SWORN STATEMENT OF FRED METZ, REAR ADMIRAL, USN RETIRED. August 22, Virginia Beach, Virginia DELIVER TO: DELIVERY TO THE BASE REALIGNMENT AND

Transcription

1 DCN: SWORN STATEMENT OF FRED METZ, REAR ADMIRAL, USN RETIRED August 22, 2005 Virginia Beach, Virginia DELIVER TO: FOR DELIVERY TO THE BASE REALIGNMENT AND COMMISSION, ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA CLOSURE

2 REAR ADMIRAL METZ: My name is Fred Metz, 2 Rear Admiral, United States Navy, retir,ed. I was in the Navy for 34 years. I had seven major commands. I was stationed on both the East and West Coast, where I had both air and sea commands. I have 1,000 carrier landings, over 300 combat missions in Vietnam. Of the variety of tours that I had, I was a landing signal officer for five tours. One of my last jobs, I was a division head for all the aircraft carriers in the Navy, all the air stations, and I was the Department of Defense Navy representative for air space. I was concerned with the testimony given by the Florida delegation to the Commission. Many of the comments did not tell the complete position needed to make a crucial decision for the base of the future of Naval Aviation. What is Florida offering the Navy? Florida is offering the Navy land and a runway and some buildings. To give that property to the Navy, a very comprehensive EIS needs to be completed, environmental impact statement, and I question the timeline that's required for the BRAC process to unfold for the EIS to be completed.

3 We've heard a lot of promises. I am concerned that the promises were not backed up with actual facts, and there was a lot of speculation made and a lot of promises. I am also concerned that these promises would not be able to be completed to make the timeline that's required by the BRAC process. One of the critical things the Governor of Florida said was that he was going to give Cecil to the Navy, but we need to remember what he was actually giving is land and not the air space. The actual air space around Cecil Field that is controlled by the facility includes up to 3,000 feet within five miles. Cecil Field is a tenant. The air space around Cecil Field that is described is the limit of their control. If you want to go anywhere else, you have to go to the FAA. You cannot fly out of Cecil Field without permission. You have to get clearances from the FAA to get in the airway structure. We heard a lot in the testimony on Saturday about going to different areas and how it was not encumbered. Nowhere did we ever hear any testimony from the FAA, who controls that air space. When I was doing air space matters in

4 '91, one of the things that we recognized at that time was the increased air traffic along the East Coast was going to be detrimental to flying in certain ar,eas. Cecil Field was one of them. In 1993 the Navy did a very comprehensive air space study in the area of Cecil Field. And the concerns that they had at that time was air space encroachment around Cecil Field. There were many consultations with the FAA, and the Navy presented a lot of questions to the FAA as far as the future ability for the Cecil Field area to grow and to be accommodated also in the FAA structure. Nowhere in any of the testimony did we hear or was anything mentioned about FAA's approval of the Navy returning to Cecil Field. We can buy the land but we cannot control the air space. FAA must be a major player in the decision to move to Cecil Field. If the F-18s go to Cecil Field, they are going to compete with commercial aircraft leaving from Buffalo, Boston, New York. Thousands of airplanes a day pass through the Cecil Field area. The Navy will then be competing with those aircraft for airspace. Another thing is, there is a proposal to increase the number of P-3s to go to NAS Jacksonville, which further complicates the air issues in this area.

5 A comprehensive study needs to be done regarding airspace issues. Many questions have to be answered before a decision for the future of Naval Aviation can be made. Is the FAA safely able to accommodate 285 airplanes into the area? Are they willing to accommodate and can they support the air requirements of those aircraft? Have The airspace areas required for the F-18 Super Hornet been established, which have never flown out of Cecil Field? Have they established routes to go to the target at Pinecastle, which hasn't been in existence at Cecil Field for four years? Have they cleared the commercial approaches into Orlando Airport for the construction of the new runway with a major target area for maximum utilization at Pinecastle? There are many questions that we did not hear the answers to that must be addressed before any decision can be made to go to Cecil Field. There may be ground encroachment at NAS Oceana, however the potential air encroachment at Cecil Field presently and also anticipated in the future has to be addressed before any decision can be

