Military Bases Help Keep Coastal Economy in Step
Published Aug 21, 2008
Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue presents a state flag for the USS Georgia at the submarine's commissioning ceremony.
With growth by land and by sea, the military in Coastal Georgia continues to be a major economic force.
At Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay in Camden County, the fleet of nuclear subs as well as a growing Coast Guard presence provides an annual $567.5 million boost to the local economy and employs some 8,300 military and civilian workers.
The base gave the region a major boost in civic pride when the USS Georgia was returned to service in March.
The Georgia was the last of four Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines converted to guided-missile submarines that will be employed in the war against terrorism. The 560-foot submarine will carry a crew of 15 officers, 139 crew and 100 special forces. The USS Georgia is the only Navy ship to be homeported in the state for which it is named.
The 16,000-acre Kings Bay base is home to some 50,000 active-duty personnel and their families.
“The word for this year is growth,” says Ed Buczek, public affairs officer. “Our ability to grow here and to absorb other commands is based on the room we have.”
Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield are the home of the 3rd Infantry Division and the largest armor-training base east of the Mississippi. The base and airfield cover 280,000 acres including parts of Liberty, Chatham, Long and Bryan counties.
The fort and airfield generate some $1.5 billion in annual economic impact to the surrounding area. About 4,300 civilians are employed and 24,700 active-duty personnel are stationed at the two bases, a number that will rise when another brigade is added to the complement by 2012, says Kevin Larson, spokesperson for Fort Stewart.
Good relations between base and community are important, since installations can’t lobby on their own behalf, notes Buczek “We partner with them as much as we can,” Buczek says. “They’ve got a future stake in a place where about half the adult population works.”
Story by Joe Morris
Photo by U.S. Navy
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