the weapons were tested in the deserts of Nevada at the Nuclear Test Site. 19 The 99 above ground
atomic explosions with their mushroom clouds containing alpha radiation particles would cause cancer for Utah citizens downwind.
The citizen cancer casualties were in the name of national security. These clouds of doubt certainly attracted attention. As a child my question
always was, “why are we in Vietnam and why are we building these weapons?”
Eight miles outside of Las Vegas, Nevada, Nellis Air Force Base is there to greet us. 20 Established in 1940, it is the largest land based
military range in the United States. The base provides combat training for our fighter planes. The famous Area 51 is located within it’s
boundaries. The United States government no longer explodes atomic bombs above ground at Nevada Test Site. When I was a child growing
up in Tooele, Utah during the height of the Cold War, the mushroom clouds were a regular feature on television.
by the great political will of Utah’s powerful senators and former congressman James Hansen. Hill Air Force Base is the largest employer in
northern Utah providing over 17,000 jobs and bringing in hundreds of millions of dollars into the state’s economy. 11Like the rest of the
nation, Utah played an important part in World War II, especially in the conclusion of the war. Wendover, Utah was home to the Wendover Air
Field. The purpose of this airfield was to provide a practice range for bomb crews with targets that included a mock city and moving targets. At
one time, the airfield provided a large number of jobs.
Wendover Air Field, along the Utah-Nevada border about 100 miles west of Salt Lake City, was the training site for the 509th Group prior to
their mission over Japan to drop the atomic bombs in 1945.**** By late 1943 there were approximately 2,000 civilian employees and 17,500
military personnel at Wendover. Construction at the base continued for most of the war, and by May 1945 the base consisted of 668
buildings, including a 300-bed hospital, gymnasium, swimming pool, library, chapel, cafeteria, bowling alley, two movie theatres, and 361
housing units for married officers and civilians. 11 With the war’s end, the use for the base died down and so did the town that was built
around this facility. The base is now inactive and has been turned over to Wendover, Utah. The town is located next to Wendover, Nevada. A
large Mexican population lives in the poor, shoddy housing of Wendover, Utah. They supply the labor for the casinos on the Nevada side.
But every part of the state has a military facility or a defense contractor or university with research contracts for the Defense Department. At
Orem, Utah next to Utah Lake there is a major steel plant built in 1941 far inland to protect it from Japanese bombing strikes. During the war
the plant employed over 10,000 people producing steel for ship- building and a host of other war products. 12. The plant is now obsolete and
has been in bankruptcy twice. It is no longer competitive with mini-mills and foreign steel producers. The demand for surface ships like those
used in World War II no longer exists. In a world that is constantly changing, companies must either adjust and build products for the market
place of today and tomorrow or face extinction. Geneva has not properly adjusted to the marketplace of today and will probably not be around
tomorrow.
Our journey south towards Nevada takes us past small rural, primarily agricultural communities that have a new industry, prisons. With our
war on drugs, and over two million people now incarcerated, if the war economy cannot create jobs, then we can build more and more
prisons. Gunnison, Utah has a medium security correctional facility that houses 800 inmates.13
Utah’s rural communities are also the homes for many of America’s factory farms. The Norbest turkey farms in Central Utah feed our obese
nation. 14. Despite the massive pollution that comes from these farms, they feed millions a diet of second hand protein and contribute to our
health and environmental
problems.15
On the other side of the state are the abandoned uranium mines in Montecello and Moab. Beginning in the early 1950’s Utah mines produced
massive amounts of uranium for our nuclear weapons program 16. So much uranium was produced that the market became saturated and
today the government still has mountains of uranium ore. The waste from the production has caused environmental cleanup problems for the
residents who live next to these once productive mines.17
The miners in the four corners area who worked in the uranium mines have become the victims of their own production. Many uranium miners
have developed cancer from the inhalation of radioactive dust. Some of the best uranium mines were located in poor Indian communities.
These workers have lost their health in the name of national security 18. But they succeeded in producing uranium ore for our nuclear
weapons program.
