Composition & Mission  l  Military Installations  l Base Realignment and Closure  l
BRAC Impact  l  F-35 JSF  l  2010 JSF Economic Impact  l  7th SFG(A)  l  MILCON  l
 2007 BRAC Economic Analysis  l  Vision 2015  l  46th Test Wing l
 Northwest Florida Defense Coalition l  Gulf Coast Aerospace Defense Coalition  l
    Okaloosa County Growth Management Plan and JLUS

Supporting the Tri-County Defense

"Northwest Florida's military-friendly reputation has made the community a leading location for the nation's defense operations, and a coveted assignment for Armed Forces personnel."
--Governor Charlie Crist

Military installations are the primary economic generator
 in Okaloosa County. 

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 County, along with its neighboring Santa Rosa and Walton Counties, is home to the largest Air Force Base in the world - Eglin Air Force Base.  The land reservation provided by Eglin AFB encompasses three military installations; Eglin AFB, Hurlburt Field, and Duke Field, collectively know as the Eglin Complex.

The EDC DSI is recognized by the State of Florida as the official representative and the lead agency for the Eglin complex's base/community initiatives. Originated 1991, the DSI has led the county’s efforts to ensure our military installations remain strong and viable contributors to the national defense and the economies of Okaloosa and surrounding counties. 

Composition

DSI Membership is by Chairman Appointment and Board Approval

• Okaloosa EDC Representatives
• Okaloosa County Commissioner
• Seven Military Affairs Council Representatives
• Community Business Leaders
• Eglin AFB Representative
• Retired Military Personnel
• Santa Rosa County Representatives
• Walton County Representatives

Mission Statement
      To support and promote the local military installations and their positive economic contributions to the tri-county area while sustaining and nurturing the relationships with the civilian communities that house them.

Vision Statement
      To ensure the survival and accommodate the growth of all military organizations and commands which reside on the Eglin AFB Complex in order for it to develop into and remain a joint warfighter complex and a high technology center of excellence for air armament, munitions, RDT&E, OT&E, special operations, joint readiness and training, and initial acquisition.

The economic viability of the region depends on the military.  While other economic sectors may experience temporary downturns, the region’s military installations continue to be the prime generators of the economy supporting active military, civil service, military dependents, and retired and/or separated military personnel. 

    March 2009

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Tri-County Military Installations

• Eglin AFB, AAC, established in Okaloosa County in 1934, is responsible for development, acquisition, testing, deployment and sustainment of all air-delivered weapons.

• Hurlburt Field is headquarters to AF Special Operations Command.  Its mission is to support training and execution of worldwide special air operations.

• Duke Field houses the 919th Special Operations Wing, the only special operations unit in the AF Reserve.

• Coast Guard Station Destin , commissioned in November 1977, maintains their primary mission of Search and Rescue extending 30 miles off shore.

• NAS Whiting Field, located in Santa Rosa County, trains student naval aviators in the primary and intermediate phases of fixed-wing aviation, and in the advanced phases of helicopter training.

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The presence of the multi-service military units at Eglin results in a greater density of technology-based and defense-contracting firms creating industry clusters.  These military installations provide a direct economic impact and an indirect impact with a ripple effect of military spending. 

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 320 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.

Defense Contracting Companies

Continual Operation and Expansion of Our Military Installations is Critical
to Our Region's Economic Foundation:

• Accounts for over 34% of the economy in Northwest Florida

• Accounts for over 70% of the economy in Okaloosa County

Okaloosa County and The Military, a Community In Partnership
Commissioner Bill Roberts, August 2004
     To me, the names Okaloosa County and the United States military are synonymous.  The military, just like our beaches, farmlands and forest, are part of what makes our county so diverse and unique...

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Northwest Florida Defense Coalition

With the military presence being the #1 economic contributor across the Florida Panhandle, the EDC's DSI initiated a five-county military community partnership.  In 2005, the five counties of Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton and Bay joined an alliance identified as the Northwest Florida Defense Coalition to support the military installations of Eglin Air Force Base, Hurlburt Field, Duke Field, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Naval Air Station Whiting Field, and Tyndall Air Force Base and their surrounding communities.

Mission Statement
     To strategically support and enhance Northwest Florida’s military installations, missions and national security strategies by diversifying our economic development efforts and building upon existing military missions and current defense industry infrastructure in order to consolidate our strengths and commonalities to become one of the most viable and progressive regions in America.
 

Each year in May, the coalition of approximately 55 regional participants travels to Washington DC to meet and converse with our Congressional Delegation and Pentagon Leaders.  In preparation of this trip, the tri-county Defense Support Initiative Committee prepares a talking-points paper addressing the community concerns impacted by the military in Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Walton Counties.  The DSI also prepares a legislative topics paper for discussion on bills affecting our economies.

One day in Washington DC is spent with Congressional representatives such as Congressman Miller, Congressman Boyd, Senator Martinez, and Senator Nelson.  The delegation will also meet with our neighboring state representatives for shared impact discussions.  A second full day is comprised of military leaders from the Pentagon sharing the latest updates on military issues affecting our regional communities.

