Florida is home to six Air Force bases, and three of them are in the Panhandle—Eglin, Hurlburt, and Tyndall.
Pilots stationed at these bases do regular flights back and forth across the Gulf, on some days seemingly all day long. There are days when they fly low so they sound as if they are intent on dive bombing civilians sitting out in their back yards with their dogs, and there are days when they are pretty high over head. You can still hear them in that case. Some fighter jets will be moved to a base in Virginia for training after severe hurricane damage to one of the Florida bases, so maybe things will quiet down a bit.
I don't have the full skinny on this other bit of military noise yet, and it may be unrelated to the Air Force, but some military installation nearby does regular bomb testing, or in civilian terms, "they blow up shit," a phrase I have heard more than once here. Or maybe I have just said it—maybe it's just my own interpretation of what's going on.
This happens on a weekly basis, and although these tests are conducted miles away, here on 30A, it can sound like thunder. It can also shake your house and the windows in it, and it can rattle the garage doors like someone has picked up your house and shaken it. On these days, it almost feels like the tests have affected the air pressure because you may not hear an explosion, but you definitely feel it.
I support the concept of a well-developed military within reason, and I believe a strong and ready defense leads to a safer nation. I am even willing to send in my annual taxes knowing 25% of my money is going to feed this military machine.
There are no "buts" to follow that statement. I will say, however, that I believe we have become hyper-militarized, not so much because we have a massive military system but because civilians have begun to equate being super supportive of the military with being patriotic. You can't just accept we need the military and all the machinery and noise that comes with it, and it's not enough to appreciate the service of our volunteers. You now also have to cheer wholeheartedly in their direction, waving every American flag you can get your hands on and say trite things like, "That's the sound of freedom!"
I argue that isn't the sound of freedom. It's the sound of a necessary evil because human beings are dangerous apes. If we weren't, all of us, our country could funnel our vast wealth into better schools, a better health care system, and a sustainable infrastructure. It's because we're vicious and not to be trusted that we have to spend so much on defense, held captive by human aggression.
Imagine not having to do that. Imagine the glorious noise we could make with a society in complete peace. Now THAT would be the sound of freedom.
So, answering the question of what it's like to live here—it can be noisy and sometimes alarming, and you will likely feel safe knowing such well-trained military personnel are close by. If you are of the hyper persuasion, you will feel right at home. If you are more restrained in your support, you might occasionally feel uneasy when you hear someone declare, "That's the sound of freedom."
#Panhandle #EmeraldCoast #30A
Comments