It’s going to be loud around New Jersey’s Joint Base this month

The Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst has issued its “noise calendar” for March, and people who live near the sprawling base should get ready to hear some booms.

The base releases its schedule to cut down on the number of panicked calls local police departments get when things start getting loud, but even with that warning, you still hear people asking, “what was that sound?”

The base categorizes its activity in three levels: low noise, moderate noise, and high noise:

• Low Noise — ground small arms and light crew weapons training; may include small arms fire and rifles
• Moderate Noise — rotary wing aerial gunnery; may include .50 caliber weapons, rocket fire, rotary cannons
• High Noise — heavy crew weapons training and cratering munitions; may include mortar live fire, Howitzer fire, and cratering charges

For March, there are only two low noise days, the 12th & 13th; most of the month is moderate noise, with high noise on March 4, 8, 9, 10, and the 23-26.

I’ve lived within earshot of the base for years, and there is nothing alarming about the noise, if you know what’s coming; after all, who doesn’t want a well-trained military, right? I choose to regard the sound of gunfire and explosions as more of a security blanket rather than an inconvenience.

So, if you live in Burlington or Ocean counties near the base, expect things to be a little noisier than usual for the next few weeks, but as the locals say, it’s the sound of freedom.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Doyle only.

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