Some Smyrna residents were awakened Wednesday morning to the distant sound of live fire from Dobbins Air Reserve Base.

Smyrna-Vinings Patch got a few emails and a Facebook comment asking about the disturbance, so we called Cpt. Patrick Simmons, one of Dobbins’ public information officers, to get the scoop.

“This is a live fire requirement that our security forces have annually,” he said. “They’re military police and they’re required by our Air Force instructions and regulations to qualify on an annual basis. Part of that qualification is to fire at night in the dark using night vision goggles and also in a low-light situation utilizing their sites on their weapons.”

Simmons said the exercises began May 16 and it has taken several weeks to cycle all 130 members of the security force through the training. He said the leadership at Dobbins has tried to keep the neighbors in mind when scheduling the training exercise.

"We kind of got a sense that this would be better to do in the morning when people were getting up and getting to work," he said. "This being Atlanta people to have get up early and get out on the road before the traffic builds up opposed to shooting at 10 or 11 o’clock at night when people are trying to sleep.”

Fortunately, Smyrna’s not-so early risers don’t have much longer to endure the noise. Simmons said the last exercise is scheduled for Thursday, June 21 so all will be quiet…until next year.