MacDill Air Force Base has solid reasons
to stay open as is

TAMPA, Fla. -- MacDill Air Force Base's missions, role in national defense and new construction could prove helpful in keeping the Gulf Coast base off the next BRAC list.

MacDill is home of the 6th Air Mobility Wing, which operates 12 KC-135s. It's also home to U.S. Central Command, which prosecuted back-to-back wars in Afghanistan and in Iraq. There are 51 tenant organizations, including Special Operations Command which manages America's elite commandos; a squadron of jets that ferry U.S. military commanders around the world; and a unit that provides commanders with secure communications worldwide.

MacDill's annual economic impact on the region is $3.5-billion, according to base figures. About 7,000 military and civilian personnel work on the base, making it one of the region's top four employers. MacDill also helps to support more than 105,000 spinoff jobs.

Additionally, the number of retirees who rely on the base, for services like healthcare and the commissary, is significant. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs,Tampa Bay-area veterans number around 320,000.

On May 6, 2003, C.W. Bill Young, whose Tenth Congressional District includes MacDill, reviewed several of the missions and projects at the base. The Largo Republican chairs the House Appropriations Committee and is widely credited with keeping the base alive.

Construction boom
Tens of millions of dollars in construction projects are under way on the base as well.

The St. Petersberg Times reported May 16, 2003,that there are $126-million in construction projects that either have been funded or were in the process of getting funded. Central Commmand and Special Operations Command have another $100 million in projects under way or on the drawing board.

Of that $100 million, plans for a $25.5 million war facility are under way, Young has said. The War Fighting Center of Excellence would be helpful in assessing domestic and international terrorist threats, he said.

The Times also reported that MacDill is in the process of building or has built a $26 million runway, a $15 million control tower, a $10 million conference center and storm drainage projects that cost $15-million.

Additionally, construction of family housing will total roughly $200 million.

Still, leaders caution that every base is supposed to get close scrutiny, so there are no guaranteed outcomes.

MacDill, opened in 1941, has already escaped two previous base closure and realignment lists, in 1991 and 1995.