Final Report of the Georgia House of Representatives Study Committee on Military Affairs

Contents
lntroduction .......................... .........................................................................................................................3 Timeline of Events .........................................................................................................................................4 Defending our Nation Shrinking Military Installations.................................................................................7
The Pentagon/Base Realignment and Closure Process (BRAC).................................................................7 Georgia and Base Realignment and Closure A History Worth Remembering .........................................9 Moving Forward ........................................................... ....................................................................... ....10 Georgia s Military Installations Economic Impact and Mission Responsibilities .......................................12 Recommendations ........................................................................................................................... ........... 19 Signatures ........ .. ........................................................................ ... ............................... ................................ 23
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House Study Committee on Military Affairs
Introduction
The military has been closing bases since the Kennedy Administration however the threat of drastic closures has loomed larger since 2005 when Congress authorized a Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC commission and subsequent BRACs every eight years thereafter. The threat heightened in 2015 with the Pentagon s repeated requests to Congress to convene another BRAC. Unfortunately the military has been disproportionately hurt by th e Budget Control Act and Sequestration cuts forcing U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) officials to significantly reduce costs. These reductions have decreased the size of the Army to pre-WWII levels the Navy to pre-WWI levels and the Air Force to the smallest it has ever been.1 The Pentagon claims the military has an excess capacity of 30 percent and is seeking to cut costs through infrastructure consolidation. The Pentagon has even stated it will conduct a "Stealth BRAC" should Congress not approve a traditional BRAC. Georgia has the 5 " largest military population in America with an economic impact of almost $20 billion a year.11 With so much at stake Georgia cannot afford to be reactionary should the U.S. Department of Defense choose to close bases especially as our sister states continue budgeting millions of dollars annually in an effort to improve and secure their installations. For this reaso n this committee has been charged with listening to Georgia s military civilian and community leade rs to learn how our installations can be protected and strengthened. House Resolution 1135 originally created the House Study Committee on Base Rea lignment and Closure. Given the sensitive nature of discussing BRAC with military personnel particularly on bases the committee was renamed the House Study Committee on Military Affairs. Representative Dave Belton from House District 112 introduced the authorizing legislation and serves as the Chair of the committee. Other members of the study committee include Representative Ed Rynders Representative Shaw Blackmon Representative AI Williams Representative Heath Clark and all co-sponsors of the resolution Representative John Carson Representative Michael Cheokas Representative David Clark Representative John Corbett Representative Darrel Ealum Representative Mike Glanton Representative Bill Hitchens Representative Brian Prince Representative Richard Smith and Representative Calvin Smyre. The committee held six meetings and heard hours of testimony from dozens of federal and local counterparts.
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Timeline of Events
First Meeting Date August 10 2016 Location Museum of Aviation - Hanger One Warner Robins Georgia Presenters
U.S. Representative Sanford D. Bishop Jr. U.S. Representative Austin Scott Former U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss The Honorable Sonny Perdue former Governor of Georgia Sec. William L. Ball Governor s Defense Initiative former U.S. Secretary of Navy Lt. General Maryanne Miller (AF Reserve Command/CC) Lt. General Lee Levy (AF Sustainment Center/CC) Major General Ron Smith Retired Colonel Kunkel (A-10) Role of Moody AFB Colonel Cooper (JSTARS) Role of Robins AFB
Second Meeting Part One Date August 29 2016 Location Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany Georgia Presenters
U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson U.S. Representative Sanford D. Bishop Jr. U.S. Representative Austin Scott Sec. William L. Ball Governor s Defense Initiative former U.S. Secretary of Navy Mayor Dorothy Hubbard City of Albany Mr. Christopher S. Cohilas Chairman Dougherty County Commission General Ed Cassity USMC Retired Mr. Jeff Bodine Sinyard Southwest Georgia Alliance for Progress Mr. Justin Strickland President Albany-Dougherty Economic Development Commission Mr. Joel Wernick CEO Phoebe Putney Health System Col. James C. Carroll Ill Commanding Officer Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany Gen. Craig C. Crenshaw Commanding General Marine Corps Logistics Command Col. Jeffrey Q. Hooks Commander Marine Depot Maintenance Command
Second Meeting Part Two Date August 30 2016 Location National Infantry Museum Columbus Georgia Presenters
Mr. Brian Anderson President Columbus Chamber of Commerce U.S. Representative Sanford D. Bishop Jr. Major General Eric Wesley Commanding General of Ft. Benning Mayor Teresa Tom linson City of Columbus Mr. Cedric Hill Chairman Columbus Chamber of Commerce Mr. Gary Jones Exec. VP of Military Affairs Columbus Chamber of Commerce Mr. Anthony J. Principi Principal The Principi Group Mr. Donald Fix The Spectrum Group U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson
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Third Meeting Date September 16 2016 Location Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce Augusta Georgia Presenters
U.S. Representative Rick W. Allen U.S. Representative Jody B. Hice Major General John Morrison Commanding General Cyber Center of Excellence and Ft.
Gordon Mayor Hardie Davis Jr. City of Augusta Mr. Ron Cross Chairman Columbia County Commission Dr. Brooks Keel President Augusta University Col. Todd Turner Commander U.S. Army Garrison Ft. Gordon Mr. Stan Shepherd Chairman CSRA Alliance for Ft. Gordon Dr. Gretchen Caughman Provost Augusta University Col. Thom Tuckey U.S. Army Retired Alliance for Cyber Education (ACE) Mrs. Sue Parr President and CEO Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce Mrs. Tammy Shepherd President and CEO Columbia County Chamber of Commerce Mr. Dave Brendza Vice President and General Manager ADP Augusta Solution Center Mr. Bob Damen Augusta Field Office Manager Raytheon Mr. John Dewey CEO JANUS Research Group LLC. Mrs. Jennifer Napper Group Vice President Defense and Intelligence Unisys Federal
Systems
Fourth Meeting Date October 25 2016 Location Dobbins Air Force Base Marietta Georgia Presenters
Col. Steve Parker Wing Commander 94" Airlift Wing Col. Marty Hughes Mission Support Commander 94" Airlift Wing Major General Joseph Jarrard Adjutant General Georgia National Guard U.S. Representative Barry Loudermilk Mr. Brian Johnston Lockheed-Martin Mr. Mike Boyce Chairman-Elect Cobb County Commission Mr. David Connell CEO Cobb Chamber of Commerce Mr. Jim Bankers USAF Retired
Fifth Meeting Date November 2 2016 Location Liberty County Board of Education Performing Arts Center Auditorium Hinesville Georgia Presenters
U.S. Representative Buddy Carter Col. Hamilton DIV Deputy Commander Brigadier General Thomas Carden Jr. Asst. Adjutant General Georgia National Guard Col. Townley R. Hendrick Commander U.S. Army Garrison Fort Stewart Mayor Allen Brown City of Hinesville Mayor Eddie Deloach City of Savannah
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Mr. Bill Hubbard President and CEO Savannah Chamber of Commerce Mr. Allen Burns Executive Director Coastal Area Regional Commission Mr. Tom Ratcliffe Council Chairman Costal Area Regional Commission and former
Mayor City of Hinesville Mr. James E. Thomas Former Mayor City of Hinesville Mr. Clay Sikes Coastal Solar Mrs. Ann Purcell Georgia DOT Board Member Dr. Bob Smith Provost Armstrong Atlantic State University Dr. Kathy Love President Savannah Technical College Dr. Cheryl Davenport Dozier President Savannah State University Dr. Thomas Lockamy Jr. Superintendent Chatham County School System Dr. Vayla S. Lee Superintendent Liberty County School System Sixth Meeting Date December 1 2016 Location Library Technology Center University of North Georgia Dahlonega Georgia Presenters Lt. Col. Keith Antonia Army Retired Associate VP for Military Programs University of
North Georgia Dr. James Robin Hines Compact Commissioner Military Interstate Children s Compact
Commission (MIC3) Speaker David Ralston Speaker of the House Georgia House of Representatives
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Defending our Nation Shrinking Military Installations

