“THE F-35 JOINT STRIKE FIGHTER IS SLATED TO BE ARMED WITH THE B61 NUCLEAR BOMB AS EARLY AS 2020, BUT COULD CARRY THE WEAPON SOONER.” -Lt General Jack Weinstein, Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration
By: Smriti Chaudhary November 24, 2020 The U.S. Air Force along with Sandia National Laboratories conducted the first-ever test with the B61-12 bomb featuring the F-35A fighter jet. A mock B61-12 was used to strike in the Nevada desert, from a height of about 10,500 feet, with “full-weapon systems demonstrations designed to increase confidence the […]
By: Diana Stacy Correll for Millitary Times, Sept. 12, 2019 Two retired Air Force officers were arrested this week after a sit-in protest at Sen. Patrick Leahy’s office in Burlington, Vermont. The pair demanded a delay in the arrival of F-35 fighter jets at the Vermont Air National Guard base at Burlington International Airport, according […]
By: Mike Dougherty for VTDigger, Sept. 13, 2019 The first two F-35s in the Vermont Air National Guard’s new fleet of fighter jets are scheduled to arrive in Burlington by next Friday. But a coalition of protesters who have fought the basing for years continues to press the military to change its mind. NBC5 first […]
By: Aidan Quigley for VTDigger, Sept. 12, 2019 BURLINGTON — Four more F-35 protesters were arrested at Sen. Patrick Leahy’s Burlington office Wednesday night, following the arrest of two demonstrators Monday night. Kara Paige, Carmen Sargent, Roddy O’Neil Cleary and Rabbi Joshua Chasan were arrested for unlawful trespass after refusing to leave the senator’s office Wednesday evening. […]
By: Cat Viglienzoni for WCAX, Sept 10, 2019 BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) Two veterans concerned about F-35 jets coming to Vermont were arrested Monday after police cited them for trespassing during a sit-in at Sen. Patrick Leahy’s office in Burlington. Police cited Rosanne Greco and Roger Bourassa after they sat in the senator’s office for a couple of hours […]
By: Zuri Hoffman for NBC 5, Sept. 10, 2019 SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. — On Tuesday, a small group of people gathered at Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy’s office to make a last minute push to stop the F-35 planes from coming to the Burlington International Airport in South Burlington. “I grew up here so I don’t […]
By: Aidan Quigley for VTDigger, Sept. 9, 2019 BURLINGTON — Police arrested two retired Air Force officers Monday evening for refusing to leave Sen. Patrick Leahy’s office in downtown Burlington, as part of an ongoing protest against the basing of F-35s at Burlington International Airport. Retired Col. Rosanne Greco and retired Lt. Col. Roger Bourassa […]
By: Courtney Adelman, Aug. 13, 2019 BURLINGTON, VT – On Monday night the Burlington City Council approved a resolution against basing nuclear capable aircrafts at Burlington International Airport. The resolution calls on officials like Mayor Weinberger and Gov. Phil Scott to tell the United States Department of Defense that f-35’s are not welcome in the […]
A Commentary and letter sent to Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., from a group of Winooksi residents; Via VTDigger, Jun 11, 2019 We, the undersigned families and individuals, live in Winooski and many of us have at least one young child in our homes. We are writing to urge you to reconsider your support for basing […]
Commentary by Roger Bourassa, published by VTDigger, May 12, 2019 Editor’s note: This commentary is by Roger Bourassa, a native of Winooski currently living in Colchester. He served as an Air National Guardsman for 11 years and retired as a lieutenant colonel. Last Tuesday afternoon, I spoke before the Vermont Senate Committee on Government Operations […]