M I L I TA RYSouth Mississippi and the Surrounding Region

STRENGTH I n N u m b e r sA publication of the Harrison County Development Commission

2 0 1 5 S a l u t e t o t h e

the Harrison County Military Team (HCMT) that work

together to serve as advocates for installations throughout

South Mississippi. Teams are comprised of volunteers

from the private sector (retired military, business and

civic leaders) who are dutifully dedicated to defending a

viable community asset recognized as one of the primary

industries in Mississippi and the top industry in

Harrison County.

“It takes more than just saying we appreciate the military,”

says Bill Hessell, executive director for the Harrison County

Development Commission. “We need to do something

and these councils are a way to support their missions for

what they do for us in return. The military is our biggest

industry in Harrison County and it’s important that we

keep the military active and growing because it generates

an economic impact of more than $2 billion.”

The history of military councils in Mississippi is directly tied

initiated in 1988 by the Department of Defense (DoD) as

a method to alleviate excess infrastructure.

and effectively support its forces, increase operational

readiness and facilitate new ways of doing business.”

Suggestions for base closures in 1988 were made internally

within the DoD, however, when the next BRAC round

happened in 1991, communities whose bases were subject

to closure were allowed the opportunity to present a

defense before presidentially appointed commissions

in Washington, D.C.

Naval Air Station (NAS) open during the 1991, 1993

and 1995 BRAC rounds by building a strong data-

and community impact.

Although an informal organization at the time,

MMCC’s foundation is anchored in the efforts of an

unrelenting community leadership team of volunteers

congressional delegation to provide sound arguments

in favor of NAS not closing. This strategic framework

laid the foundation for the eventual establishment of

HCMT, and also was adopted by other states with

bases subject to possible closure or realignment.

Brian Dabbs is a contract agent for Mississippi Power,

and serves as the secretary of MMCC and is a

member of HCMT. He was part of the team that

fought for the Meridian base in all three rounds and

says the primary reason for the establishment of

military councils is due to BRAC.

“A base closure impacts the communities where folks

live,” Dabbs says. “For Meridian to lose at that time

what would have been 3,500 jobs in a community

of 45,000 people would have been devastating. The

concern is for the fellow man, the area, and what it

would mean if it goes away. Having been through the

trenches and fought the battles, it’s winnable, but you

have to do it and go about it the right way.”

Page 7 Salute to the Military 2015

Harrison County Dollars Fiscal Year 2014Installation/Activity Payroll Construction Economic Impact PRV

Keesler Air Force Base ( Plus Training Annex) $347.5 million $20,335,859 $868.1 million NA1

Naval Construction Battalion Center $245 million NA1 $365.3 million $1.21 billion

Trent Lott Training Complex (Air Guard & Army Guard) $8.1 million* NA1 $38.2 million NA2

*military/civilian Keesler Air Force Base Economic Impact with multiplier is $1.6B, Naval Construction Battalion Center Economic Impact with multiplier is $851.1M

Strength in NumbersMilitary Economic Impact

Other South Mississippi BasesInstallation/Activity Branch Location Acres Personnel Economic Impact PRV

U.S. Coast Guard Station Pascagoula Coast Guard Pascagoula 11.5 37/15 NA2 NA2

Camp Shelby Joint ForcesTraining Center

Army & Airforce

National Guard

Hattiesburg 135,000 1,550+ $70 Million (payroll) $1,149,125,293

The Navy at Stennis Space Center Navy Stennis Space Center

NA2 1,920 $247M (50-Mile)359M (Global)*

NA2

Supervisor of Shipbuilding Navy Pascagoula NA1 440 NA2 NA2

Installation/Activity Branch Location Acres Mission

Keesler Air Force Base (Plus Training Annex) Air Force Biloxi 1,784* Train Airmen across the spectrum of technical, medicaland airmanship skills to build overwhelming combat power for the Air Force.

Naval Construction Battalion Center Navy Gulfport 1,098* Construction, Training, Mobilization, Logistics

Trent Lott Training Complex Air National Guard

Gulfport 294 Joint Training and Exercises

U.S. Coast Guard Station Gulfport Coast Guard Gulfport 6.5 Search and Rescue, Law Enforcement, Homeland Security

NA1 (Not Applicable), NA2 (Not Available)

Harrison County Personnel Fiscal Year 2014Installation/Activity Military & Student Personnel Civilian Student Load

Keesler Air Force Base (Plus Training Annex) 6,951 3,686 3,393 daily load

Naval Construction Battalion Center 3,800 NA1 7,400

Trent Lott Training Complex (Air Guard & Army Guard) 600* NA1 NA1

U.S. Coast Guard Station Gulfport 32/60/10** 0 NA1

*military/civilian ** active/auxiliary/reservists