The Pentagon/Base Realignment and Closure Process (BRAC)
Over the past few years our military has been asked to perform the daunting task of projecting readiness towards our ene mies without the secure financial backing that has been a mainstay for U.S. national policy. Never before in America s history has our national defense been stretched so thinly by non-wartime financial policies.

In August 2011 Congress passed the Budget Control Act which contains a prov1s1on known as "sequestration." The primary intent of the law is to reduce the national debt by $1.2 trillion over nine years through indiscriminate cuts to both defense and non-defense discretionary spending. This law which was originally proposed as a worst-case scenario motivational tool to bring Congress closer to balancing a budget is now standard operating procedure. In response to sequestration DoD officials proactively made a number of deep cuts to programs and implem ented civilian workforce redu ctions through furloughs and hiring freezes. Thus the traditional economic benefits received at both loca l and state levels from hosting military installations have now become liabilities. In response to these measures state and local agencies rallied around each base to ensure the sustainabil ity of that installation and to keep the economic engine of that community from closing.

Th ough the military has been closing bases for 50 years the current BRAC process dates to 1988 when a

congressiona l measure supported by the Reagan administration ca lled for an independent bipartisan

commission that would create BRAC recommendations aimed at improving military capability. Although procedures have cha nged the 1990 law as subseq uently amended has governed the BRAC process since its enactment.iv When authorized by Congress an ind ependent nine-member panel known as the BRAC Commission is convened to provide an objective review and analysis of a list of bases and military installations recommended for closure or realignment by the U.S. Department of Defense. Once the committee submits its

Georgia

Military

Dobbins

Bases

Air Force Base o rt McPherson

- .Fort Gillem Robins
Air Force Bose

Fort
Gordon

Fori Benning

report Congress must either accept the full report or reject it entirely. To date more than 350 installations have been closed in five BRAC rounds 1988 1991 1993 1995 and 2005. Bases not selected to be closed may still face realignment a process

M rinc Corps
l ogistics B s o Albany
Moody Air Forco Bose

that increases or reduces the number of forces located on

base or adjusts a base s operations or its mission.

The metrics used during each BRAC change but in general Military Value has remained the most important metric. Military Value has a vast and varied meaning including military readiness the value of its missions the ability to handle add ition al missions and the quality of life for the warfighters and their famili es. Many communities mistakenly argue that the military should keep installations because of the local econom ic value of the base. This logic has been proven to be a poor argument it is not how important a base is to the community but how important a base is to national defense preparedness.

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Industry experts agree that once a base is placed on the BRAC list the chances of a local community losing that base are 85 percent. Since th e BRAC committee makes their decision using data collected prior to the announcement of a BRAC any efforts to implement new improvements will not carry weight with the commission .

For many local communities and states the risk of losing a military installation is alarming. Military

bases can directly and indirectly create employment opportunities and other economic benefits

including payroll for

active

duty

Georgia Bases

personnel economic impact

Base

Economic Impact On-Base Jobs Off-Base Jobs Total Jobs

from spouses

working cottage Stewart/Hunter

$4.9B

27 000

41 000

68 000

industries resulting

from

military

Benning

$4.8B

39 000

36 500

76 000

contracts workforce diversity increased

Robins

$2 .9B

22 000

33 500

56 000

tax base workforce

Gordon

$2 .1B

24 000

38 500

66 000

stability and the purchase of local

Albany

$1.5B

2 900

4 200

7 000

goods and services. When a base is

Ga. Guard

$1.0B

15 000

---

15 000

closed or realigned th e reduction can

Kings Bay

$0.8B

9 000

13 600

23 000

lead

to

a

considerable loss of

Dobb i ns

$0.9B

5000

6000

11 000

jobs and tax

Moody

$0.5B

5 500

4 700

10 000

revenue. Although economic output is

TOTAL

$ 1 9 .4 8

149 400

178 000

327 000

not a goal of the

national military nor its installations the local effect is hard to ignore. All but three states have military

installations located inside their borders and Georgia ranks near the top of states with the highest

number of military bases it is clear that each state must work hard to protect its own .

