Impactful
MCAS Yuma highly valuable to economy
Fighter jets and other military aircraft flying overhead are a familiar sight to Yuma residents. What might not be as apparent is the economic impact Marine Corps Air Station Yuma has on the community.
It’s considerable. When combined with Yuma Proving Ground it is second only to agriculture in its value to the local economy. And it’s not limited to the active-duty Marines who live or visit, work and train at MCAS Yuma, noted Col. David Suggs, commanding officer.
Taking time out on a recent afternoon in his busy schedule, he discussed that role. There’s the 4,300 Marines permanently stationed here, spending their paychecks and supporting their families. One third of them live off-base, using the shopping centers and restaurants and taking part in community activities.
Their ranks will be growing. VMX-1 is currently moving its F-35 detachment from Edwards Air Force Base, and will begin moving its CH-53 detachment from New River, N.C., to MCAS Yuma in the next 18 months, bringing 300 more Marines to town. And the air station’s two F-35 squadrons will soon become four.
In addition, some 11,000 Marines a year come through MCAS Yuma to train. “That’s roughly 21 squadrons that come to Yuma each year,” Suggs said. “This is a training base and there’s a lot of transient units that come through … 80 percent of all U.S. Marine aviators train here. They come from their home stations because of the excellent weather, and training opportunities.”
“The indirect impact for the Yuma community is a powerful message,” said Julie Engel, chief economic architect for Greater Yuma Economic Development Corporation. “There’s so many opportunities we benefit from. They’re getting fuel from Millionaire, they’re staying in hotels, eating in restaurants, renting cars.”
And it’s because of them, she explained, that Yuma’s hotels are often full and more properties are being constructed.
However, there’s much more to the role MCAS Yuma plays in the local economy than by the active duty military. Suggs said the air station also has more than 2,300 civilian employees with a payroll that approaches $53 million a year. That’s money the employees are spending in the community.
“That caught my parents by surprise,” Suggs said. “They had no idea so many civilians work here. They’re hired to support the Marines: health, chow hall, law enforcement. They’re all hired to ensure the Marines can train and deploy.”
The civilian impact doesn’t end there. The air station turns to local companies for the purchase of a variety of services and supplies, for example contracting with air conditioning companies for their services.
Construction is another area that has a large local impact. “There’s always construction on base,” Suggs said. “These projects employ local
contractors and craftsmen and buy supplies and materials locally.” For example, the largest building on base will be done in February. There’s also a $35 million project to build a new chow hall, and $102 million is on the books to build new barracks to house 400 Marines and to replace some old buildings that date back to the 1950s.
“There’s a $56 million project to build a new hanger awarded this summer and starting construction in September. That equates to $129 million in active military construction projects and $192 million in planned FY20 military construction with even more planned in the coming years to support the growth and mission requirements.
“Eighteen months from now, you’ll be able to look across the road from the fairgrounds and see a big new hangar that will enable more training personnel,” Suggs said.
Beyond the economic ties, Suggs seeks a closer relationship between MCAS Yuma and the community by encouraging the use of the base’s amenities by local residents and visitors. “When I got here, it seemed like the base was closed to the public. I told the mayor the base has to be tied to the community. I want the citizens of Yuma to be extremely proud of what the town does to support the base and the training conducted here to protect the country. The people who live and work on the base are part of the community. And we need the community support for the dependents left when the Marines are deployed.”
The commanding officer continued: “The bottom line is that the base is open. Please come on base, go to the restaurants, the movie theater, the bowling alley, and go to the club.” The only restriction, he said, is that the public won’t be able to shop at the commissary or exchange.
Gaining access to the air station is a simple matter of downloading, filling out and submitting an application, undergoing a background check and coming in for fingerprints and a photo to get clearance for a year.
Yet further motivation for wanting closer ties between the air station and the community is the number of young, single Marines on base, 1,800 of them. “We call them meerkats,” Suggs said. “It’s hard to get them out of the barracks. I want people to come on base, see what goes on … come out, talk and interact with the Marines. Get to know the Marines you are supporting, and build lifelong relationships.
At the same time, these “meerkats” are a source of a large volunteer labor force when the community has a need, Suggs noted. “This generation does a lot … they want to be handson. They love to build stuff (such as for Habitat for Humanity). I can’t order volunteers, but if you put out the word Marines will answer your call. They work long days and weekends, but if someone asks for their support, they’re there. They still want to help. “
Engel, head of Yuma 50, a local organization that serves as an advocate for the community’s military bases, noted that it is working directly with the air station to help integrate the single Marines into the community.
Suggs also commented on the need for long-range planning and continued growth of the air station. “We need to look beyond tomorrow, but what is required 50 years from now.”
The role of MCAS Yuma is “extremely important” for national security with its training opportunities and the development of future aviation planners, he concluded.
Yuma 50 is committed to supporting and advocating that mission, whether locally or in Washington, D.C., added Engel.