In September, Arizona Senator John McCain called for Base Realignment and Closures (BRACs) with the support from the Pentagon. This week, a new report commissioned by the Arizona Commerce Authority shows that closures would have a massive impact on Arizona’s economy.
According to the report, three Arizona military installations fall on the list of Arizona’s ten largest private employers.
The State of Arizona commissioned the study to update the 2002 and 2008 studies of the Economic Impact of Arizona’s Principal Military Operations. According to the report, “the 2002 and 2008 studies demonstrated, one of the largest and yet frequently overlooked employers in Arizona is the United States Department of Defense.”
[Read Economic Impact Of Arizona Military Bases Report 2017 here]
The report found that military installations in the state continue to be major economic drivers, responsible for tens of thousands of jobs and over $250 million in local and state tax revenue.
Related article: McCain Calls For BRACs In NDAA
The report, prepared by the Maguire Company, states that Arizona’s six military installations and four National Guard operations are responsible for creating over 76,000 direct and indirect jobs and account for nearly $11.5 billion in annual economic output.
“Among the reasons for this study and the prior efforts, cited by the sponsors, are the continuing frequency of proposed state legislation involving the issues relating to the location and activities of the various military operations in the State, the continuing development of land adjacent to a near military facilities, and the continuing possibility of base closures by the Department of Defense,” noted the report’s authors.