The uranium ore came from the four corners area. After the ore was enriched and turned into weapons grade material at Oak Ridge,
Tennessee and Hanford, Washington the weapons were tested in the deserts of Nevada at the Nuclear Test Site. 19 The 99 above ground
atomic explosions with their mushroom clouds containing alpha radiation particles would cause cancer for Utah citizens downwind.
The citizen cancer casualties were in the name of national security. These clouds of doubt certainly attracted attention. As a child my question
always was, “why are we in Vietnam and why are we building these weapons?”
Eight miles outside of Las Vegas, Nevada, Nellis Air Force Base is there to greet us. 20 Established in 1940, it is the largest land based
military range in the United States. The base provides combat training for our fighter planes. The famous Area 51 is located within it’s
boundaries. The United States government no longer explodes atomic bombs above ground at Nevada Test Site. When I was a child growing
up in Tooele, Utah during the height of the Cold War, the mushroom clouds were a regular feature on television.
 | |  | |  |
If AlliantTech Systems hires you, be grateful because the pay is higher then working at the
local supermarket, the fast food chain or as a schoolteacher. Since September 11, 2001 the
value of AlliantTech System’s stock has split three times and more than tripled in value. Their
the conflict in Iraq has given this defense contractor huge profits and an expanding market. As
long as this war goes on, the stockholders and employees of this company will benefit.
From Magna, we travel west and enter Tooele County, Utah. In addition to being the waste
center of America, this county is home for the now downsized Tooele Army Depot. This is
where I grew up and learned some of my life lessons. Like many Hispanics in Utah, my father
came here from a small agricultural town in Northern New Mexico. There were no “equal
employment” laws when my father came here in the early 1950’s. There was work for the
Federal government and the benefits that come with a good paying job. There was no work in
Costilla, New Mexico, the small village he left so he could feed his family.
local supermarket, the fast food chain or as a schoolteacher. Since September 11, 2001 the
value of AlliantTech System’s stock has split three times and more than tripled in value. Their
the conflict in Iraq has given this defense contractor huge profits and an expanding market. As
long as this war goes on, the stockholders and employees of this company will benefit.
From Magna, we travel west and enter Tooele County, Utah. In addition to being the waste
center of America, this county is home for the now downsized Tooele Army Depot. This is
where I grew up and learned some of my life lessons. Like many Hispanics in Utah, my father
came here from a small agricultural town in Northern New Mexico. There were no “equal
employment” laws when my father came here in the early 1950’s. There was work for the
Federal government and the benefits that come with a good paying job. There was no work in
Costilla, New Mexico, the small village he left so he could feed his family.
People work here where it is close to home and they are familiar with the other workers having
grown up with many of them. Many of these employees are former employees of the Tooele Army
Depot. Others just are looking for a way to feed their families and this job, like any other job, will
do since the pay is high. In a world where there is very high unemployment, this place is a very
good place to work. There are many benefits and it will be a long time before all the stockpiles of
chemical weapons are destroyed.
Tooele County has a small population with approximately 50,000 total residents. The County is
home to several major waste dumps and facilities that produce and destroy weapons of mass
destruction. At Dugway Proving Grounds, America has developed and tested some of the most
horrific weapons known to man. These weapons include nerve agents, choking agents, biological
weapons and tests on radioactive materials as well as plain ordinary bombs. 5
The test of these weapons was an unfortunate part of the Cold War. Sometimes there were
accidents. According to the Registry of Atmospheric Testing Survivors and others:
March 13, 1968 - An F-4 Phantom fighter spread 2,730 pounds of nerve agent VX (one drop of
which can kill) over Dugway Proving Ground, and wind carried small particles off the base into
Skull Valley. More than 6,000 sheep died in the following days. In 1993, a Deseret News probe
showed humans in Skull Valley likely had been exposed to nerve agent also, and it likely caused
nervous-system ills they suffered through the years. 6
This major biological and weapons’ testing facility has a land area larger then Rhode Island.7 It
employs approximately 1,036 people8, and has contracts with numerous local vendors and major
defense contractors. This major weapons and testing facility has been around since World War
II. After the war the facility was used in our Cold War with the communists.
grown up with many of them. Many of these employees are former employees of the Tooele Army
Depot. Others just are looking for a way to feed their families and this job, like any other job, will
do since the pay is high. In a world where there is very high unemployment, this place is a very
good place to work. There are many benefits and it will be a long time before all the stockpiles of
chemical weapons are destroyed.
