Marines


Sound Reporting
The Combat Center wants to know what military sounds the community hears and when and where they hear those sounds.

Sound Comparison

MCAGCC Training Sounds

M77A2 Howitzer MV-22 Osprey M1A1 Abrams Tank

Critical training performed by Marines and Sailors aboard the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center prepares them for combat. They must train as they would fight — using the mortars, artillery, tanks, aircraft and guns they would use in combat. These training events generate sounds.

Aircraft and ordnance generate sounds that can sometimes be heard in the surrounding communities and we understand that the sounds resulting from training activities may have an effect on you. For some, the sounds coming from the Combat Center may be disruptive, while others may consider them the “Sounds of Freedom.”

We want to know what military sounds the community hears, and when and where they hear them, so we may better understand the interaction between our training activities and what the community experiences.

Where do these sounds come from?
Some sounds you may hear directly, such as shells exploding in the far distance or aircraft flying nearby. Other sounds may seem like the ground is shaking, but what is actually happening is that low-frequency sound below the threshold of human hearing is traveling through the air causing small vibrations in your windows and doors. Those vibrations travel through the air, not through the ground.

Weather conditions can cause great variations in the sounds you hear. The same activity at the same place on different days can have very different sound signatures because of temperature inversions, and wind strength and direction, as well as other factors.

We want to know what you hear
To improve our understanding of how training affects the community, we have implemented a sound reporting system. The information you provide will enable us to monitor what sounds are being heard, where they are being heard, and the scale of impact on the community.

Through this reporting system, we will be able to match specific training areas, types of training, and weather occurrences to better understand how they factor in to what the community hears. While MCAGCC’s training mission must continue, if there is an opportunity to make adjustments to reduce the sounds, we’ll try to take advantage of it.

How to report what you hear
To let us know what you hear, please complete our web form, call Government and External Affairs at (760) 830-9222, or send an email to PLMS-MCAGCC-SOUND_REPORTING@usmc.mil.

Please include the time and date of the sound occurrence, where you were when you heard the sound and the type of sound that you heard (artillery, aircraft, other sound).

Providing your personal information is not required. However, if you want us to follow up with you, we will need a contact number or email address.

Learn more about sounds coming from the base with our FAQ

contacts

Director 760-830-5473
Deputy Director 760-830-3765
Community Liaison 760-830-5651
442-214-5078
School Liaison 760-830-1574
Operations Officer 760-830-3735
Land Management Specialist 760-830-8477
Encroachment Specialist 760-830-3013
Webmaster 760-830-4237
760-361-9584
DSN: 230

Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms