The military presence is the primary economic generator for Okaloosa County. 

Okaloosa supports three military installations, Eglin Air Force Base, Hurlburt Field, and Duke Field, collectively on the largest base in the world; Eglin Air Force Base.  These three installations are know as the Eglin Complex.

Local bases support over 60,000
active military, civil service, and military dependents.

The overall economic impact of the Eglin Complex for Okaloosa
is $5,000,000,000 annually!

For information on how Okaloosa and its surrounding counties are working with BRAC and the 46th Test Wing visit the Defense Support Initiative page.

With the military presence being the #1 contributor for Okaloosa's economy, the EDC created the Defense Support Initiative Committee in 1991 in order to ensure the retention and continual growth of the Department of Defense in Okaloosa County.  The EDC DSI is the official representative and is recognized by the State of Florida as the lead agency in the county for base/community initiatives.

The strong military presence in Okaloosa County creates a technical and economic foundation for growth and expansion.

Due to this military presence there is a greater density of technology-based  and defense contracting firms located here. As a result of this technology density the EDC created TeCMEN.  TeCMEN is a collaborative network of high-technology, manufacturing and engineering service companies working together to promote economic and technological growth within the community.

Defense contracting results in:

• Over 350 local businesses awarded employment contracts.

• Over 21,000 jobs in other industry sectors being created.

• Over $475 million generated annually.

During FY 2002 Okaloosa County military installations contracted over $728,639 million,
10.3% of total state awards.

In FY05 approximately 20,903 jobs in other industry sectors were directly or indirectly related to military spending.  An annual increase of approximately 1,000 jobs each year.

Eglin Air Force Base

Eglin Air Force Base, the Air Armament Center (AAC), belongs to the Air Force Materiel Command and is responsible for development, acquisition, testing, deployment and sustainment of all air-delivered weapons. Eglin's range supports training activities for numerous operational military units, military schools, and various federal agencies.  These training activities are conducted on an individual, group, or joint operations basis.  Eglin AFB is a joint-service installation supporting Army and Navy units. As of 2001 62 major organizations resided at Eglin.

Eglin AFB occupies 463,128 acres across Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Walton Counties.

Eglin AFB
the largest military installation in the Department of Defense

• 724+ square miles land ranges

• 134,000+ square miles air space

• 123,000+ square miles water ranges

Eglin's technically sophisticated facilities and its massive land-water test range complex make it an invaluable asset to the Air Force mission and to the economic development of the community.

In FY 06 Eglin AFB

• Created 12,900 non-active duty military jobs in the local community
• Had a $1.4B impact on the economic area
• Directly employed approximately 11,000 military and 11,000 civilians (appropriated and non-appropriated, contract civilians, and private business employees)
• Had 15,125 military family members associated, and
• Supported approximately 41,000 retired military members in the local area

FY 06 Eglin Air Force Base Personnel:

• 11,000 active duty

• 11,000 civilian

• 19,000 dependents

Hurlburt Field

Hurlburt Field is the headquarters of the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), the Air Force component of U.S. Special Operations Command; and the 1st Special Operations Wing, AFSOC's oldest and largest unit.  AFSOC's mission is to provide Air Force special operations forces for worldwide deployment in the conduct of the War on Terrorism in order to disrupt, defeat, and destroy terrorist networks that threaten the United States, its citizens, and interests worldwide. Responsibilities are to provide aerospace surface interface, agile combat support, combat aviation advisory operations, information warfare, personnel recovery and rescue operations, precision aerospace fires, psychological operations, specialized aerospace mobility and specialized refueling to unified commands.

Hurlburt Field is located in the southern portion of the Eglin reservation in Okaloosa County occupying 6,634 acres.

FY 06 Hurlburt Field Personnel Totaled 18,881

• 7,812 Active duty

• 1,069 Civilian

• plus 10,000 dependents

Duke Field

Duke Field is home for the 919th Special Operations Wing, the only special operations unit in the Air Force Reserve. The 919th SOW reports to the Air Force Reserve Command's Tenth Air Force in peacetime, and becomes part of AFSOC at Hurlburt Field if mobilized for conflict.

Duke Field is located within the northern section of Eglin's reservation and employs 1,200 reservists and 300 full-time civil service personnel.

Duke's total economic impact in the community is estimated at $51 million annually.

BRAC Impact
As a result of the 2005 BRAC Commission, Duke Field is the preferred site for the incoming Special Forces personnel to locate.

Vision 2015

In response to BRAC, Eglin AFB created their growth management plan, Vision 2015, as a collaborative initiative for Eglin to work with the communities for mutual needs.  Their motto, Together We Win, reflects that collaboration; working together, Eglin and the communities can achieve more together than alone.  For additional information regarding Eglin's Vision 2015, visit the Defense Support Initiative page.

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