Posts Tagged ‘community military partnership’

The South Dakota Ellsworth Development Authority is moving ahead with two projects to preserve Ellsworth Air Force Base and its tremendous economic impact in the western portion of the state. Since the base narrowly averted closure in the last BRAC round, the authority has been purchasing properties surrounding the installation’s airfield to reduce encroachment, reported the Rapid City Journal. A low-income housing project now under construction will offer a new housing option for some of those residents …

Housing officials at Patrick AFB have succeeded in filling most of the base’s vacant homes after opening the units to military retirees and the general public. Currently 94 percent of the homes at the installation located on Florida’s Space Coast are occupied, with 38 percent of the units occupied by retirees, reports Florida Today. At one point, 230 out of 453 homes were vacant, primarily due to the depressed real estate market and economy, and the loss of two Air Force units. The Air Force agreed to the request of Hunt Military Communities, which owns and manages the Patrick housing, to rent the homes to non-active-duty personnel and civilians. There are only 9 units occupied by the general public, a number that likely won’t climb much higher as the base housing will be closed to civilians once occupancy reaches 95 percent.

Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach contributes over $136 million to the area’s economy and supports over 2,000 jobs, according to a recently completed economic impact and community involvement study. The Southern California base generated over $91 million in industrial output, $38 million in direct payroll expenditures and nearly $6 million in local and state tax revenues, based on the latest available data from fiscal 2010. “I’m proud of the outstanding relationships we have with the surrounding community,” Capt. Terry Auberry, base commanding officer, said in a written statement. “The weapons station has been a source of lasting community partnerships and positive economic influence since World War II.” The community benefits of the base go beyond monetary support. Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach supports civilian law enforcement training, from local police departments to federal agencies such as the FBI. The base fire department, under a mutual aid agreement with Orange County, routinely responds to civilian emergencies off the installation.

Military installations for the first time would have a statutory authority allowing them to enter into agreements with state and local governments to provide, receive or share base support services, under a provision in the draft version of the fiscal 2013 defense authorization bill that the House Armed Services’ Readiness Subcommittee is scheduled to consider today. The authority for military services to enter into intergovernmental support agreements with defense communities is intended to achieve multiple goals, including enhancing an installation’s mission effectiveness or saving it money, along with benefiting the community …

Business alliances supporting Maryland’s military installations have played a variety of roles in recent years, working with local officials to accommodate BRAC growth, lobbying for new missions, sponsoring on-base improvements and helping to boost economic development. A primary function of the groups is helping contractors understand how to do business with installations, but the partnerships extend much further …

The Alaska legislature has sent a measure creating military facility zones that offer state and federal incentives for businesses that support Alaska’s military to Gov. Sean Parnell (R) for his signature. The bill is intended to help the state’s installations in a variety of ways. The legislation, for instance, would make low-cost loans or tax credits available to companies for projects that lower the operating cost of installations …

After spending $11 million over the last several years on projects meant to raise the military value of Naval Submarine Base New London, the state of Connecticut is on the lookout for its next project. “If you could get something going next week I’d come and break ground for it,” Gov. Dannel Malloy said Thursday. One strong possibility is a project to improve the base’s energy efficiency …

The city of Virginia Beach and the commonwealth of Virginia have undertaken a vigilant effort to reduce encroachment of Naval Air Station Oceana since the 2005 round of base closures and, as a result, the recent crash of an F/A-18 based there into an apartment complex in Virginia Beach should not renew calls to close the Navy’s East Coast master jet base, according to local officials. After the BRAC Commission called for the community to address urban development surrounding the base, “the commonwealth got the message, the city got the message and they have done everything they have promised …

In the wake of last week’s crash of an F/A-18 Hornet from NAS Oceana into a Virginia Beach apartment complex, the city council Tuesday reiterated the community’s support for the base. Council members passed a resolution “affirming the city’s strong support that the Naval Air Station Oceana remain the East Coast master jet base,” reported WAVY.com. The council also urged the area’s congressional delegation to continue its support. Since the 2005 round of base closures, Virginia Beach, the commonwealth of Virginia and the Navy have carried out a systematic program to stem encroachment at Oceana.

Last Friday’s crash of an F/A-18 Hornet from Naval Air Station Oceana into a Virginia Beach apartment complex is not expected to fray the city’s close relationship with the Navy. The military and Virginia Beach, along with the entire Hampton Roads region, have been closely linked for decades due to the area’s numerous installations and high concentration of military personnel and DOD civilians …