OKALOOSA MILITARY PRESENCE EXPANDING EVEN MORE

If you wanted to know how the military is growing now and in the future, read on. The following is a brief overview of how the military's growing. As many know, I am the Vice President of the Northwest Florida's Military Officer's Association, and how the privilege to attend a number of military briefings and have a vareity of government and military officials speak to my organization. With this said, I can assure you will extreme confidence, the military is here and continued growth is expected.


Okaloosa military presence to expand
Brian Hughes | brianh@crestviewbulletin.com
2010-08-18 09:26:23

For the last several years, the numbers have been flying about the impact of the Army’s Seventh Special Forces and the Air Force’s Joint Strike Fighters arrival in Okaloosa County. On Friday, Larry Sassano, president of the county’s Economic Development Council, corralled some of the most current numbers and presented them at a Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce education committee lunch-and-learn midday presentation.

“We have one of those three-legged stools that is supporting our economy today,” Sassano said. “If we didn’t have [the military], we would be in a heap of trouble. We’re blessed to have the military,” he said, adding, “and we'll get tourism back soon.”

Just how dependent the county is on the military soon hit home.

“The military is the number one economic generator in Okaloosa County,” Sassano said.

The military accounts for 34 percent of the northwest Florida economy, but 70 percent of the Okaloosa County economy. The average earning per military job is $81,300, according the Haas Center for Business and Economic Development at the University of West Florida, Sassano said. Total defense spending is $2.2 billion annually in Okaloosa County, with a total impact of $6.6 billion.

Sassano presented the base realignment program’s impact on the Eglin Reservation and area economy via a series of charts. As each flashed on the screen at the front of the chamber’s main conference room, the reality —and enormity — of the impending arrival of the Seventh Special Forces and the Joint Strike Fighters was apparent:

• $770 million in infrastructure construction
• 86,630 jobs
• 8,646 new neighbors, including 6,067 for the Seventh Special Forces (both figures are about to be revised upward, Sassano said)
• Local sales and consumption surpassing $7.1 billion
• JSF economic impact of $1.5 to $1.6 million Gross Regional Product (GRP)
“Even though you don’t have all the planes, you have all the maintenance,” Sassano reminded anyone who was disappointed that not all of the JSF aircraft will be coming to Eglin. Of the 107 expected planes, only 59 will actually be sent to Eglin.

“The Joint Strike Fighters will trickle in, but Seventh Special Forces, they’ll be here in one group, boom!” Sassano said. “You’ll have a lot of high-ranking men and women. Their income is pretty good. They are specially trained; an impressive group of men and women. They will be an asset to the community.”

While a conventional company of 131 soldiers includes 108 privates, specialists and sergeants, the Seventh Special Forces has just two sergeants. The 7th Special Forces also include more ranking officers, warrant officers and sergeants ranked first class or higher (86) than a conventional company (9).

“They don’t fall much out of line with Eglin’s averages,” Sassano said.

According to material Sassano presented, the majority of the 7th Special Forces personnel will arrive between April and September 2011.

In addition to military personnel and their families, “There are a lot of companies (military contractors) that aren’t here yet that will have a presence in Okaloosa County,” Sassano said.

Sassano presented a map of Northwest Florida aerospace and defense industry “clusters,” indicating large concentrations of military contractors in Pensacola, Panama City, Tallahassee and Crestview. The Tallahassee cluster is composed primarily of lobbyists, Sassano said, adding that an updated map currently in the works will show even more contractors in the Crestview area, which currently ranked about fifth.

“When we go to a trade show, their eyes just focus on Okaloosa County,” Sassano said.

BRAC by the numbers
Economic Development Council statistics

OKALOOSA DEFENSE SPENDING

(in millions)

Procurement $1,066.7
Salaries 627.0
Pensions.transfers 549.8
TOTAL: $2,243.5

OKALOOSA MILITARY ECONOMIC IMPACT

Employment 86,630 jobs
Sales activity $3.7 billion
Consumption $3.4 billion
Capital investment $613.7 million
Av. earning per military job $81,300

EGLIN RESERVATION BRAC IMPACT

F-35 JSF Bed-down:
2,326 personnel, $400 million military construction

Army 7th Special Forces:
2,200 personnel, $332 million military construction
Integrated Weapons Research Center:
36 personnel, $2 million military construction



BRAC MILITARY PERSONNEL & FAMILIES

7th Special Forces: 2,200 personnel, 1,452 spouses, 2,415 children: 6,067 total*

Joint Strike Fighter: 1,563 personnel, 78 spouses, 938 children: 2,579 total*

* The Haas Center has been asked to re-evaluate these figures as particularly the JSF spouse and children counts appear low

ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE J.S.F.

Gross Regional product: $1,537-1,668 million
Population: 4,064-4,432
Employment: 3,559-4,104

SPECIAL FORCES RANKS

Rank Conventional Company Special Forces
Major 01
Captain 111
Lieutenant 40
Warrant Officer 011
Sergeant Major 01
Sergeant 1st Class 351
Staff Sergeant 1443
Sergeant 212
Private/Specialist 870