According to a June 2016 report published by the Association of Defense Communities the states typically conduct studies to assess both the strengths and w ea knesses of their installations.v These studies often highlight the benefits of hosting a military base fo cus on correcting weaknesses and offer steps to preserve and potentially grow their military missions. Economic impact studies are another way to demonstrate to decision makers business leaders and resid ents the critical role an installation plays in a community.

The key findings of the 2016 report show that three-quarters of strategic planning studies were funded by state dollars 79 percent of states have completed economic impact studies and 82 percent of states have completed a strategic planning study.vi As Georgia ranked 81h in defense spending in the country
with a value of $12.2 billion continues its work to stay competitive it is important to take notice of other states investments and keep pace.vii

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Georgia and Base Realignment and Closure A History Worth Remembering
The state of Georgia has been blessed with many political giants on th e national stage throughout the late 201h century. The Russell Senate Office Building- one of only six legislative offices buildings in our nation s capitol- is named after Richard B. Russell Jr. a Winder native. Senator Russell who served in the U.S. Senate from 1933 until his death in 1971 was once called by Former Secretary of State Dean Rusk "the most powerful and influential man in Washington D.C. for a period of about 20 years second only to the president."viii Milledgeville native Carl Vinson recognized as the "father of the two-ocean navy" and nicknamed "The Admiral" served over 50 years in Congress and continuously advocated for a strong national defense. His efforts were honored by President Nixon in 1973 when he became one of only two non-presidents to have a nuclear-powered super carrier named after himix. Another distinguished Georgian former U.S. Senator Sam Nunn was a dominant voice for a strong national defense during his tenure as chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee." President Jimmy Carter a Naval Academy graduate and a submarine officer greatly expanded the Naval Submarine Base at King s Bay. Speaker Em eritus Newt Gingrich kept a watchful eye on Georgia s military installations during his tenure as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Because of the efforts of these political titans Georgia has the 5" largest military population in the country despite being the 101h largest state in terms of population. The DoD employs almost 150 000 people in Georgia and indirectly employs another 330 000 people which makes the military one of the top employers in the state with an economic impact of almost $20 billion a year. One million Georgians (roughly 10% of the state population) are compensated by the DoD. A young Georgian is twice as likely to join as half the nation Georgia has the second highest military participation rate in the nation. Georgia has the 8" largest veteran population with 750 000 veterans as well as the 8" largest National Guard and Reserve contingent in America . According to a 2014 report published by the Office of Economic Adjustment on defense spending by state Georgia s defense personnel constitutes $6.3 billion in total payroll and $5.9 billion in contract awards coming into the state Additionally 90 percent of the top 10 U.S. defense contractors have a large presence in the state.
Given the prowess of past federal delegations Georgia remained mostly unscathed by the first four rounds of the BRAC process however that changed in 2005 when BRAC closed Fort McPherson Fort Gillem Naval Air Station Atlanta and the Navy Supply Corps School (located in Athens) . Through the influence of Senator Saxby Chambliss Georgia gained the Armor School which was moved from Fort Knox in Kentucky to Fort Benning in Georgia and provided a gain of 12 000 soldiers. Overall Georgia gained 10 000 warriors but lost four bases.
America s military budget has been reduced by $500 billion under the Budget Control Act . An additional $500 billion in sequestration cuts are scheduled in October 2018 for a total reduction of $1 trillion. Fort Benning lost 3 400 soldiers in 2015 with an impact of $400 million a year and expects to lose another $1.4 billion a year if the Army goes through with the expected 2018 cuts.
Georgia has thus entered into a new political reality in which we can no long rely on political stalwarts to protect our installations. Any future cuts to Georgia bases would inflict severe hardship to the local economy of any of the remaining base communities.
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Moving Forward
As the BRAC process continues most states are investing heavily in their military bases and have created state organizations dedicated to protecting their bases. The current climate is extremely competitive as states see that their bases are in increased jeopardy.

One of the most comprehensive policy options for ensuring the long-term viability of a state s defense communities is to create a military advisory body to examine the unique needs of military communities and provide information to the governor and state legislature on ways to assist and strengthen them. xii The compos ition of these military advisory bodies can .vary widely but many are commissions task forces and councils. Each state has taken a different approach to managing the wide range of issues that these groups oversee. In Georgia the Governor s Defense Initiative is currently housed within the Georgia Department of Economic Development however many states have stand-alone agencies responsible for coordinating between local jurisdictions and the federally-run insta llations and provide assistance when applicab le.

Almost half of states budget over one million dollars a year to these organizations and nearly all states

spend millions of dollars on infrastructure around their bases. Additionally most states routinely send

representatives to visit their federal delegation in Washington D.C. to advocate for their installations

and proactively discuss ways to address concerns that may later be used as reasoning for realignment. It

TOP 6 M ILITARY STATES AND THEIR LARGEST BASES

1. California

Navy San Diego Ma rine Pendleton Travis AFB others

has also become a common practice for states and local communities to retain lobbyists to facilitate communication with the Pentagon s decision makers and influential Congressional

2. Virginia

Navy Norfolk Pentagon Marine Quantico Langley AFB others

staffers.

3. Texas

Fort Hood Fort Bliss Dyess AFB others

Throughout many hours of testimony the comm ittee heard one over-arching theme the

4. North Carolina
5 . Georgia

Fort Bragg Marine Lejeu ne Seymou r Johnson AFB
Fort Stewart Fort Benning Robins AFB Fort Gordon others

need for more and better equ ipped K-12 and Technical College System of Georgia graduates. Georgia is 35th in the nation in overall K-12 education placing us well below four of our top five competitors. It is the view of many decision

6. Florida

Navy Jax MacDil l AFB Tyndall AFB Eglin AFB others

makers at the Pentagon that Georgia s K-12 education performance and graduation rate is

the biggest threat to Georgia s bases. Pentagon

leaders have also spoken at length of the need for better-educated recruits especially in the fields of

Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics commonly known as STEM disciplines. Additionally

candidates qualified to work in the fields of Space Cyber and Aeronautics including pilots are of

particular need to many bases. Another issue closely related to education is the need for better

broadband across the state. Connectivity or the lack thereof can leave rural military bases without

many options for significant upgrades to IT infrastructure.

