Navy eyeing remote Georgia location for practice field

GIRARD - The U.S. Navy is considering a remote location in east Georgia for a practice field for its new F/A-18 Super Hornet attack planes. <br> <br> But for farmer Randy Dixon and his neighbors, the thought of noisy jets streaking over the sandy rolling terrain of Burke County at twice the speed of sound is not a pleasant one. <br> <br> They prefer the solitude of the forests and swamp that hugs the Savannah River about 30 miles southeast of Augusta. <br> <br> ``It would change everything,&#39;&#39; Dixon said. ``The land they&#39;re wanting to take is where we live and work. We live in the country because we chose to.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Burke County is one of seven locations under scrutiny for a $35 to $40 million airfield, where pilots would practice takeoffs and landings mostly at night. <br> <br> ``It&#39;s not a base, but an outlying landing field,&#39;&#39; said Lt. Joe Carpenter, a Navy spokesman. ``It would have the runway and support buildings such as air traffic control tower, firefighting, refueling and security.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> The airfield would require 2,000 to 3,000 acres, with a 53,000-acre buffer either acquired outright or covered with restrictive easements, Carpenter said. <br> <br> The seven sites were short-listed from 20 original sites. Six others are in North Carolina near Windsor, Morehead City, Vanceboro, Englehard, Elizabeth City and Plymouth. <br> <br> Carpenter said the final decision expected late this year after environmental studies are completed will depend partly on where the Navy bases its new attack aircraft. <br> <br> Potential bases include Naval the Marine Corps air station at Beaufort, S.C., which would be compatible with setting up the practice field in Georgia. <br> <br> U.S. Rep. Charlie Norwood, whose district includes Burke County, has gotten both positive and negative feedback, said John Stone, his press secretary. <br> <br> ``We honestly don&#39;t know where it will be. Some people think it&#39;s a good thing and it would bring in 50 jobs,&#39;&#39; Stone said. <br> <br> The area being considered is home to about 70 families totaling several hundred people. <br> <br> Dixon noted that the federal government already owns the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. <br> <br> ``If it does have to come into this vicinity, the old bomb plant is straight across the river,&#39;&#39; Dixon said. ``Why can&#39;t they use land they already took from people years ago? It&#39;s just growing up in trees.&#39;&#39;