6 made. 6 Living in the Hampton Roads area, I've had the opportunity to use some of my past skills as being a landing signal officer to be a guest lecturer at the Landing Signal Officer School here at NAS Oceana which trains LSOs from all over the country. In this capacity I stay very current in field carrier landing procedures; I visit Fentress and I also go aboard ship. I'm very current in present procedures for air crews to train and go aboard ship. As was stated in other testimony, FCLP, field care landing practice, and going aboard ship is a very demanding process, but no place in the Navy -- and I've flown at every field in the Navy -- do we have the optimum conditions that replicate the conditions we encounter on the ship. The way we land on the ship and the way we practice on the field at night is not the same anywhere we train. The pattern on the ship is a very demanding pattern, but we have limitations at every field. The field that the Navy is contemplating building in North Carolina is going to have the capability to come closest to replicating the carrier landing pattern that we use aboard ship at night. I However, we have proven over the years

7 since I started flying in 1960 that the way that we do carrier landing practice now is acceptable, and our safety record is amazing, and the ability for these young aviators to safely land is tremendous. Being a lecturer at the LSO school, I continually am in contact with the amazing, young pilots, the men and women, that fly the aircraft from our carriers. The Hampton Roads area offers the Navy family so much. In addition to the excellent training offered to the pilots, the family is offered excellent educational opportunities, they are provided a safe environment to raise their children, as well as excellent health facilities. People who come here, many will end up staying here when they retire. We have one of the largest military retirement communities in the nation, which is confirmation of the attractive quality of life the Hampton Roads area has to offer. What the Chief of Naval Operations said in one of his first statement is, we need to worry about combat readiness and family readiness. This area offers both. I can attest to the high morale of the Officers, men and women, and their families that have the opportunity to live in the Hampton Roads

8 area. 8 With regard to joing training, we have many outstanding facilities in the area. Dam Neck offers the squadrons battle group training. The Fleet Intelligence Center offers air crews strike target training. The proximity of the ship allows us to continually integrate the squadrons and facilities. But more importantly, as we have learned over the last 10 years, there is not one service; it's a joint service. Here at Hampton Roads we have the ability to train with every service; the Air Force at Langley, the special warfare units are here in the Hampton Roads area and continually train with these units. We train with the Marine aircraft down at Cherry Point. We train with the combat Marines at Camp Lejune where we have the ability to do close air support. We also go to Fort Bragg where we train with Special Forces units. And we also train with the Air Force F-15s at Seymore Johnson Air Force Base. It's all integrated training. No longer is it just one Navy; it's a joint business, and there's nowhere else on the East Coast that affords us this ability. ~ We have the Joint Training Center here in

9 the Hampton Roads area where we are able to actually interface with joint training worldwide. When we deploy, we just don't go as a ship, we go as the whole unit. And the joint training that is afforded to us in the Hampton Roads area is essential. Nowhere else can this be accomplished. The biggest concern that I have regarding the Cecil Field option is that the lack of certified data would make any such decision speculative and risky. The Navy has a mission, and the Chief of Naval Operations and the Secretary of Defense know better than anybody how to accomplish that mission.

10 Aug : 25PM TAYLOE ASSOCl ATE5 No P. 1 COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA AT LARGE, to wit: I, Scott D. Gregg, RPR, a Notary Public for the Commonwealth of Virginia at Large, of qualification in the Circuit Court of the City of Norfolk whose commission expires July 31, 2008, do hereby certify that the within person, FRED METZ, REAR ADMIRAL, USN RETIRED, appeared before me at Virginia Beach, Virginia, as hereinbefore set forth; and after being first duly sworn by me, thereupon made the above statement; that his statement was recorded in stenotype by me and reduced to typescript under my direction; and that the foregoing transcript constitutes a true, accurate, and complete transcript. I further certify that I am not related to nox otherwise associated with any party to this proceeding, nor otherwise interested in the event thereof. Norfolk, Given under my hand and notarial seal at /, Scott D. Gregg, RPR Notary Public Fred Metz, Rear Admiral, USN Retired