One of Georgia s strengths is the state s strategic partnership between the University System of Georgia the Technical College System of Georgia and the military installations. These partnerships are considered essential to keeping bases vibrant. The support provided by Augusta University to Fort Gordon and Armstrong University and Savannah Technical College to Fort Stewart are considered model efforts throughout the nation. In fact Armstrong University was recently ranked the 4th most "military-friendly" university in America by Military Times followed closely by Georgia State University rank d 7 the

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University of Geo rgia ranked 42 College of Coastal Georgia ranked 52 and Augusta University ranke d 112. Among technical colleges Savannah Technica l Co llege was ranked 1 in the nation fo llowed by Wiregrass Technical College ranked 13 Gwinnett Technical Col lege ra nked 19 and Central Georgia Technica l Co llege ra nked 25. Georgia still has an opportunity to strengthen t hese pa rtnerships in areas li ke Kings Bay. Victory Media s Military Friendly Schools 2017 named t he University of Georgia t he top tier one resea rch institution in the nation and Albany State University 8 among small public unive rsities. Add itiona lly Victory Media awa rd ed gold status to Armstro ng State University Atlanta Metropo litan State College East Georgia State College Georgia Southern Unive rsity Georgi a State Univers ity the University of North Georgia Gwinnett Technical College and Savannah Technica l College.
Additiona lly encroachment issues plague every Georgia base except Fort Stewart Fort Benning Moody AFB and the Marine Corps Logistics Center in Albany. States can no longer consider "inside the gate" problems so lely a federal issue. An increasing number of state legislatures have recognized the importance of preventing encroachment issues before they become a nuisance for their installations.
Replacing aging f leets is a critica l issue at Moody AFB Robins AFB and t o a lesser extent Naval Submari ne Base Kings Bay. The possible conso lidat ion of depot-level facilities is a very real threat to Robins AF8. The Air Force has continually reduced the number of Air Logistics Complexes it maintains from five to three nationwide. As the military has been ordered t o have a high percentage of its on-base electrica l power created through environmenta lly sust aina ble utilities any effort to improve Georgia s bases in this manner wou ld be beneficial.
Loca l and state investments are also considered highly adva ntageo us as states are now expect ed to augment the federa l government in dollars spent on insta llations. Below is a cha rt depict ing rece nt expend itures - in order of most t o least - by the federal state and local governments and private entities (mostly the Georgia Power Company) to each base in Georgia.

Installation Ft. Gordon

Economic Impact
I
$2. 18

Investments (Millions) Fed/Ga/Private
$1 110/ 10/80

Total
I Investment
$420M

Total Jobs
66K

Albany

$1.5B

$20/1.5/290

$311M

7K

Ft. Stewart/Hunter

$4.9B

$183/ -/80

$263M

68K

Ft. Benning

$4.8B

$35/75/80

$190M

76K

Kings Bay

$0.8B

$107/-/80

$187M

23K

GA Guard Moody AFB

$1.0B $0.5B

$51/ 1/-
$52/- I -

$52M

15K

$52M

10K

Robins AFB

$2.88

$10/31/ -

$41M

56K

Dobbins ARB

$0.9B

$14/-/-

$14M

11K

In t erm s of overall conclusions it is necessary that Geo rgia immed iately create a permanent "M ilita ry Affairs Working Group" within its Genera l Assembly w hile also fund ing a viab le M il itary Affairs

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Commission under the Department of Economic Development. These organizations m1ss1on is to improve the military value of all of our bases suppo rt military fami lies with quality of life initiatives and align our bases to missions that the DoD wants and needs. Failure to act cohesively and systematically may result in the loss of one or more of our bases with a devastating economic impact to t he surrounding communities. Th ousands of jobs and billions of dollars are at stake for Georgia.
Georgia s Mi litary Installations Economic Impact and M ission Responsibil ities
The study com mittee heard from each of Georgia s military installations during the course of its work. Loca l representatives spoke about the readiness of bases K-12 education higher education and their econom ic development needs and requests.
A. FORT STEWART/HUNTER ARMY AIRFIELD
$4.9B Eco nomic Impact 68 000 TOTAL jobs 27 000 Jobs on base 23 000 warriors) 41 000 Jobs off base 17 000 Retired Vete rans Recent Investments $183M from federa l gove rnm ent $80M Georgia Power solar f arm $1.4B in Payroll
1. Fort Stewart is the home of the historic 3 Infantry Division 3 ID). It is the largest Army base east of the Mississippi and the largest employer in coastal Georgia. Combined with Hunter AAF and the submarines at Kings Bay it boasts a "Power Projection Platform" that reaches into the air land and sea.
2. Fort Stewart has exce llent ra il that connects it to the port of Sava nnah . It also has huge swaths of military airspace and the Townsend Bombing Ra nge where milit ary air units from all over the southeast train. It is also idea lly close to Marine Corps Parris Island Navy Jacksonville Navy Mayport and Charleston AFB all of w hich utilize the same airspace. It has no encroachment issues.
3. The 3 ID is one of only 10 Army divisions. It has 55 Medal of Honor w inn ers (most in the Army) and current ly deploys 4 000 soldiers to 250 count ries.
4. Hunter AAF is the 3 largest non-attack aviation base in the USA consisting of 36 helicopters. The City of Savannah is currently lengthening the runway by 1 500 feet to make it t he longest in the state. (2" longest is Robins AFB followed by several at the Ha rtsfield-Jackso n Int ernational Airport.)
5. Fort Stewart/Hunter AAF partner w it h Armstrong University and Savannah Tech both of which rely heavily on the military presence for students. Armstrong is ranked the 4" best "military-friendly" university in the USA. Savannah Tech has a 99 percent job place ment record and is ranked as the Number 1 "m ilitary-friendly" technical co llege in the USA.
6. Fort Stewart/Hunter AAF is working to procu re the Apache helicopte r transition from a light division to a heavy division and trying to attract a 3 brigade.
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7. The local chamber of commerce said it needs better K-12 Education. They also need better WI Fl. There are four DoD schools on post funded by the federal government. The local schools said that military families greatly improve the schools by being role models.
8. The local chamber acknowledged that Georgia provides incentives for the airlines and film industry but not for the military.
9. The local chamber noted that military retirees are a great asset to the "Quality Work Force" that Georgia is seeking.
10. The local chamber asked the General Assembly to align the bases to the mission the DoD wants support military families with quality of life initiatives and create a Military Affairs Commission (like the Forestry Commission) to protect Georgia bases.
11. Local mayors said that a Military Affairs Commission would create a forum to organize their efforts on a state-wide basis.
12. Fort Stewart/Hunter AAF has a "Landings Relief Fund" for the military. Funded by volunteers it has paid out almost one million dollars to 4 000 needy families of soldiers.
B. FORT BENNING
$4.8B Economic Impact 76 000 TOTALjobs 39 000 Jobs on-base (28 000 warriors) 36 500 Jobs off-base 70 000 Retired Veterans Recent Investments $35M federal government $75M from Georgia $80M GA Power solar farm (private) $3B in Contracts paid per year $1.2B in Payroll $3.5B in On-base construction from 2005-2011
1. Fort Benning trains all armor and infantry soldiers in the Army. Geographically it is massive (bigger than all of metro Atlanta) and reaches into Alabama. Its payroll is $100M per month and it awards $250 million in contracts every month.
2. Fort Benning gained over 12 000 soldiers in the 2005 BRAC but has lost 3 400 of them since 2016 which has already resulted in a yearly loss of $427 million in sales and salaries to Columbus Georgia area.
3. 66 000 soldiers are trained on Fort Benning every year. 4. Fort Benning has a large empty complex (Kelly Hill) that they hope to use to attract an
armor brigade. 5. They do not need rail but access to ports is vital. 6. Recent federal investments include a $9 million airfield tower $19 million expansion of
the Good Hope maneuver area $5 million for a drone facility and $1.5 million on Kelly Hill. Recent Georgia investments include $19 million on the interchange at US 27 and 1185 $51 million on 1-185 $3 million on BRAC Workforce Development Grant and $2.3 million for the Spouse Career Advancement Center. 7. If the nation s Army loses another 30 000 soldiers due to sequestration the Columbus area estimates it would lose 13 000 jobs and 27 000 people and the equivalent loss of $1.4 billion in sales and salaries and $9 million in taxes every year.
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C.

ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE

$2.98 Economic Impact 56 000 TOTAL jobs 22 000 Jobs on base 6 000 warriors) 33 500 Jobs off base 26 000 Retired Veterans Recent Investments $10M from federal government $17M from Georgia $14M from local $1.38 in Payroll every year

1. J-STARS The E8-C (or Boeing 707) is 50-years old and Robins AFB has the only one wing in the entire USA that flies this mission which uses a highly accurate ground tracking radar system. There is a great need for a new aircraft but that could place the mission (and the Wing) in another state if that new state became the new producer. There is discussion that Gulfstream in Savanah might build that new aircraft.
2. Robins Air Logistics Command s (ALe) primary function is depot level maintenance of the C-5 C-17 C-130 and F-15. They tear airplanes apart and put them back together again which allows incredibly old airplanes to keep flying. Robins AFB also does a great deal of software work and other ancillary missions. There used to be five ALC s but after the 1995 BRAC only three remain Robins in Georgia Tinker in Oklahoma and Hill in Utah.
3. Robins ALC was a 2-star that was equal to Tinker and Hill ALC s. Now Hill and Robins are only a 1-star and they both report to Tinker. That was a loss for Georgia.
4. Air Force Reserve Command at Robins AFB is the headquarters for all Air Force Reservists in the Air Force. It is a large command (one of only 10 Major Commands (MAJCOMs) in the entire Air Force) overseen by a 3-star general however most Air Force Reservists live outside of Georgia.
5. Robins has 3 200 engineers. They have unfillable openings for another 2 400. Thousands of STEM jobs remain unfilled every year.
6. Every new job at Robins AFB has an economic multiplier of 1.5 jobs outside the base.

D. FORT GORDON

$2.18 Economic Impact 66 000 TOTAL jobs 27 500 Jobs on base (15 500 warriors) 38 500 Jobs off base 13 000 Retired Veterans Recent Investments $780M from federal government $10M from local SPLOST $80M GA Power solar farm $1.88 in Payroll every year

1. Fort Gordon is the new Cyber Command and old Signal Command for the Army. Its jointuse school house trains 12 500 warriors every year.