Tooele County has a small population with approximately 50,000 total residents. The County is
home to several major waste dumps and facilities that produce and destroy weapons of mass
destruction. At Dugway Proving Grounds, America has developed and tested some of the most
horrific weapons known to man. These weapons include nerve agents, choking agents, biological
weapons and tests on radioactive materials as well as plain ordinary bombs. 5
The test of these weapons was an unfortunate part of the Cold War. Sometimes there were
accidents. According to the Registry of Atmospheric Testing Survivors and others:
March 13, 1968 - An F-4 Phantom fighter spread 2,730 pounds of nerve agent VX (one drop of
which can kill) over Dugway Proving Ground, and wind carried small particles off the base into
Skull Valley. More than 6,000 sheep died in the following days. In 1993, a Deseret News probe
showed humans in Skull Valley likely had been exposed to nerve agent also, and it likely caused
nervous-system ills they suffered through the years. 6
This major biological and weapons’ testing facility has a land area larger then Rhode Island.7 It
employs approximately 1,036 people8, and has contracts with numerous local vendors and major
defense contractors. This major weapons and testing facility has been around since World War
II. After the war the facility was used in our Cold War with the communists.
A close look at Utah reflects what exists nationally. We have
the Utah Army National Guard. The Guard maintains 30
armories in 27 communities.9 Numerous people join the guard
to help pay for college or to supplement the income from their
jobs. During times of emergencies the National Guard is called
out to keep order or provide assistance to local government.
And when the army falls short of troops, the Guard will be
called upon to serve in foreign wars.
Utah is also home of the Utah Test and Training Range,
UTTR. This Range is a key testing area for the Air Force.
The UTTR also has the largest overland contiguous block of
supersonic authorized restricted airspace in the continental
United States. Chaff and flares are authorized over much of
this area. The airspace, situated over 2,624 square miles, is
Air Force owned. The remainder is owned and managed by
the US Army at Dugway Proving Ground.10
the Utah Army National Guard. The Guard maintains 30
armories in 27 communities.9 Numerous people join the guard
to help pay for college or to supplement the income from their
jobs. During times of emergencies the National Guard is called
out to keep order or provide assistance to local government.
And when the army falls short of troops, the Guard will be
called upon to serve in foreign wars.
Utah is also home of the Utah Test and Training Range,
UTTR. This Range is a key testing area for the Air Force.
The UTTR also has the largest overland contiguous block of
supersonic authorized restricted airspace in the continental
United States. Chaff and flares are authorized over much of
this area. The airspace, situated over 2,624 square miles, is
Air Force owned. The remainder is owned and managed by
the US Army at Dugway Proving Ground.10
History has moved on. With treaties that ban the open air atomic testing of reduction of
these horrific weapons of mass destruction, the Test Site has changed it’s work load. Less
war, has translated to different employment in this sector of the economy. Instead of
gambling on open air testing of nuclear weapons of mass destruction and the associated
cancer health risks, the tests went underground. Out of sight out of mind. And new types of
tests were created to enable nuclear weapons to continue to be designed without actually
having to explode them above ground. 21 The political pressure to continue to
develop weapons of mass destruction, which only the United States in our sacred duty can
possess and threaten others, continued despite the end of the evil Soviet Empire.