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12 Fred Metz, Rear Adm., USN Ret. 1,000 [l] 2:6 10 [I] 8: [117: :5 -Aability [s] 4:11 7:3 8:24 8:11 8:17 able 131 3:6 9:l 5:s aboard 141 6:9 6:lO 6:12 6:24 above ti] I 0:9 acceptable [I] 7:2 accommodate [ZI 5:5 5:7 accommodated [il 4:12 accomplish accomplished [I] 9:6 accurate [I] 10:13 actual [2] 3:3 3:12 addition [I] 7:10 addressed [z] 5:20 5:25 ADMIRAL p] I :I 1 2:l 10:6 Admiral 121 2:2 10:24 afforded [I] 9:5 affords 111 8:23 Air 131 8:12 8:19 8:20 air [la] 2:5 2:11 airplanes [z] 5:6 Airport [I] airspace [s] 5:2 5:9 airway 111 allows [I] along 111 amazing [z] 7:6 answered 111 5:3 answers [I] 5:20 anticipated 1 :I] 5:24 appeared [I] 10:7 approaches [I] 5:16 approval [I] 4:14 area [IS] 4:6 4:11 4:21 4:25 5:6 5:17 7:19 6:2 7:23 7:9 8:l 8:3 8:14 9:l 9:5 areas p] 3:22 4:3 5:9 ARLINGTON ril 1:18 associated 111 l0:15 attest [I] 7:23 attractive [I] 7:18 August[il 1:12 Aviation [z] 2:18 5:4 aviators [I] 7:4 backed 111 3:2 BASE [I] 1:17 Base [I] 220 base ti1 2:17 battle 111 8:4 Beach 121 1:13 10:7 better r11 9:11 biggest 111 9:7 Boston ril 4:20 BRAC [21 2:24 3:7 Brag [ll 8:18 Buffalo [1l 4:20 building [I] 6:22 buildings [il 221 business 111 8:22 buy [I] 4:15 2:12 3:11 3:12 3:15 3:24 3:25 -C- 4:2 4:6 4:7 4:16 4:25 5:7 5:23 6:lO 8:5 8: 17 aircraft [61 2:10 4:19 4:22 5% Camp tll 8:16 cannot [z] 3:18 4:16 capability [I] 6:23 capacity 111 6:7 care [I] 6:12 ~ulti-pagetm Carolina [I] camer [4l 6:8 6:23 camers 121 7:8 Cecil [la] 3:12 3:14 3:18 4:4 4:8 4:ll 4:17 4:18 5:11 5:14 5:24 9:8 Center [z] 8:25 certain [I] certified [il certify [z] 10:14 Cherry [I I Chief 121 9:10 children [I] Circuit 111 City [il 10:4 clearances [I] 3:19 cleared [I] 515 close [I] 8:17 closest [I] 6:23 CLOSURE 111 1:17 Coast [s] 2:5 4:2 8:23 combat [31 2:7 7:22 8:16 commands [z] 2:4 2:6 comments [I] 2:16 commercial [z] 4: I 9 5:15 COMMISSION [il 1:18 Commission [I] 2:15 cornmission [I] 10:5 COMMONWEALTH PI 1O:l Commonwealth :3 communities [i] 7:17 compete [I] 4:19 competing [I] 4:22 complete [ZI 2: I 6 10:13 confirmation [I] 7:18 constitutes [I] 10:13 construction [I] 5:16 consultations [I] 4:9 contact [i] 7:6 contemplating [I] 6:21 continually [q 7:6 8:7 8:14 ~ontrol [z] 3:16 4:16 controlled 111 3:13 controls 111 3:24 country [i] 6:6 court [I] 10:4 crews [ZI 6:lO 8:5 critical [I] 3:8 crucial [I] 2:17 current [z] 6:7 6:9 D [Z] 10:2 10:20 Dam [I] 8:3 data [il 9:9 decision [a] 237 4:17 5:3 5:21 5:25 9:9 Defense [ZI 212 9:ll delegation [i] 2:15 DELIVER [il 136 DELIVERY 111 1:17 demanding :20 Department deploy [I] 9:3 described[l] 3:16 detrimental [il 4:3 different 111 3:22 direction ti1 10:12 division [I] 210 done [I] 5:1 down [I] 8:15 completed [sl 222 2:25 3:6 East ~31 2:5 4:2 complicates [I] 4:25 8:23 educational [I] 7:12 EIS [z] 222 2:25 concern 111 9:7 encounter [I] 6:16 concerned p] 2:14 encroachment gl 3:2 3:5 4:8 5:22 5:23 concerns [I] 4:7 encumbered [I] 3:23 conditions [z] 6:15 endpl 7:15 6:16 7:13 :nvironmental [I] 2:23 zssential [I] 9:6 zstablished [z] 510 5:12 :vent [i] 10:16 ~xcellent gl 7:10 7:11 7:14 zxistence [I] 5:13 zxpires [i] 105 -F- F-15sril F-18 [I] 510 F-18s [il FAA [a] 3:17 3:24 4:9 4:12 4:16 FAA's [I] facilities [s] 8:3 8:7 facility [I] facts ti1 3:3 families [I] family p] 7:ll 7:22 farpi 4:lO FCLP 111 feet (11 3:14 Fentress 111 Field :14 4:4 3:15 4:6 4:11 4:15 4:18 5:14 4:21 5:21 9:8 field [a] 6:8 6:14 6:17 6:2 1 first [ZI 7:21 five 121 2:9 Fleet [i] 8:4 Florida 141 2:19 2:20 flown [Z] 6:14 fly [z] 3:18 flying t21 7:l Force [SI 8:19 8:20 Forces [I] foregoing [11 IO:I~ Fort[il 8:18 forth [I] lo:8 four[i] 534 FRED PI 10:6 ]:I1 Fred [z] 2:1 10:24 future [4] 2:17 4:lO 5:3 5:25 Index Page I