NORTHWEST FLORIDA DEFENSE COALITION EMBARKS ON WASHINGTON DC
(Okaloosa County, Fla.) May 20, 2010 – Over 50 community, business and government leaders from Okaloosa, Bay, Walton, Santa Rosa and Escambia Counties joined forces under the umbrella of the Northwest Florida Defense Coalition recently for the organization’s annual Washington DC Fly-in. The visit, hosted by northwest Florida Congressmen Jeff Miller and Alan Boyd, marked the 5th consecutive year the five-county group has traveled together to the nation’s Capital to press local and national Congressional and Pentagon leaders for support of the nine military installations located between Pensacola and Panama City.

Washington DC Strategic Community Support
By Jim Heald, DSI Chairman, May 2009
Your EDC Defense Support Initiative (DSI) representatives just returned from our annual visit to Washington, DC with the Northwest Florida Defense Coalition. Once again, I was privileged to be a part of the 55 person group that traveled to Washington to meet with our Congressional Delegation and various Pentagon Leaders on 13 and 14 May. As is typical, the hard work that went into preparing for the trip ensured the visit was productive and informative.

Northwest Florida Defense Coalition Military Installations

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Base Realignments and Closures (BRAC)
Accepted into Law

The final BRAC Commission report is available at: http://www.brac.gov/finalreport.html

The November 2005 Defense Base Realignment and Closure Commission, commonly referred to as BRAC, ordered 22 major bases closed.  With the BRAC 2005 recommendations enacted into law, implementation efforts are now under way. 

The DSI is committed to assisting Eglin AFB, Hurlburt Field, Duke Field and the communities in their transitioning to accommodate the additional 4,000 new military and civilian personnel moving to the area as a result of BRAC realigning the Army 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) and the Joint Strike Fighter Initial Training Center to Okaloosa County.  The realignments will not only add new missions and new government personnel but also their families.  There will be a magnitude of challenges and opportunities to effectively and efficiently engage in these realignments across the region.

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
October 2008
The Air Force was charged with having an environmental impact study conducted on the potential impact of both the Army Special Forces and the Air Force Joint Strike Fighter to the Eglin AFB area.  The draft EIS was release in March 2008 with several public hearings conducted across the tri-county region.   The final EIS was released October 2008. 

The EIS analyzed and identified potential problems or concerns resulting from the BRAC realignments of the Army 7SFG(A) and the Air Force JSF Initial Training Center.  It addressed such things as airspace management, noise, land use, transportation, utilities, safety and resources. This EIS was utilized in the determination for the Record of Decision for both cantonment areas.

• ROD: AF JSF ITC, Feb 09

• ROD: Army 7th SFG(A), Nov 08

Provided is the Executive Summary of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)  The complete report can be viewed at: http:://www.eglin.af.mil

Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement
The October 2008 EIS resulted in a record of decision to begin full construction of the JSF Initial Training Center on Eglin AFB and to locate 59 of the 107 originally planned JSF aircraft.  A Supplemental EIS is currently underway to identify possible alternatives for JSF flight training and the remaining 48 planes.  The Supplemental EIS completion date is expected in September 2010.

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Eglin Air Force Base BRAC Impact

Army 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne)

US Army 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) will move from Ft. Bragg, NC to Eglin AFB.  The MILCON began in December 2008 after the release of the Record of Decision in November 2008.  The influx of personnel will be within April and September 2011.  The location of the new Army post is in the north county area south of I10, west of Duke Field.

The Army cantonment site under construction west of Duke Field, Okaloosa County, Florida.

2009 NWFDC Pentagon Speaker Presentation: Col Mark Gorton, Deputy Commanding Officer 7th SFG(A)

To assist in this transition, a BRAC Transition Council has been formed by the Workforce Development Board to coordinate and serve as the point of contact for community and family services.  One such service is the Military Spouse Career Advancement program designed to help advance military spouses to portable careers by providing them with education and training in high-growth, high-demand occupations.

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Joint Strike Fighter Initial Training Center

F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Initial Training Center (ITC) will beddown where the former 33rd Fighter Wing was located on the main base.  The previous F-15 Fighters at the 33rd FW were retired and began their drawn-down in 2008.  The first F-35 for the JSF ITC will arrive at Eglin AFB in 2010.  The influx of personnel is expected between 2010 and 2016.

2010 Economic Impact of the Joint Strike Fighter
As part of their ongoing commitment, and following the EIS decision to base 59 of the 107 aircraft at Eglin, the EDC commissioned the University of West Florida Haas Center to conduct an updated analysis of the Joint Strike Fighter impacts to our area.  The 2010 Assessing the Economic Impact of the Joint Strike Fighter on the Okaloosa County Economy is an update to the 2007 which was based on 107 aircraft.  With the deviation of warfighters to 59 from 107 the resultant economic contributions to our economy will be affected.

In the Spring of 2009, Congressman Jeff Miller posted an electronic poll* on his website asking Do you support the Air Force's decision to locate the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter at Eglin Air Force Base?