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2. Augusta calls itself a "World Class Cyber District" because of its concentration of cyber jobs. A "tsunami" of growth is coming that will make it the "Silicon Valley" of the East.
3. Fort Gordon is the only Army fort that is growing. It has over $780 million worth of already-funded projects that stretch into 2025 with a 20 percent projected population growth. Local counties recently passed a SPLOST to raise $10 million for gate improvements.
4. A large portion of the National Security Agency (NSA) moved to Georgia from Fort Meade Maryland due to our cheap energy wealth of high speed data and lack of encroachment. Georgia NSA is an operational command that conducts offensive and defensive cyber warfare on a daily basis.
S. Fort Gordon s Intelligence Brigade analyzes 95 percent of all operational video in the Army.
6. Fort Gordon has live-fire ranges and replicates lED type bombs (for training) for the Army.
7. Fort Gordon has the Dwight D. Eisenhower Hospital on base and a VA facility off base which serves as the dental lab for the entire Army.
8. Fort Gordon also commands a small detachment at the old Fort Gillem. 1 300 soldiers and 1 300 civilians process new soldiers into the Army.
9. "Freedom Park" is a K-8 school on base that is operated by Richmond County but only serves military children (plus a small lottery of non-military children).
10. Fort Gordon partners with Augusta University to produce cyber-related workers. Augusta University is the 41h largest research university within the University System of Georgia. They have developed a curriculum that is approved by the Georgia Department of Education for high school as well as a Master s Degree in Cyber. It is also the new medical university for the state. They are creating a new campus downtown ($211 million) to appeal to "millennia " students. "Informational Dominance" and "Synergy" are main goals. Augusta University praised the legislature for "Move On When Ready" and "Dual Enrollment" initiatives. 1 800 cyber-trained soldiers separate from Fort Gordon every year.
11. Cyber jobs are increasing three times faster than IT jobs. Augusta had 9 000 unfilled cyber jobs last year.
12. Issues are K-12 Education healthcare quality of life commute time employment for spouses veteran s income tax burning rights for live-fire range and encroachment.
13. The Central Savannah River Area Regional Commission (CSRA-RC) a local advocacy group raised $1.5 million to protect Fort Gordon in 2005.
14. The Augusta Chamber of Commerce stressed the need for better workforce development. They also noted that "Cyber Texas" at former Lackland AFB now has three times more workers than it did before it closed.
E. MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE ALBANY
$1.5B Economic Impact 7 100 TOTAL jobs 2 900 On-base jobs (450 warriors) 4 200 Off-base jobs 8 000 Retired Veterans Recent Investments $20M from federal government $1.SM from Georgia $210M from Proctor and Gamble
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$80M GA Power solar farm $1B Spent in contracts every year
1. Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany is similar to Robins Air Force Base in that it is a depot maintenance facility that reconstructs and reassembles old vehicles. It is one of only two Marine bases that does this. Their sister base is in California.
2. Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany is located in Georgia s poorest Congressional district. 3. Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany has four million square feet of warehouses. They
have no encroachment or environmental issues. 4. Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany is nearly at a "Net Zero Energy" status due to energy
efforts like solar farm landfill energy bio-mass plan and borehole ground heat pump initiatives. They have reduced their energy consumption by 40 percent since 2003. 5. Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany is adding the Georgia National Guard as a tenant. The Georgia National Guard and the City of Albany recently invested $1.5 million for the move. The Marine Corps is also investing $20 million in green initiatives. 6. Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany stages out of Blount Island Georgia and relies on large trucks to transport their inventory to the port. 7. Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany military children (who live on base) can go to any school in three counties. 8. Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany partners with Albany Technical College. They need graduates with supply chain management engineering and cyber skills. Currently 40 students apprentice at the base. 9. Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany has created a VA Hospital on base to help veterans go from active duty to retirement. The panel recommended making sure TRICARE is accepted.

F.

GEORGIA NATIONAL GUARD

$1.0B Economic Impact 15 000 TOTAL jobs (14 000 warriors) Recent Investments $51M from federal government $1M from Georgia (Receive $500M from Feds every year)

1. The Georgia National Guard is the 8th largest National Guard in the country. They have about 200 warriors continually deployed.
2. The Georgia National Guard is separated into two major entities the National Guard (comprised of about 11 000 soldiers) and the Air National Guard (comprised of about 3 000 airmen). They are stationed at Ft. Gordon Dobbins AFB Robins AFB MCLB and Ft. Stewart. The Georgia National Guard reports to the governor (unless they are deployed in which case they report to the President.)
3. The Georgia National Guard s headquarters is Dobbins ARB at Camp Clay but they also have 55 separate units based in 55 Georgia counties (almost a third of all counties in the state). The Georgia National Guard provides soldiers to the Army. They have recently been deployed to Iraq Afghanistan Korea Germany Africa and the country of Georgia. They have about 35 helicopters.
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4. The Georgia National Guard receives $500 million a year from the federal government and receives $11 million a year from Georgia which has a huge financial benefit to the state.
5. The Georgia National Guard is being reduced by current overall reductions in the Army though it has been selected to be one of only three Cyber protection teams.
6. The Georgia National Guard consists of eight C-130 s at Dobbins and 17 E-SC JSTARS at Robins ARB.
7. Along with augmenting the Army and Air Force overseas the Georgia National Guard aids the Governor with disaster relief operations. It is the "Governor s 911 Force."
8. The Georgia National Guard has a massive drug interdiction mission where they confiscate almost one billion dollars a year in illegal narcotics $10 million in cash and another $5 million in airplanes.
9. The Georgia National Guard also has a vibrant Youth Challenge Academy where they train almost 1 000 young people a year and five STAR BASE STEM programs where they teach almost 1 000 kids a year. YCA graduates earn 43 percent more than other kids. The YCA is located on Fort Stewart Fort Gordon and Dobbins ARB campuses.
10. The Georgia National Guard conducts eight funeral service honors every day for Georgia veterans (funded through federal dollars).
G. NAVAL SUBMARINE BASE KINGS BAY
$0.8B Economic Impact 23 000 TOTAL jobs 9 000 Jobs on base (5 000 warriors) 13 600 Jobs off base 3 500 Retired Veterans Recent Investments $107M from federal government $80M GA Power solar farm $0.7B in Payroll every year
1. Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay is home to half of all the nuclear ballistic submarines in America. Eight nuclear powered Ohio-Class submarines are stationed there six of which carry nuclear warheads and two that carry conventional missiles.
2. A few years ago the USA had 41 Ohio-Class submarines that number has since been reduced to 14.
3. 70 percent of all American nuclear warheads are carried by submarines. If a nuclear ballistic submarine was a nation it would be the 3" most powerful nation in the world.
4. The Navy recently stated their number one issue is replacing aging boats however it has yet to find the funding.
5. Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay has good K-12 schools but has only a satellite campus technical college. They have a site located for a technical college but need $16 million to build it.
6. Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay has at least 63 encroachment issues mostly because of security concerns. The local Chamber of Commerce is requesting help with creating a BRAC Zone.
7. The Chamber of Commerce wants a better evacuation route with the Exit 1 on 1-95 to be redesigned. The chamber requests help with the Spaceport Camden initiative. Georgia Tech recently found they have the best location on the east coast.
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8. The Chamber wants Defense Industries to be designated as Target Industries in GA.

