Marine Corps Installations West (MCIWEST) is comprised of six Marine Corps Bases and Air Stations in California and one Air Station in Yuma, Arizona. Our mission is to provide the installation and training infrastructure to enable Marine Corps air and ground forces to live and train in support of the Marine Corps’ mission of winning our nation’s battles and making Marines. To this end, our primary mission is to support the war-fighter’s operational readiness and to provide their families with services that aim to enrich their lives while their loved ones are in the service of our Country.
Good Neighbors
When home, Marines are proud to be good neighbors and responsible citizens. We assist in disaster response, support local charities, volunteer in community organizations, provide habitat refuge for endangered species, and take the lead in being good stewards of our environment. The Marines, Sailors and civilians aboard our installations are involved community partners who work diligently to ensure that whenever possible our presence benefits our surrounding communities.
In this time of economic challenges, many “single industry” communities are particularly hard hit, and community leaders and citizens are apprehensive about their economic futures. Many communities in our region are heavily dependent upon Marine Corps installations to maintain their vibrant economies, and we at MCIWEST believe it is important to share what we know of our economic contribution to our neighbors.
Military installations provide a steady population of productive citizens with disposable income, and draw significant federal funding that can mitigate fluctuations in the regional economy. Clearly, this is what we’re seeing in many of the communities that adjoin our installations – although they are not free of adverse economic conditions, they can count on a military community always in need of local goods and services.
Military Construction
The air and ground operations Marines are supporting overseas have stressed the existing force, and Congress has approved legislation to authorize funding to increase the size of the Marine Corps by 27,000.
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This ‘Grow the Force’ initiative will have enduring benefits for both our Corps and the communities that host us. They include significant expenditures for new barracks, mess halls, training facilities, family housing and infrastructure repair—construction contracts that stimulate the local economy. The expanding size of the Marine Corps will also infuse more money into our communities as more service members purchase goods and services from the local economy.
Our installations vary by size and purpose and are geographically dispersed. How our growth will affect any one community is difficult to predict, but the following table outlines the extent of approved construction budgets by installation.
*Although not an MCIWEST installation, data for the Recruit Depot at San Diego is included to illustrate overall impact.
In all, a total of $4.4 billion in construction expenditures will be infused into local economies in our region between 2009 and 2015.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that each $1 million in defense spending supports 12.1 additional jobs through direct employment or its ripple effect throughout the region.1 Contracts for construction are predominantly awarded to local construction firms with goals established for small businesses. Local firms in turn rely on local skilled labor, and locally procured materials.
Many of the projects will include facilities which utilize cutting edge energy efficiency, water conservation, and reclamation technologies. For example; Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow recently installed a wind generator, the first in the Marine Corps, which provides 30% of the base’s electrical power.
We know that at times we can be noisy neighbors, with periodic weapons and aviation training. However, to these ‘sounds of freedom’ we have begun the bustling sounds of construction and greater economic prosperity. We are particularly pleased to see the disproportionate benefit the citizens of San Diego County, who stood with us and voted for the extension of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, are currently receiving. This is but one of the tangible means by which we attempt to recognize and repay our neighbors for their support of our military presence within our local communities.
Contract Services
We contract extensively for products and services that are more economically and efficiently provided by commercial enterprises. A total of $546 million was spent in 2008 on service contracts for renovation and maintenance on existing facilities, supplemental security, fuel deliveries, food service support, and various other contracts on MCIWEST installations.
Civilian Employment
In addition to the employees of contract services, our installations employ a wide variety of civilians. From Marine Corps Community Services employees operating our fitness centers and managing family programs, to civilian law enforcement officers and professionals in fields such as accounting, engineering, community planning, and human resources, our installations employ about 7,200 civilians who took home over $221 million in wages in 2008. Our civilian employees free Marines and Sailors to focus on training for their wartime mission and provide a broad range of necessary expertise.
Tourist Destinations
Major events, such as the world famous Miramar Air Show and Yuma Air Show have a significant impact on the local economy enhancing the “tourist destination” profile of the region. In addition, many families plan their vacations to the area around their Marine’s graduation from recruit training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego or attending a retirement ceremony aboard our installations.
The Marines, Sailors and civilian employees of MCIWEST are proud that our effort to promote greater national security also contributes to the economic prosperity and stability of our neighbors. We hold ourselves accountable to a high standard of fiscal performance and competency as well as accountability to the taxpayers. Every dollar we spend is the result of the hard work of American families and we appreciate the public trust in our stewardship. The outpouring of generosity from local communities to support our Marines and their families in the current and previous conflicts is humbling—and greatly appreciated by all uniformed service members. Thank you.
1 Source: Consolidated Federal Funds Report, Bureau of Economic Analysis RIMS II, Export Access