Artillery and rockets coming to JBLM training exercises

OLYMPIA — Military cost-cutting measures mean troops will participate in more complicated training at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

The Olympian reports that the Army will be using artillery and rockets to train troops at JBLM instead of sending them to Yakima Training Center in central Washington.

JBLM’s senior Army officer said he will be able to save money by avoiding the 160 miles of travel to Yakima.

Training could include mortar launchers, Howitzer cannons and Apache attack helicopters equipped with Hellfire rockets.

Army officials say they have not received an increase in formal complaints about training noise. JBLM officials say they rarely get complaints if they provide notice of training events.

The Olympian reports that some residents say they have been annoyed with louder booms and more frequent gunshots from the base.