For the soldiers and their officers, it can be enormously frustrating. They are preparing for combat, learning to fight and protect themselves on a training base here in the United States. But when it comes time to take cover, the foxhole is blocked off with duct tape. The soldier’s not allowed to dig for fear of disturbing the habitat of the San Joaquin kit fox, for example.
But look at the other side. The Pentagon has 25 million acres of land, all over the U.S. When it’s mating season for pronghorn antelope in Arizona, can’t Air Force training flights go elsewhere?
The Pentagon says it needs exemptions from a raft of environmental laws for the sake of national security. Environmentalists say protecting the planet comes first. Are foxholes just for foxes?
Guests:
Paul W. Mayberry, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense, Readiness
Dan Meyer, general counsel, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility Rep. Joel Hefley (R-Colorado).