MADISON, Wis. — It’s been almost a year since the F-35 fighter jets landed in Madison, and many residents are concerned about the noise and environmental impacts.

What You Need To Know

  • The Wisconsin Air National Guard held listening sessions to hear residents' concerns about the F-35 fighter jets

  • Dozens voiced their concerns, from the noise to the environmental impacts
  • It's the first step in the Madison F-35 Community Connection project which was funded by a federal grant

  • There will be more surveys, focus groups and a final community summit in April to present a way forward

The Wisconsin Air National Guard held listening sessions this week to hear some of those concerns.

Dozens of people came to the sessions at Madison College, sharing how the new fighter jets have affected their lives.

“I don’t agree that they make us safe,” said Susan Freiss, who was in attendance at Saturday’s session.

Freiss lives on the east side of Madison, close to the flight path of the jets. She said more than once, the noise has kept her from doing what she wants to do.

“During the summer [I] at least had to turn off a podcast if I was listening to it, because I couldn’t hear it during the flights,” she said.

But Freiss said she’s even more concerned about those who live and work around Truax Field, where noise levels are higher.

“I’m really far more concerned about the people who live closer to the airport, and that we’re building affordable housing units close to the airport,” she said. “And the schools that are closer to the airport, including the ones that my grandchildren go to.”

That’s why the Wisconsin Air National Guard launched the Madison F-35 Community Connection project, thanks to a federal grant. Military leaders said the listening sessions Thursday, Friday and Saturday are just the first steps in this project.

“Really, our goal in this is to hear the community concerns, kind of compile them and figure out a way forward to bridge that relationship together with both the community and the fighter wing,” said Leslie Westmont, director of communications and grant program manager for the Department of Military Affairs.

Leaders asked community members to list the concerns that they had and make suggestions for how to solve them. Westmont said the responses she heard were eye-opening.

“Really, people just want to be involved,” she said. “They want information, and they want it in different ways. And so I think that will be one of the first things that we’re going to look at is just opening up the lines of communications in ways that reach folks everywhere.”

Westmont said they’ll compile the responses they’ve received and try to get the word out on the answers to those questions. They’ll hold surveys, focus groups and a final community summit in April to present a way forward.

Freiss said she’s happy with the communication that came out of these sessions and wants to see real change.

“I would like to see the purpose of our National Guard here in this very residential place switch to something else and move, if the F-35s have to be moved, into a less residential area,” she said.

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