Shack

Erupting like a small volcano, a 500-pound Mark-82 bomb dropped by an Air Force Reserve Command A-10 Thunderbolt II from the 303rd Fighter Squadron, hits it target at High Explosive Hill on the Barry M. Goldwater Range, Ariz. The Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., reservists from the 442nd Fighter Wing were using the range for live ordnance training while temporarily based at Arizona's Davis-Monthan A.F.B. near Tucson. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Bill Huntington)

Goldwater Range balances mission, environment

Published March 30, 2007
By Staff Sgt. Tom Talbert
442nd Fighter Wing public affairs

GILA BEND AIR FORCE AUXILIARY FIELD, Ariz. -- With the advantages the military enjoys from such a mammoth training facility like the Barry M. Goldwater Range here, come some unique environmental considerations for its operation.

According to Aaron Alvidrez, wildlife biologist for environmental science management at the range, "the goal is to create a training environment, while at the same time preserving the natural resources."

That means protecting, among other things, the Sonoran pronghorn antelope, an endangered species unique to this area.

"We have the only herd of Sonoran pronghorn antelope in the United States," Alvidrez said. "In 2002 the rare antelope numbered only 17; today there are between 50 and 60 in the herd."

Besides the delicate balance of nature, with more than two thousand miles of sparse desert bordering Mexico, undocumented aliens or UDAs, also present a real concern to the Air Force.

"Undocumented aliens can also impact operations, requiring occasional diverting of missions," Mr. Alvidrez said.

To protect the wildlife and the occasional UDA, constant monitoring and observation are going on throughout the range.