Military Trainings Near Bowie to Continue Through Friday

The military trainings that shocked and alarmed many local residents early last Wednesday will continue through Friday of this week, though during more regular hours, according to Bowie City Manager David Deutsch. 

This week's trainings will occur between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Deutsch said, so residents may hear sounds of gunfire and explosions near Melford during those hours. 

The actual training facility is located due east of Melford, just across the Patuxant River in Anne Arundel County. It is a large military installation listed on maps as an Air Force Transmitter Station, but during a meeting with city staff today, officials told Deutsch they have been conducting trainings there for years.

"That may be but we’ve never had this type of situation before where dozens of people have heard this type of activity and wondered what was going on," Deutsch said.

As a result of today's meeting, the Air Force officials agreed to contact the city of Bowie as well as the county communications center—which received a number of 911 calls related to Wednesday's training—prior to future trainings. 

The trainings at the Air Force site are conducted on an annual basis. Residents should expect to be informed prior to the next training activity.