Economic Impact  l  Eglin Air Force Base  l  Hurlburt Field  l  Duke Field  l  Coast Guard BRAC Impact  l  Vision 2015

Okaloosa County, its municipalities, and its citizens support the military.

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

The EDC and its DSI oppose any activity in the Gulf of Mexico that would negatively impact the military test and training of local installations.

In March 2010, the Defense Support Initiative submitted a legislative packet to Florida representatives consisting of 12 resolutions and proclamations from the Northwest Florida region.  There are current federal policies protecting the Military Mission Line extending from Hurlburt Field south through the Gulf of Mexico to Key West restricting oil and natural gas drilling to the west of the MML.  This regional packet supports the continual protection of that Line and our military installations' test and training efforts, and our economic health.

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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.

The overall defense economic impact in Okaloosa County
is over $6,000,000,000 annually!

The State of Florida's economic impact is $52 billion
and is anticipated to exceed $59 billion by 2010.

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 tri-county area for base/community initiatives.

For information on how the EDC, Okaloosa County and surrounding counties are working on BRAC implementation and other military related issues, visit the Defense Support Initiative page.

Economic Impact

The University of West Florida Haas Center for Business Research released a
 Florida Defense Industry Economic Impact Analysis in January 2008 and provided these statistics.

• About 35% of Northwest Florida regional output is driven by defense spending; 18% for NE Florida, 5% for Central Florida, and 3% for South Florida.

• Average earnings per military job in Florida are at 175% of average earnings across all Florida jobs.

• In 2005, average military earnings per job were $68,540 compared to an average of $39,990 for all Florida jobs.

• In Okaloosa County defense-related spending accounts for 73% of economic activity.

Percentage of Total Department of Defense Employment in the State of Florida

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

The defense-related spending in Okaloosa County generates additional employment, wages, consumption spending, and investments throughout the county and continues to produce more spending as it circulates throughout the region's economy.  The military installations in the county further generate employment by contracting with local businesses and national businesses that have facilities in the area. 

Seven of the ten largest defense contractors in the State of Florida
have a presence in Okaloosa County.

An industry cluster of these targeted businesses catering to the local military installations has developed over the years.  These businesses, of which there are approximately 350 in Okaloosa, work with local suppliers to obtain the goods and services necessary to meet the needs of the military; creating jobs and sustaining the economy.

Due to the high density of technology-based  and defense contracting firms located here, the EDC created the Technology Coast Manufacturing and Engineering Network, 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.

March 2009

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.

In FY05 approximately 20,903 jobs in other industry sectors were directly or indirectly related to military spending with 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 supports Army and Navy units. 62 major organizations resided at Eglin.

Eglin AFB Designated Historic Aerospace Site
September 2009

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

Eglin AFB, the largest military installation in the Department of Defense

• More than 724 square miles of land area

• More than 134,000 square miles of airspace

• More than 123,000 square miles of water ranges in the Gulf of Mexico

2009 Installation Statistics

• Buildings                              2,239

• Buildings Square Feet    12,105,930

• Main Base Acres                  11,270

• Complete Acreage              463,067

• Active Duty Military                7,928

• Civilians                                5,435

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 Okaloosa's community. 

In FY 07 Eglin AFB

• Created 12,900 non-active duty military jobs in the local community
• Had a $1.5B impact on the economic area
• Had 15,125 military family members associated, and
• Supported approximately 41,000 retired military members in the local area

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.

HURLBURT SELECTED AS BEST AIR FORCE INSTALLATION, 2009

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.

For additional BRAC information visit the Defense Support Initiative page.

U.S Coast Guard Station Destin

Coast Guard Station Destin, commissioned in November 1977, is located on Choctawhatchee Bay at the east end of Okaloosa Island. Our primary missions include Search and Rescue and a wide range of law enforcement activities including Recreational and Commercial Boating Safety, Fisheries, Marine Environmental Protection, Ports/Waterways/Coastal Security and Drug Interdiction.  The unit’s area of responsibility extends 30 miles off-shore into the Gulf of Mexico bordered by Inlet Beach to the east and Navarre Bridge to the west.  Inland the unit covers the Choctawhatchee Bay, all bayous, and the Intracoastal Waterway.  The station is equipped with two 41-foot Utility Boats and two 25-foot Defender Class Response Boats.   

2009 Installation Statistics 

• Buildings                                    3

• Building Square Feet           22,000

• Acreage                                     6

• Active Duty                               34

• Active Duty Dependents             44

• Reserve Personnel                    10

• Auxiliary, Flotilla 14 Personnel    64

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 on their 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 visit the Defense Support Initiative page.

Economic Impact  l  Eglin Air Force Base  l  Hurlburt Field  l  Duke Field  l  Coast Guard  l  BRAC Impact