13 ' Given - strike r -G- Given [il 10:17 given [I] 2:14 giving [I] 3:11 Governor [il 3:8 Gwg PI 10:20 10:2 ground [I] 522 group [ll 8:4 grow [114:11 guest {I] 6:4 -H- Hampton :2 7:9 7:19 7:25 8:11 8:13 9:l 9:5 I hand :17 I head ti1 210 I health [I] 7:14 I hear pl 3:23 4:14 5:20 I heard p] 3:l 3:21 I hereby :5 I hereinbefore :8 I high 111 7:23 Hornet [I] 5:10 -I- impact [i] 2:23 importantly [I] 8:8 includes [I] 3:13 increase 111 4:24 increased [I] 4:2 integrate [I] 8:7 integrated [il 8:21 Intelligence 111 8:s interested :16 interface [I] 9:2 issues (21 5:2 4:25 Jacksonville 4:24 jobs [il 2:10 Johnson [il joing [I] 8:2 Joint [I] 8:25 joint [41 8:1o 9:2 9:4 July :s -Llack [il 9% land [s] 220 3:11 4:16 6:16 7:4 Landing [il 6:5 - Index Page 2 landing [GI 2:9 6:4 6:8 6:12 6:24 7:2 landings 111 2:6 Langley [I] 8:12 LARGE [il lo:] Large [i] 10:3 largest [I] 7:17 last :9 learned 111 8:8 leaving [I] 4:19 lecturer [21 6:4 7:5 Lejune [I] 8:16 life [I] 7:19 limit 111 3:16 limitations 111 6:20 live 111 7:25 Living [I] 6:2 longer [I] 8:21 LSO [I] 7:s LSos 111 6:6 -M- major 4:17 5:17 Marine 111 Marines [I] matters [I] maximum [I] may [I] 5:22 men (21 7:7 mentioned [il MET2 r31 2:l 10:6 Metz [ZI 2: I miles [I] military [I] mission [21 9:12 missions 111 morale [I] move [I] must [21 4:16 -Nname 111 2:1 NAS [s] 4:24 5:22 6:5 nation [I] 7:17 Naval [4] 2:18 5:3 7:20 9:lO 2:19 2:20 2:21 3:lO 4:s 4:9 4:15 4:21 6:13 6:14 6:21 7:9 8:22 9:lO Neck [I] 8:3 need 121 3:10 7:21 needed [I] 216 ~ u l t i - ~ a ~ e ~ needs [21 2:22 5: 1 never [I] New [I] 4:20 new night [216:18 nor[2] 1095 Norfolk [z] 10:18 North [1] notarial [I] Notary (21 10:21 now 111 7:2 Nowhere [q 4:13 9:6 nowhere 111 number Oceana [21 5:23 6:6 offer [I] 7:19 offered [21 7:l I 7:ll offering [21 2:19 2:20 offers :9 7:23 8:4 85 Officer [I] 6:s officer [z] 2:9 6:4 Officers [il 7:24 One 121 2:9 3:8 One [a] 4:l 4:4 7:16 7:21 8:9 8:22 Operations [21 7:20 9:11 opportunities [I] 7:12 opportunity [s] 6:3 7:25 optimum [I] 6:15 option [I] 9:8 Orlando r11 5:16 otherwise [2l IO:I 5 10:16 outstanding [118:3 P-3s [I] 4:24 party [I] 10:15 pass 111 4:21 past [I] 6:3 pattern [q 639 6:20 6:24 People [I] 7:15 permission 111 3:18 person [I] 10:6 pilots [2] 7:7 7:ll Fred Metz. Rear Adm.. USN Ret. Pinecastle p] 513 5:18 place 111 6:13 player 111 4:17 Point [I] 8:15 position [I] 2:16 potential [I] 523 practice 131 6:12 6:17 7:2 present [I] 6:9 presented 111 4:9 presently [I] 524 procedures [z] 6:8 6:lO proceeding [I] 10:16 process 131 2:24 3:7 6:13 promises 141 3:l 3:2 3:4 3:5 property 111 2:21 proposal [il 4:23 proven r11 6:25 provided 111 7:12 proximity [I] 8:6 Public 10:21 10:2 qualification :3 quality [il 7:18 questions pl 4:10 5:2 5:19 raise [I] 7:13 readiness p ] 7:22 7:22 REALIGNMENT 111 1:17 REAR [sl ]:I1 2:l 10:6 Rear 121 2:2 10:24 recognized [I] 4:l record [I] 7:3 recorded [i] IO:IO reduced 111 lo:] I regard [ll 8:2 regarding [z] 5:2 9:7 related :14 remember [il 3:10 replicate [il 6:15 replicating [I] 6:23 required [s] 2:24 3:7 5:9 requirements [il 5:7 retire [I] 7:16 RETIRED [zl 1 : 11 Retired :24 retired [I] 2:2 retirement [I] 7:17 returning [I] 4: 15 risky [I] 9:lO Roads [a] 6:2 7:9 7:19 7:25 8:11 8:14 9:l 9:5 routes [I] 5:12 RPRp] runway [2] 2:20 5:17 safely [21 5:5 7:4 safety (11 Saturday [I] School 111 school [I] Scott [2] 10:2 sea [I] 2:5 seal 111 IO:I~ Secretary [I] service pl 8:lO 8:12 set (11 10:8 seven [I] Seymore 111 ship [gl 6:9 6:12 6:16 6:19 6:24 9:4 Signal 111 signal [z] 6:4 skills 111 space PI 2:13 3:ll 3:12 3:15 3:24 3:25 4:6 4:7 4:16 Special [I] 8:18 special [i] 8: 13 speculation [i] 3:3 speculative [I] 9:9 squadrons [z] 8:4 8:7 started [I] 7:l STATEMENT [il 1:lO statement [s] 2:23 7:21 1O:lO 1O:lO States [I] 2:2 stationed [I] 2:4 stations [I] 2:11 stay [I] 6:7 staying [I] 7:16 stenotype [i] 10: 11 strike [I] 8:s

