To Environmental Impact Statement for EA-18G “Growler” Airfield Operations at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island Complex - Director Lisa Padgett;

The undersigned wish to patriotically register our support for Scenario A for NAS Whidbey Island's OLF. We appreciate the EIS team's thoughtful response to a 2013 petition saying "Save OLF Coupeville" at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/save-olf and the requests therein.

We agree with the EIS Study on page 1-7 that, "FCLP at OLF Coupeville provides a realistic training environment for both student pilots and experienced pilots to prepare for landing on aircraft carriers." Also with emphasis pages 1-7 & 1-8 that, "Since OLF Coupeville is dedicated primarily to FCLP (although it also supports helicopter operations), pilots and LSOs can maximize the number of practice landings in a given timeframe while significantly benefitting from the unique environment OLF Coupeville provides. Using OLF Coupeville allows the Navy to conclude daily operations in less time, thereby reducing community impacts. When performing FCLP at Ault Field, operations are often hindered due to multiple types of aircraft flying patterns around the field that differ from the prescribed FCLP pattern and that extend flights beyond the normal pattern. . . . Performing FCLP at Ault Field can be more impactful to the community by extending flight patterns, repeating training, extending daily operations later into the night, and impacting more densely populated areas. The field elevation of OLF Coupeville is 200 feet above mean sea level, and the aircraft landing pattern for the field is 800 feet above mean sea level. The altitude above ground at which the aircraft fly the landing pattern at OLF Coupeville closely replicates the altitude of the aircraft carrier landing pattern. Practicing at an altitude that simulates the carrier environment is essential for pilots preparing to land on an aircraft carrier because such practice matches the visual cues as well as the required power settings needed to fly a safe approach for an actual landing on an aircraft carrier."

Again, we oppose the threat to sailors' safety, our nation's defense and the regional economy the closure of OLF Coupeville would represent. We support Scenario A for OLF as OLF "more closely replicates the pattern and conditions at sea and therefore provides superior training" (Page ES-3) and therefore should be used for 80% of NAS Whidbey Island's Field Carrier Landing Practices.

Thank you, please keep our troops safe. No excuses, no exceptions, no playing for a tie, and certainly no "meet in the middle"; just victory with Scenario A.