But while the agency may be inclined to allow some immediate training for combat-ready troops that would otherwise lose their deployment status, there was no indication yesterday that such a rollback was in sight. The Pentagon is fighting the order because it could set a precedent and stop training at other bases. The deputy administrator, Frederic Hansen, continued the hearing until next week, asking the Department of Defense for more information on the immediate combat readiness needs of the National Guard Bureau.
Troops can still have gunnery practice while the military appeals the order.
The first of the season's trainees, National Guard units from Rhode Island, arrive this weekend. On April 10, John DeVillars, regional head of the EPA in Boston, prohibited the use of propellants and pyrotechnics at the Upper Cape base. DeVillars maintains artillery, mortar and small-arms firing at the base threaten the public health and the ground water under the firing ranges. On April 19, the Pentagon appealed DeVillars's order. The military contends that nonexplosive mortar and artillery rounds do not harm the environment or pose a health threat.