Also located in Nevada are the Hawthorne Army Depot, the Hawthorne Naval Ammunition
Depot, and the Hawthorne Test Range. 22 Where once over 5,000 people were employed
during World War II, today the facilities have been downsized but still operational. 23 Along
with ammunition and several test ranges there is also the Fallon Air Base in Fallon,
Nevada. The base is home for:
these horrific weapons of mass destruction, the Test Site has changed it’s work load. Less
war, has translated to different employment in this sector of the economy. Instead of
gambling on open air testing of nuclear weapons of mass destruction and the associated
cancer health risks, the tests went underground. Out of sight out of mind. And new types of
tests were created to enable nuclear weapons to continue to be designed without actually
having to explode them above ground. 21 The political pressure to continue to
develop weapons of mass destruction, which only the United States in our sacred duty can
possess and threaten others, continued despite the end of the evil Soviet Empire.
Also located in Nevada are the Hawthorne Army Depot, the Hawthorne Naval Ammunition
Depot, and the Hawthorne Test Range. 22 Where once over 5,000 people were employed
during World War II, today the facilities have been downsized but still operational. 23 Along
with ammunition and several test ranges there is also the Fallon Air Base in Fallon,
Nevada. The base is home for:
History has moved on. With treaties that ban the open air atomic testing of reduction of these horrific weapons of mass destruction, the Test
Site has changed it’s work load. Less war, has translated to different employment in this sector of the economy. Instead of gambling on open
air testing of nuclear weapons of mass destruction and the associated cancer health risks, the tests went underground. Out of sight out of
mind. And new types of tests were created to enable nuclear weapons to continue to be designed without actually having to explode them
above ground. 21 The political pressure to continue to develop weapons of mass destruction, which only the United States in our sacred duty
can possess and threaten others, continued despite the end of the evil Soviet Empire.
Also located in Nevada are the Hawthorne Army Depot, the Hawthorne Naval Ammunition Depot, and the Hawthorne Test Range. 22 Where
once over 5,000 people were employed during World War II, today the facilities have been downsized but still operational. 23 Along with
ammunition and several test ranges there is also the Fallon Air Base in Fallon, Nevada. The base is home for:
Aircraft currently stationed at NAS Fallon include the F/A-18, F-14, A-6, and F-5 jet aircraft, and the H-3 and HH-1 helicopters. The Naval
Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN), Carrier Airborne Early Warning Weapons School and a Construction Battalion Unit (CBU) have recently
relocated here. Currently NAS Fallon is the only Naval Facility where advanced integrated Carrier Air Wing strike training can take place,
combining realistic flight training in electronic warfare, air-to-ground, air-to-air weapons delivery, special weapons delivery, and enemy
evasion tactics. Military aircraft from the Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Nevada Air National Guard train at NAS Fallon.
The Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center (NSAWC) was formed in July 1996 by the BRAC-driven consolidation of the Naval Strike Warfare
Center (NSWC or “Strike University”), the Naval Fighter Weapons School (NFWS or “Top Gun”) and the Carrier Airborne Early Warning
Weapons School (CAEWWS or “Top Dome”). The Center is an "echelon two" command reporting directly to the Chief of Naval Operations,
and is the primary authority for graduate level aviation tactical development and training. NSAWC assets include 40 aircraft and over 1,000
personnel including contract range and aircraft maintenance personnel. 24
In addition to the facilities supra, Nevada is also home to the Stead Training Center. This facility located 13 miles from Reno provides
weekend warriors, (national guard units), a place to practice their flying skills.25 And immediately next to the Reno/Tahoe International Airport
