from localhost (localhost [127.0.0.1])
	by phobos.labs.netnoteinc.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 26A3E440CD
	for <jm@localhost>; Wed, 31 Jul 2002 18:53:33 -0400 (EDT)
from phobos [127.0.0.1]
	by localhost with IMAP (fetchmail-5.9.0)
	for jm@localhost (single-drop); Wed, 31 Jul 2002 23:53:33 +0100 (IST)
from lair.xent.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by xent.com (Postfix)
    with ESMTP id AE1BB2940E2; Wed, 31 Jul 2002 15:50:03 -0700 (PDT)
from jamesr.best.vwh.net (jamesr.best.vwh.net [192.220.76.165])
    by xent.com (Postfix) with SMTP id 2088C2940D8 for <fork@xent.com>;
    Wed, 31 Jul 2002 15:49:07 -0700 (PDT)
from unknown (HELO avalon) ([64.125.200.18]) (envelope-sender
    <jamesr@best.com>) by 192.220.76.165 (qmail-ldap-1.03) with SMTP for
    <fork@xent.com>; 31 Jul 2002 22:49:27 -0000
From fork-admin@xent.com  Wed Jul 31 23:53:35 2002

On Wed, 2002-07-31 at 15:16, Elias Sinderson wrote:
> Heh. Never mind the perfectly good desert in the southwest, right? Or is
> that area too hot for desert warfare training? I'll never understand.
The primary desert warfare facilities and schools ARE in the Southwest,
most notably Fort Irwin deep in the Mojave/Anza Borrego (the
headquarters and core training facilities for all things desert warfare
related), and have been for a long time. There are two reasons that
immediately come to mind as to why they do not use the Fort Irwin,
Edwards AFB, and other expanses of desert that they have traditionally
used for desert warfare training and exercises.
The first is logistical: Virtually all the mechanized infantry units are
located east of the Rockies, and it must be very expensive to move
entire heavy combat divisions a couple thousand miles every time they
want to run training exercises.  This is particularly true since so much
of our military is made up of reserve components these days, meaning
that you can't move the soldiers to where the training facilities are.
The second is environmental lawsuits and pending judicial action and
injunctions. The desert training facilities in the Southwest deserts
have been aggressively assaulted by environmental organizations who are
making the case that heavy mechanized units zipping back and forth
across the deep desert endanger the desert tortoise and a bunch of other
theoretically endangered species that are concentrated in the southwest
deserts. The ability of the military to use the desert facilities has
been significantly impeded these days while all the lawsuits and whatnot
with the various environmental groups are being sorted out.
-James Rogers
jamesr@best.com
http://xent.com/mailman/listinfo/fork