14 Fred Metz. Rear Adm.. USN Ret. structure 121 3:20 4:12 study 121 4:6 5:1 such [I] 9:9 Super [I] 5:lO support [Z] 5:7 8:17 target [3] 5:13 5:17 8:5 tenant [i] 3:15 testimony [s] 2:14 3:21 3:24 4:13 6:ll thereof :17 thereupon [I] 10:9 Thousands [il 4:20 through [I] 4:21 timeline [21 2:24 3:6 tours [2] 2:8 2:9 traffic [il 4:2 train[s]6:10 6:18 8:12 8:14 8:15 8:16 8:18 8:19 Training [i] 8:25 training [71 7:10 8:2 8:4 8:6 8:21 9:2 9:4 trains [I] 6:6 transcript [z] 10:12 10:13 tremendous [il 7:4 true[l] 10:13 typescript [I] 10: 11 -uunder [21 10:11 10:17 unfold [il 2:25 unit [I] 9:4 United [I] 2:2 units gl 8:13 8:14 8:19 -Wwarfare[i] 8:13 West [i] 2:5 whole [il 9:4 willing r11 5:6 wit [I] IO:~ within 121 3:14 lo:6 without [il 3:18 women 7:7 7:24 worldwide [I] 9:2 -Yyears 2: :25 8:9 York 111 4:20 structure - young variety r11 2:8 Vietnam [I] 2:7 VIRGINIA 121 1:18 10:l Virginia [61 I :I 3 1:13 10:8 10:3 10:18 10:7 visit [I] 6:8 Index Page 3