H. DOBBINS AIR RESERVE BASE
$0.9B Economic Impact 11 000 TOTAL jobs 5 000 Jobs on base (4000 warriors) 1 000 Jobs off base Lockheed $760M per year (5 000 employees) Recent Investments $14M from federal government

1. Dobbins Air Reserve Base is the home to almost 200 federal and state entities such as the FBI Georgia National Guard and the selective services. The Georgia National Guard is headquartered here along with eight C-130 s of the 94 Air Wing. It is also the headquarters of the 22" Air Force.
2. The "ARB" designation speaks to the fact that there are almost no active-duty regular warriors at Dobbins instead it has National Guard and Reserve warriors on site.
3. Dobbins Air Reserve Base is home of an Aeromedical Squadron that has the only aeromedical motion-simulator in the Air Force.
4. Lockheed is still constructing new C-130s and the fuselage of the new F-35 Lightning at Dobbins ARB. The F-22 Raptor assembly line is no longer operating and the C-5 modifications contract is almost complete.
5. Although Dobbins is the home of many entities almost any of them could be moved with few consequences. The Georgia National Guard would only be moved at the pleasure of the governor.
6. Dobbins suffers from encroachment issues due to the congestion around the base. It is very close to the new Braves Stadium.
7. Navy Dobbins was closed during the last BRAC.

I.

MOODY AIR FORCE BASE

$0.4B Economic Impact 10 200 TOTAL jobs 5 500 Jobs on-base (5 000 warriors) 4 700 Jobs off-base 18 000 Retired Veterans Recent Investments $52M from federal government

1. The primary aircraft flown at Moody Air Force Base is the A-10 Warthog. The A-10 is 36 years-old and has no viable successor.
2. The 2"d mission at Moody Air Force Base is the H-60 Black Hawk helicopters and the 50 year-old C-130 Hercules airplanes that conduct Search and Rescue (SAR) missions to retrieve downed pilots.
3. Moody Air Force Base has valuable bombing ranges that are very close.
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4. Moody Air Force Base is hoping to get the new F-35 Joint Stealth Fighter. They are also hoping to get a drone mission.
5. Because Florida lost Homestead Air Force Base to Hurricane Andrew Moody is now the southernmost tactical fighter base in the USA. (There are lots of other AFB s in Florida such as Patrick Tyndall Eglin and MacDill. There is also Navy Jacksonville Pensacola and Key West.)
6. "Red Carpet" is a great way to build community interest and solidarity. It should be promulgated to other bases in GA.
7. Sen. Isakson announced Moody Air Force Base is one of five bases that might get the MQ-9 Reaper Drone Mission. That would bring 434 new jobs.
8. Wiregress Technical College is ranked 131h best 11military-friendly" technical college in the USA.
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Recommendations
The Georgia House of Representatives Study Committee on Military Affairs listened to over a hundred stakeholders local officials and military personnel during the course of its work. As the meetings progressed it became clear that there are four major categories that a committee of this nature should continue to education legislative initiatives planning and infrastructure and encroachment issues. Given the breadth of issues brought before this committee and the large amount of time needed to further understand these complex issues it is the recommendation of this committee that the Speaker of the House of Representatives create a permanent working group assigned to further investigate the issues outlined below and any others that may arise as Georgia looks to secure its military installations from a potential BRAC.
1. EDUCATION a. State-wide School Choice Program for Military Children. As K-12 Education is a primary concern for many military families and the military at large local board of educations throughout Georgia should be encouraged to allow children of active-duty military personnel to attend any public school of their choice within their school system regardless of where that child lives. This should be encouraged by having the Georgia Department of Education add a 0.5 FTE weight to every military child for budgeting purposes. b. Veterans Education Grants for Georgia s Bases. Integrating veterans back into civilian life is clearly important to the military and expand ing education opportunities for veterans strengthens the military va lue of that base. c. Education Grants for K-12 Schools Near Georgia s Bases. Top military leaders have made it clear that expanding K-12 Education opportunities around military installations greatly strengthens the military value of that base. d. Expand Tech School Access Around Georgia s Bases. Expa nding education opportunities for veterans especially in the fields of STEM and other technical fields is critical. While the Technical College System of Georgia is doing a great job in most cases TCSG should be encouraged to provide even more programs to facilitate these efforts . Additionally as there is no TCSG college in StMary s we would recommend that TCSG study the establishment of a technical college or the expansion of an existing institution s campus near King s Bay. e. Encourage Regents Workforce Development Programs. The need for college graduates in the fields of cyber IT computers and pilots were mentioned by several of Georgia s bases.
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We recommend the University System of Georgia study expanding or developing programs to meet these needs. f. Expand HOPE Scholarship for Reservists and the Georgia Guard. Children of active duty personnel already enjoy the privilege of qualifying for the HOPE scholarship if their child lives in Georgia at the time of their graduation regardless of their state of residence. This privilege could be extended to Georgia National Guard and Reservist personnel who work on Georgia s bases but live in other states. g. Provide Service-cancellable Loans for STEM-educated Students Entering the Military. Georgia should consider offering students who graduated from a University System of Georgia college or university in a STEM field who then works for a certain number of years on a base in Georgia to have some of their college education costs paid for by the state.
2. LEGISLATIVE a. Permanent House Military Affairs Working Group at State Capitol. As most states have organizations within their state legislature to protect their military installations Georgia should continue the work of the House Military Affairs Committee as the House Military Affairs Working Group on a permanent basis. b. Military-friendly Licensure Laws. Representative AI Williams of the 168 h District passed HB 821 in 2016 which required professional licensing boards and other boards to adopt rules and regulations by which military spouses and transitioning service members may qualify for temporary licenses licenses by endorsement expedited licenses or a combination of these. This law should be expanded to ensure it covers as many military-applicable careers as practical. c. Military-friendly Caregiver Laws. Some states help military spouses with caregiver laws to help these spouses work while raising children. Such legislation should be explored and encouraged. d. Outreach Visits by House Military Affairs Working Group to the Georgia Federal Delegation in Washington. Most states send members of their state s legislature to lobby their Congressional delegation in Washington on behalf of their military installations. Georgia should do the same. e. Honor Base Commanders and Military Heroes of Georgia During General Assembly Sessions. It is important to honor the sacrifices of the brave soldiers sailors airmen Marines and coastguardsmen of Georgia. Our General Assembly should consider inviting base commanders and decorated heroes to be honored during the legislative session. Additionally commanders from each of Georgia s bases should be invited to appear before the House Military Affairs Working Group and other committees as a forum for our military leaders to maximize Georgia s efforts to help their bases. f. Retired Veteran Income Tax Incentive. Every state that surrounds Georgia does not tax a retired veteran s military income making those states very attractive for military veterans to retire there. Since most Veteran retirees retire from the military at an early age (around 45) and usually continue to work for another 20 years the loss of that military retirement income tax may be easily compensated by other taxes these veterans would pay including income taxes from their other employment as well as property and sales taxes.
g. Protect "Angel Investor Tax Credit" and "Invest GA" funds. These funds have proved very helpful to businesses that surround Georgia bases especially to start-up businesses who market directly to these Georgia bases.
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3. PLANNING a. Encourage the re-vitalization of the Georgia Military Affairs Commission within the Georgia Department of Economic Development. The Georgia Military Affairs Commission has been in existence for many years being alternately placed under the Georgia Department of Economic Development and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. The governor should be encouraged to place GMAC permanently under the Georgia Department of Economic Development staff it with private funding have it meet on a regular basis and specify that the chairs of the Georgia House Defense and Veterans Affairs the Georgia House Military Affairs Working Group and the Georgia Senate Veterans Military and Homeland Security Committee be appointed to that commission. b. Encourage Georgia Department of Economic Development to update and refresh their Georgia Military Strategic Plan. The Georgia Military Affairs Commission should update and publish their state-wide plan to protect all of Georgia s bases. We recommend that this should be done at least every two years. c. Encourage Georgia Department of Economic Development to write a Strength Weakness Opportunity and Threat Analysis for all of Georgia s bases and encourage consideration of SWOT analysis from individual bases where appropriate. The Georgia Military Affairs Commission should periodically conduct a state-wide SWOT analysis to update and reevaluate the Georgia Military Strategic Plan. d. Encourage Georgia Department of Economic Development to create a Joint Land-use Study (JLUS) for each base in Georgia. The Georgia Military Affairs Commission should create a JLUS for every base in Georgia and create detailed plans to deal with encroachment issues. e. Create Defense Economic Value Grants for use near Military Bases. The Georgia Military Affairs Commission should study the amount of state monies that go towards each base in Georgia evaluate if those monies are being spent in accordance to the overall Georgia Military Strategic Plan and establish grants to implement that overall plan. f. Coordinate with Congressional Delegation to find new missions and activities to add to Georgia s bases. We know that other states are seeking to move missions assets and activities from Georgia s bases to their states. Both the Georgia Military Affairs Commission and the House Military Affairs Working Group should actively work with the Georgia Congressional Delegation to find ways to add new activities and missions to strengthen the military value of each of Georgia s bases. g. Encourage military-friendly initiatives. Community outreach efforts such as Moody AFB s "Red Carpet" and Fort Stewart s "Landings Relief Fund" should be encouraged at other bases.
4. INFRASTRUCTURE and ENCROACHMENT a. Study Encroachment/Infrastructure Issues. Encroachment issues can gravely threaten a base. The House Military Affairs Working Group or a subset thereof should work to study and recommend measures to address encroachment and infrastructure issues impacting Georgia s bases. b. Explore the creation of "BRAC Zones" around Georgia s bases. Not all of Georgia s bases face encroachment issues but for the ones that do a "BRAC Zone" can be created to correct these issues. Models for this type of zone already exist in other states. c. Encourage Investments in Bandwidth. Nearly every base asked for greater investment in bandwidth capabilities in and around their base. d. Encourage Investment in Water Rail and Transportation. Many bases asked for greater investments in these areas in and around their base.
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e. Encourage "Green Energy" initiatives on Georgia s bases. The military has an overall longterm "Green Energy" goal. Any base that reaches these goals is considered to be much more "safe" than bases that have not reached these goals.
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House Study Committee on Military Affairs