is the Nevada Air National Guard’s, 152nd Airlift Wing. 26 Nevada is part of the Southwest Defense Alliance. This is a coalition of five
western states for the purpose of: “Consolidat[ing] defense research, development, testing, evaluation, and training in the Southwest United
States. This proposal initially linked 12 bases in 5 states (California, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, and Arizona) and focused on addressing two
of the challenges facing defense in the future: the use of communication technology to transfer information across great distances in order to
attack efficiently and with higher success rates and the ability to use resources to their maximum in a time of decreasing defense budgets”. 27
As a nation we must do something with the massive amounts of nuclear waste we have developed over 50 years from the production and use
of nuclear weapons and nuclear power. Despite the fact that there were several sites that clearly were superior to Nevada, Yucca Mountain
was selected. There were alternatives to Yucca Mountain. But none were powerful enough to withstand the politics on selection of a national
nuclear waste dump. 28 The most powerful military in human history was not enough to protect our gluttonous way of life from a religious Nazi,
Osama Bin Laden and his fanatical followers.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notes:
1. See Alliant Techsystems at their web site: www.atk.com/homepage/
2. Tooele Army Depot web site at: TEAD History www.tead.army.mil/history.htm
3. Tooele County Demographics found on the web at: www.tooelecounty.info/industry.htm
4. Deseret Chemical Depot (DCD)Tooele, Utah web site at: Deseret Chemical Depot (DCD) - Tooele,
Utah - United States Nuclear Forces
5. Dugway Proving Gounds on the web at www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/facility/dugway.htm
6. See generally: WEAPONS TESTING DOCUMENTS LISTED FOR DUGWAY PROVING GROUND
12/17/94 available on the web at:: http://home.attbi.com/~kknowlto/index.html
7. See Global Security on the web at: Dugway Proving Grounds
www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/facility/dugway.htm
8. See Tooele County Demographics at:www.tooelecounty.info/industry.htm
9. See Global Security on the web at: Utah Army National Guard Utah Army National Guard
www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/arng-ut.htm
10. See Global Security on the web at: Utah Test and Training Range (UTTR) www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/uttr.htm
11. See Global Security on the web at Wendover Air Field www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/facility/wendover.htm
12. See History of Geneva Steel at:www.geneva.com/company/history.htm
13. See Utah Department of Corrections at:www.cr.ex.state.ut.us/corrections/facilities/cucf.html
14. See Norbest.com for more information on one of the world’s premier turkey producers at:www.norbest.com/
15. In addition to turkey farms, Utah has hog farms and chicken farms all of which pollute the rivers and
streams of the Beehive state. See generally:http://utah.sierraclub.org/env_update.asp
16. See UTAH´S URANIUM BOOM by Raye C. Ringholz at:http://historytogo.utah.gov/uranium.html
17. See the White Mesa Uranium Mill at:www.wma-minelife.com/uranium/mill/ef.html
18. See New Mexico, USA Navajo Reservation Health problems steadily increasing at:www.chugoku-np.co.jp/abom/uran/uran_mine_e/
see also, “The Fourth Horseman: Nuclear” at:www.ejnet.org/rachel/rehw473.htm#13
19. One of the better sites on the Internet for information on the Manhattan Project is: Children of the Manhattan Project at:
www.childrenofthemanhattanproject.org/COTMP/site_map.htm
20. Nellis Air Force Base, a part of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command, is located approximately eight miles northeast of Las
Vegas, Nev. The base itself covers more than 11,000 acres,while the total land area occupied by Nellis and its restricted ranges is more than
4,742 square miles. Anadditional 7,700 square miles of airspace north and east of the restricted ranges are also available for
