MILITARY TRAINING: DOD Needs a Comprehensive Plan to Manage Encroachment on Training Ranges

Abstract : This report discusses the results of the recent work involving the constraints that encroachment places on military training. Senior Department of Defense (DOD) and military services officials have testified that they face growing difficulties in carrying out realistic training at installations and training ranges because of so-called encroachment issues, which limit their ability to train military forces at the required levels of proficiency. The eight encroachment issues identified by DOD are endangered species critical habitat, unexploded ordnance and munitions components, competition for radio frequency spectrum, protected marine resources, competition for airspace, air pollution, noise pollution, and urban growth around military installations.