The Honorable Dave Belton Chair State Representative District 112

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The Honorable Mike Glanton State Representative District 75

The Honorable Shaw Blackmon Stat Reoresentative District 146

State Representative District 161

The Honorable John Carson State Representative District 46
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The Honorable Michael Cheokas State Representative District 138

The Honorable Brian Prince State Representative District 127
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State Representative District 152

The Honorable David Clark State Representative District 98
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The Honorable Heath Clark State Representative District 147

The Honorable Richard Smith
State Representative District 134
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The Honorable Calvin Sniyre
State Representative District 135 .

State Representative District 174
c -/---- _ - ahI __.----The Honorallle Darrel Ealum State Representative District 153

The Honorable AI Williams State Representative District 168

i NY Times Feburary 2014 http //www .nytimes.com/2014/02/24/ us/polit ics/pentagon-plans-to-shrink-army-topre-world-war-ii-level.html r O ii NCSL Military s Impact on State Economies http //www.ncsl.org/resea rch/mil itary-and-veterans-affairs/militarys-impact -on-state-economies. aspx mGeorge Schlossberg 11How Congress Cleared the Bases A Legislative History of BRAC " Journal of Defense Communities 1 (2012) iv George Schlossberg 11How Congress Cleared the Bases A Legislative History of BRAC " Journal of Defense Communities 1 (2012) v State of Support 2016 Highlights of State Support for Defense Installations June 2016 defensecommunities.org vi State of Support 2016 Highlights of State Support for Defense Installations June 2016 defensecommunities.org vii Office of Economic Adjustment - FY2014 Defense Spending by State viii New Georgia Encyclopedia ht tp //www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/government-polit ics/richard -b-russelljr-1897-1971 ix New Georgia Encyclopedia http //www.geo rgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/government-politics/carl-vinson-18831981 x New Georgia Encyclopedia http //www.georgiaencycloped ia.org/art icles/government-politics/sam -nunn-b-1938 xi Office of Economic Adjustment- FY2014 Defense Spending by State xii Christina L. Nelson and Larry Morandi Supporting Defense Communities State and Military Lessons Learned (Denver National Conference of State Legislatures 2007)
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