The results are:

3970 Votes

98% in support

2% in opposition

*Non-Scientific poll

EDC Launches Campaign in Support of the F-35

Welcome F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Factsheet

Economic Impacts of BRAC  Personnel Realignments, July 2007

In March 2009, Eglin Air Force Base hosted two groundbreaking events
1) US Army 7th Special Forces Group Airborne
2) US Air Force Joint Strike Fighter Initial Training Center

Joint Strike Fighter; Air Power for the 21st Century
Major General Charles Davis, Executive Officer F-35 Lightning II Program
September 2008
Major General Davis was the EDC's keynote speaker at their September 2008 Roundtable Symposium.  MGen Davis presented to Okaloosa County business and community leaders regarding the state-of-the-art military fighter the F-35 or Joint Strike Fighter.  The F-35 will be replacing the current F-15 stationed on Eglin AFB in Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Walton Counties.  The community will loose approximately 4,000 in population by year 2010 when all of the F-15s are gone along with the personnel that fly and work on them.  The F-35 will start arriving at Eglin in 2010 and will repopulate our communities with a net gain of approximately 800 by 2016 when all of the planes are at Eglin.  Thank you to our sponsors ARINC, Lockhead Martin and Walton County Chamber of Commerce.

An April 2009 F-35 Noise Analysis, summarized the conclusion as

• Marginally less than or comparable to the F-22, F-18 E/F, and F-16 with an F-100-PW-229 engine at military and afterburner power

•  The acoustics experienced by ground personnel is comparable to other fighter aircraft as perceived by the human ear

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Integrated Weapons Research Center arrived in 2007 with approximately 35 personnel.  This is a weapons research, development, acquisition, test and evaluation center located on the Eglin main base.

Hurlburt Field BRAC Impact

Hurlburt Field relocated approximately 1,000 personnel to Cannon AFB.  The deployment started in the Fall 2007.  A Cannon Community Transition Team has been set up by the Workforce Development Board to coordinate and serve as the point of contact for community and family services.

Duke Field BRAC Impact

Duke Field is the preferred site for the incoming Special Forces personnel to locate.  This relocation is anticipated by 2009.

Eglin AFB BRAC Information Webpage: http://www.eglin.af.mil/brac.asp

Program Budget Directive 720 (PBD 720)
(i.e. 46th Test Wing, Test and Evaluation)

Conducted outside of the scope of BRAC, in early 2006, the Air Force proposed a budget directive to cut fiscal expenditures.  These cuts would include downsizing and relocating the 46th Test Wing from Eglin AFB to Edwards AFB in California.  This proposed AF reduction (30% cut) in Test & Evaluation (T&E) is contrary to Congress' BRAC Law of establishing and maintaining Eglin as the RDT&E Center of Excellence.  Manpower reductions, as a result of losing the 46^th Test Wing, could total 2000+, including virtually all contractor positions and reduction of civil service workforce.

Elimination of armament test capabilities at Eglin could have irretrievable, long term negative impacts on the area and its economy.  As a result, the DSI, which is three-county strong, took an active and progressive role in support of the 46th Test Wing's location at Eglin.  In the Fall of 2006 Congress ceased all 46th TW relocation initiatives and directed an economic analysis be conducted with scenarios addressing whether the wing stays or relocates. 

The Rand Corporation was commissioned to conduct the study for Congress and provided its results in the Summer of 2007.  The preliminary findings resulted in the 46th Test Wing staying put.  These results confirm that test wing and test range consolidation could result in potential savings.  However, the study also identified risks to warfighter test and evaluation requirements that the Air Force needs to further consider before undertaking such an action.  Two additional studies were conducted to further support and confirm the original findings.

In 2008, the Air Force made a proposal to restructure the 46th Test Wing chain-of-command, which could potentially result in loss of missions and personnel.  Relocating or restructuring the 46^th TW could enact devastating repercussions across our communities as the highly trained and highly skilled personnel and their families move out of our area.  Representative Miller and our two senators, Senator Nelson and Senator Martinez, sent a joint letter to the Air Force leadership expressing concern over the proposed restructuring.  The 46^th Test Wing offers highly educated personnel and a subsequent higher pay scale for our region and is an initiative of the Air Forces’ outside of the BRAC law.  As of the Fall of 2008, this action is "off the table."

The DSI's Position Paper Supporting the 46th Test Wing's Location at Eglin AFB.

Defense Environmental Network & Information Exchange (denix)
A comprehensive resource for defense installations & environmental communities.  This site provides outstanding material regarding the relationships between military bases and their host committees: https://www.denix.osd.mil/denix/Public/Library/Sustain/Ranges/sustainableranges.html

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* For additional information contact Kay Rasmussen, Director of Defense and Economic Initiatives and the tri-county Defense Support Initiative.

Composition & Mission  l  Military Installations  l Base Realignment and Closure  l
BRAC Impact  l  F-35 JSF  l  2010 JSF Economic Impact  l  7th SFG(A)  l  MILCON  l
 2007 BRAC Economic Analysis  l  Vision 2015  l  46th Test Wing l
 Northwest Florida Defense Coalition l  Gulf Coast Aerospace Defense Coalition  l
    Okaloosa County Growth Management Plan and JLUS