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Consortium eyes land near military bases |
A swept-wing F-16 fighter takes off from a runway at Shaw Air Force Base as 27,000 pounds of thrust push through the plane’s single jet engine, creating a thunderous roar.The walls of a furniture store near the Sumter base shake, and the windows rattle. Inside the building, conversations stop as people wait for the noise to fade.When it opened in 1941 as a basic training base for military pilots, the base was — as folks say — out in the country.But today Shaw, like other military installations in South Carolina, has convenience stores, restaurants and small subdivisions for neighbors.To limit development around Shaw and other bases, local and state officials and members of the military have formed the Midlands Area Joint Installation Consortium.
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