Getting ready to fly

One of the big stories from 2022 in Fort Smith was the continued progress toward being selected to become home of the Foreign Military Sales mission the United States Air Force is in the process of finalizing. That program, through which the U.S. sells defense equipment and provides training to other countries, will bring more than 900 service men and women and their families to the greater Fort Smith community.

Work has been going on behind the scenes for the past two years and the developments have been substantial. The Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce, the state of Arkansas, the city of Fort Smith and numerous other organizations have partnered to build a plan for welcoming the servicemen and women, their families and the program to Ebbing Air National Guard Base.

The state and city have shown their commitment by investing tangible dollars into the lengthening of the Fort Smith Airport runway, which benefits the FMS program in multiple ways. And now the federal government has joined the effort by allocating budget dollars to both active military and the National Guard, which we believe will ultimately flow to the Ebbing base and start the planning and building process needed to support the program. Our partners at all of these government levels are deeply appreciated.

In addition, the chamber has cultivated and strengthened our relationships with the Republic of Singapore Air Force, even hosting the Singapore ambassador to the United States as he learned more about Fort Smith and the area and introducing him to hundreds of community leaders at the chamber’s annual meeting. We’ve built a robust relationship with Lockheed Martin, the lead manufacturer of the F-35 Fighter. That relationship will be crucial to the program’s success. We’ve begun discussions with representatives from Germany’s Air Force, who are now in the process of developing their plan to train pilots here. The chamber has made repeated working trips to Washington, D.C., to meet with congressional delegation members, industry partners and military liaisons to make sure our plans are working and on the right path.

What all of this means for the Fort Smith Region is this: These commitments are moving us closer a formal Record of Decision being signed sometime this spring by the United States Air Force. Once that occurs, Fort Smith would become the official choice to host the program and planning can transition into development. The hard work of the last two years will become reality.

Fort Smith businesses, builders, bankers, health care representatives, education officials and local governments can then all begin their own work to support the mission of the Foreign Military Sales Program, ensuring that they are prepared for the arrival of these families and military members.

The excitement and anticipation are ramping up as the Air Force progresses through its checklist to move this FMS mission to Fort Smith. And when all of the elements are together, the Fort Smith region will be positioned to enjoy the economic and community benefits for decades to come.