military flight operations. At:www.ufomind.com/area51/org/nellis/
21. See generally an excellent web site: Western States Legal Foundation, Nuclear Weapons Overview.
www.wslfweb.org/nukes/nukeover.htm
22. See Hawthorne Naval Depot, Army Depot and Test Range at Global Security on the net at:
www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/hawthorne.htm
23. Ibid
24. See Fallon Air Base at Global Security on the net at:www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/fallon.htm
25. Ibid
26. Ibid
27. Southwest Defense Alliance at www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/southwest.htm
28. See Senator Edward Markey’s statement on alternative sites to Yucca Mountain on the internet at:
www.wordsasweapons.com/shoshoneyuccaAPstory.htm
Rep. Edward Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat and long-time critic of the nuclear industry for safety reasons, said the decision was based
on politics, not science. ``Other sites were struck because of the political clout of their congressional delegations,'' Markey said in a
statement. Alternative sites inLouisiana, Texas, New Hampshire, and North Carolina were blocked by such action, he said. Other useful links:
-In one of the most readable and amusing sites that clearly explains the economic winners in the war on terror is: Perpetual War Portfolio by
Dack Ragus at:www.dack.com/war/portfolio/
-The B61 family of bombs, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, January/February 2003 Vol. 59, No.1, pp. 74–76
-Guns R U.S. By Tamar Gablenick and Matt Schroeder at:www.thebulletinorg/issues/2003/jf03/jf03gabelnick.pdf
Site has changed it’s work load. Less war, has translated to different employment in this sector of the economy. Instead of gambling on open
air testing of nuclear weapons of mass destruction and the associated cancer health risks, the tests went underground. Out of sight out of
mind. And new types of tests were created to enable nuclear weapons to continue to be designed without actually having to explode them
above ground. 21 The political pressure to continue to develop weapons of mass destruction, which only the United States in our sacred duty
can possess and threaten others, continued despite the end of the evil Soviet Empire.
Also located in Nevada are the Hawthorne Army Depot, the Hawthorne Naval Ammunition Depot, and the Hawthorne Test Range. 22 Where
once over 5,000 people were employed during World War II, today the facilities have been downsized but still operational. 23 Along with
ammunition and several test ranges there is also the Fallon Air Base in Fallon, Nevada. The base is home for:
Aircraft currently stationed at NAS Fallon include the F/A-18, F-14, A-6, and F-5 jet aircraft, and the H-3 and HH-1 helicopters. The Naval
Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN), Carrier Airborne Early Warning Weapons School and a Construction Battalion Unit (CBU) have recently
relocated here. Currently NAS Fallon is the only Naval Facility where advanced integrated Carrier Air Wing strike training can take place,
combining realistic flight training in electronic warfare, air-to-ground, air-to-air weapons delivery, special weapons delivery, and enemy
evasion tactics. Military aircraft from the Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Nevada Air National Guard train at NAS Fallon.
The Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center (NSAWC) was formed in July 1996 by the BRAC-driven consolidation of the Naval Strike Warfare
Center (NSWC or “Strike University”), the Naval Fighter Weapons School (NFWS or “Top Gun”) and the Carrier Airborne Early Warning
Weapons School (CAEWWS or “Top Dome”). The Center is an "echelon two" command reporting directly to the Chief of Naval Operations,
and is the primary authority for graduate level aviation tactical development and training. NSAWC assets include 40 aircraft and over 1,000
personnel including contract range and aircraft maintenance personnel. 24
In addition to the facilities supra, Nevada is also home to the Stead Training Center. This facility located 13 miles from Reno provides
weekend warriors, (national guard units), a place to practice their flying skills.25 And immediately next to the Reno/Tahoe International Airport
is the Nevada Air National Guard’s, 152nd Airlift Wing. 26 Nevada is part of the Southwest Defense Alliance. This is a coalition of five
western states for the purpose of: “Consolidat[ing] defense research, development, testing, evaluation, and training in the Southwest United
States. This proposal initially linked 12 bases in 5 states (California, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, and Arizona) and focused on addressing two
of the challenges facing defense in the future: the use of communication technology to transfer information across great distances in order to
attack efficiently and with higher success rates and the ability to use resources to their maximum in a time of decreasing defense budgets”. 27
