Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California MCAS Miramar has launched a firstofitskind wildfireprevention experiment, 471 goats are now grazing across the base's rugged East Miramar training area to clear dense, fireprone vegetation.

The pilot program, "Operation Goat Rope", began September 15 and marks the first prescribed grazing effort on a U.S. military installation. The allfemale herd of SpanishBoer crossbreeds, supplied by Shepherdess Land and Livestock, is tasked with reducing invasive grasses across an initial 600acre zone, including areas too dangerous or inaccessible for human crews due to steep terrain and active EOD ranges.

Base officials say goats offer a safer, environmentally friendly alternative to heavy machinery, which can damage habitat and threaten the near dozen endangered species living on MCAS Miramar. Col. Erik Herrmann, Commanding Officer of MCAS Miramar, said, "Bringing the goats in is much better than bringing in heavy machinery that's going to trample a lot of those protected areas."

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St. Leonard, Maryland Maryland State Police issued a warning to residents around Flag Harbor Beach in St. Leonard to stay clear and expect a large "boom," as US Navy EOD responded to a potential military ordnance that washed ashore.

The Calvert County Sheriff's Office first reported that a gray cylinder had been found on the beach. Maryland State Police bomb technicians and the EOD unit arrived to carry out a controlled detonation of the unidentified ordnance. The Sheriff's Office issued an all clear following the disposal operations.

Similar activity was reported last month, after a military-labeled canister marked "U.S. Military" and "phosphorus" washed ashore near the Calvert Beach boat ramp in Saint Leonard.

There was no further information and the beach was quickly reopened.