Noise

Noise has been part of warfare since the introduction of gunpowder by the Chinese in the eighth century A.D. In today's Army conventional training for warfare has required the use of new military weapon systems (i.e. aircraft, small arms, tank guns, artillery, missiles, bombs, rockets, mortars, sonic booms, etc.) to enhance war-fighting proficiency and to provide troops realistic exposure to battlefield conditions. The size and the intensity of the battlefield have changed, with a growing lethality of both weapons and tactics.

The Army is expected to train and maintain this ready force in a country demanding quiet, that has increased its urbanization rate throughout what was once considered remote locations and coincidently where many Army posts were sited decades ago. It is said that our forces "Own the Night." This is a classic example of change in Army training requirements over the years, the superior ability to fight at night.  This skill requires that we train at night, thus causing installations to shift to as much as 70% of their training operations to the hours of darkness.

Times and attitudes have changed. Gone are the days when a military airfield or training ranges could attribute its operational noise to the "sound of freedom." Our society questions our noise producing activities more each day, and often demands consultation rather than the  "decision, announce and defend" approach. This is especially true in the area of environmental protection, health and safety.

The Fort Stewart Public Affairs Office maintains a Noise Reporting Hotline at (912) 435-9879.