As a nation we must do something with the massive amounts of nuclear waste we have developed over 50 years from the production and use
of nuclear weapons and nuclear power. Despite the fact that there were several sites that clearly were superior to Nevada, Yucca Mountain
was selected. There were alternatives to Yucca Mountain. But none were powerful enough to withstand the politics on selection of a national
nuclear waste dump. 28 The most powerful military in human history was not enough to protect our gluttonous way of life from a religious Nazi,
Osama Bin Laden and his fanatical followers.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notes:
1. See Alliant Techsystems at their web site: www.atk.com/homepage/
2. Tooele Army Depot web site at: TEAD History www.tead.army.mil/history.htm
3. Tooele County Demographics found on the web at: www.tooelecounty.info/industry.htm
4. Deseret Chemical Depot (DCD)Tooele, Utah web site at: Deseret Chemical Depot (DCD) - Tooele,
Utah - United States Nuclear Forces
5. Dugway Proving Gounds on the web at www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/facility/dugway.htm
6. See generally: WEAPONS TESTING DOCUMENTS LISTED FOR DUGWAY PROVING GROUND
12/17/94 available on the web at:: http://home.attbi.com/~kknowlto/index.html
7. See Global Security on the web at: Dugway Proving Grounds
www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/facility/dugway.htm
8. See Tooele County Demographics at:www.tooelecounty.info/industry.htm
9. See Global Security on the web at: Utah Army National Guard Utah Army National Guard
www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/arng-ut.htm
10. See Global Security on the web at: Utah Test and Training Range (UTTR) www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/uttr.htm
11. See Global Security on the web at Wendover Air Field www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/facility/wendover.htm
12. See History of Geneva Steel at:www.geneva.com/company/history.htm
13. See Utah Department of Corrections at:www.cr.ex.state.ut.us/corrections/facilities/cucf.html
14. See Norbest.com for more information on one of the world’s premier turkey producers at:www.norbest.com/
15. In addition to turkey farms, Utah has hog farms and chicken farms all of which pollute the rivers and
streams of the Beehive state. See generally:http://utah.sierraclub.org/env_update.asp
16. See UTAH´S URANIUM BOOM by Raye C. Ringholz at:http://historytogo.utah.gov/uranium.html
17. See the White Mesa Uranium Mill at:www.wma-minelife.com/uranium/mill/ef.html
18. See New Mexico, USA Navajo Reservation Health problems steadily increasing at:www.chugoku-np.co.jp/abom/uran/uran_mine_e/
see also, “The Fourth Horseman: Nuclear” at:www.ejnet.org/rachel/rehw473.htm#13
19. One of the better sites on the Internet for information on the Manhattan Project is: Children of the Manhattan Project at:
www.childrenofthemanhattanproject.org/COTMP/site_map.htm
20. Nellis Air Force Base, a part of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command, is located approximately eight miles northeast of Las
Vegas, Nev. The base itself covers more than 11,000 acres,while the total land area occupied by Nellis and its restricted ranges is more than
4,742 square miles. Anadditional 7,700 square miles of airspace north and east of the restricted ranges are also available for
military flight operations. At:www.ufomind.com/area51/org/nellis/
21. See generally an excellent web site: Western States Legal Foundation, Nuclear Weapons Overview.
www.wslfweb.org/nukes/nukeover.htm
22. See Hawthorne Naval Depot, Army Depot and Test Range at Global Security on the net at:
www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/hawthorne.htm
23. Ibid
24. See Fallon Air Base at Global Security on the net at:www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/fallon.htm
25. Ibid
26. Ibid
27. Southwest Defense Alliance at www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/southwest.htm
28. See Senator Edward Markey’s statement on alternative sites to Yucca Mountain on the internet at:
www.wordsasweapons.com/shoshoneyuccaAPstory.htm
Rep. Edward Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat and long-time critic of the nuclear industry for safety reasons, said the decision was based
on politics, not science. ``Other sites were struck because of the political clout of their congressional delegations,'' Markey said in a
statement. Alternative sites inLouisiana, Texas, New Hampshire, and North Carolina were blocked by such action, he said. Other useful links:
-In one of the most readable and amusing sites that clearly explains the economic winners in the war on terror is: Perpetual War Portfolio by
Dack Ragus at:www.dack.com/war/portfolio/
-The B61 family of bombs, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, January/February 2003 Vol. 59, No.1, pp. 74–76
-Guns R U.S. By Tamar Gablenick and Matt Schroeder at:www.thebulletinorg/issues/2003/jf03/jf03gabelnick.pdf
| German worker responding to a British reporters’ question regarding the Nazi’srestrictions on free speech. 1936 |