Noise, or unwanted sound, can disturb routine activities and may be a significant annoyance. During military training operations sounds from aircraft, ordnance detonations, gun firings, missile firings, combat engineering demolitions, and air-to-surface bomb drops all have the possibility of being disruptive to daily activity. This is of increasing concern to DoD because of the continuing establishment of new communities close to bases that were initially constructed in remote locations.

It is DoD’s policy (DoDI 4715.13) to reduce adverse effects from the noise associated with military test and training operations consistent with maintaining military readiness and to integrate, without degrading mission capabilities, noise management techniques and principles into installation and operational range activities.