Letter to the Editor:
In reviewing the site plans submitted by O’Gara to Westmoreland County, I noticed two things that will have a direct impact on the safety of local residents and the health of possibly the entire Northern Neck and beyond.
The first is that there will be no fences restricting site access to the O’Gara facility. Only signs will be posted. Well, I suspect children haven’t changed so much since I was one, so they will undoubtedly be attracted to the site to watch the guys firing guns and racing and crashing cars. What could be more fun! When I was a boy, even the fence around a site housing old German and Japanese WWII aircraft failed to deter us. Equally troubling is that the family dog might wander into the site chasing a rabbit since he can’t read signs. What happens when yours is shot or blown-up? Will it be your child who is devastated when a wounded pet drags himself back home or never comes home?

An even more troubling situation is that there are no provisions for sewers or running water. Instead, O’Gara will provide porta-potties and bottled water. Consider this scenario: Trainees arrive from God knows where, I’ve by told by a state police investigator that the mercenary training facility down in West Point, Va., has cycled through Egyptians, and I expect we will be seeing our share of Arabic speakers that Dyncorp will forward on to Iraq and Afghanistan. Imagine, more than 100 people confined on the site for 8 to 10 hours per day, dealing with bodily necessities without running water for basic hygienic upkeep. At the end of the day, or at lunch they go to local restaurants. Hands touch doorknobs, dining tables, chairs and bar tops. Worst of all, they start arriving in October at the beginning of a forecasted resumption of a worldwide swine flu pandemic. Imagine the likely outcome. Is there a potential problem? Is this a science fiction movie script? Nope. Pretty, scary isn’t it? And to really add to your worries, didn’t the 9-11 terrorist train in Florida?
Hopefully, the most progressive government in the Northern Neck (as pronounced by Mr. Fisher, on Aug. 10, 2009) will consider these issues when reviewing the site plan. But, given the past record at the upper levels of local government, who knows. Perhaps government officials of less progressive (again, Mr. Fisher’s opinion) surrounding counties where the trainees will be housed (Richmond and Essex) need to become aware of this and make plans to protect their citizens from the ultimate Come-Heres.
So, enjoy your restaurant dining experiences and bar visits this coming October and on into the winter as the flu season really starts to hit. Will blue latex gloves accompanied by matching surgical masks be height of fall and winter fashion here in progressive Westmoreland County? Local businesses – this might be just the economic boon you’ve been told to expect.
Dennis L. McGuire
Mt. Holly, Va.