Florida governor meets with state commanders at HARB

  • Published
  • By Dan Galindo
  • 482nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
HOMESTEAD ARB, Fla. --  Florida Gov. Jeb Bush met with military installation commanders from around the state here at Homestead Air Reserve Base Feb. 10 to discuss issues and needs of service members and bases. 

The bi-annual Florida Base Commanders’ Meeting provides a venue for military leaders to let the governor know about issues affecting their bases, missions and personnel. 

Commanders representing each branch of service from 35 military units and agencies attended the meeting. Representatives from the Florida Departments of Transportation, Health, Education, and Veterans Affairs and other civilian agencies that advocate on behalf of service members were also on hand to take recommendations from military leaders. 

“It provides a list of action items to work on, so we’ll report back in August at the base commanders meeting on the issues that were brought up. It’s just related to getting permits for [base projects], encroachment issues, and how to provide support for families of enlisted [service members],” said Gov. Bush. 

Each commander gave the governor updates on how his or her installation was affected by the latest base realignment and closure process and the progress underway. 

Overall, the state was a winner from the 2005 BRAC, seeing significant gains in personnel and jobs, while avoiding any base closures. For example, Homestead Air Reserve Base is scheduled to gain nine F-16 fighter aircraft and approximately 200 more personnel. 

“This [process] clearly had a positive impact. We expanded our missions in the state. We’re one of the states that saw a significant increase in the number of missions and people,” he said. 

“The good news about BRAC is that once it’s decided the defense department kind of builds on that as they go about their transformational work. We’ve seen an increase in the military in our state over the last 6 or 7 years,” he said. 

Florida has 21 military installations and 3 unified commands, all of which have a total annual impact of more than $44 billion in defense-related spending. HARB contributed an estimated $180 million to South Florida last year due to its reservists living on the economy. That number is expected to rise with the addition of new personnel as a result of the latest BRAC decision. 

Hurricane preparedness was also high on the agenda. After the busy 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons, commanders are evaluating how to best aide civil authorities in preparation and recovery from major storms through logistical means and compatible communications devices. 

The governor told the base leaders that he wants to develop a series of best practices and embark on a course of readiness, so everyone in the state knows what steps to take before and after hurricanes. 

Gov. Bush praised HARB as a vital hub of for South Florida storm relief. After Hurricane Wilma, the base was a primary distribution point for more than a million pounds of relief supplies. He also noted the base’s other geographic benefits as a strategic site for homeland defense, shoreline protection, drug interdiction flights, and a primary departure point for humanitarian relief efforts in Central and South America. 

Commanders also asked for continued efforts to support the families of service members in the state. Their concerns included spouse employment assistance, affordable housing, and the need to regulate extreme, high-interest “payday” loans, which can devastate the finances of unsuspecting service members with interest rates that can be more than 1,000 percent. 

As a result of the last meeting in August, the governor has addressed issues concerning school immunization records for children of service members, emergency fuel supplies for the state, and several infrastructure needs of installations. 

The next meeting will be Aug. 14 at the Florida National Guard Headquarters in St. Augustine.