Gosney reveals Economic Impact Report at BCC luncheon

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Beaux Hebert
  • 14th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  Col. Douglas Gosney, 14th Flying Training Wing Commander, presented the fiscal year 2016 Economic Impact Report to the Base Community Council Aug. 11 during a luncheon at the Club on Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi.

BCC members and wing leadership met and discussed the impact Columbus AFB has on the local economy.

“The Base Community Council is a service organization that enhances the strength of the Columbus Air Force Base mission and that is to Produce Pilots, Advance Airmen and Feed the Fight,” said Larry Cantrell, BCC President.

The economic impact for Columbus AFB during fiscal 2016 was $260.8 million, and that’s separated into categories of annual expenditures, payroll and indirect jobs. This was an $11.2 million increase from fiscal 2015.

Gosney said, some of the increase may be due in part to the “small annual increase in military pay, the yearly cycle of promotions where the promotees earn a little more money than before and the hiring of civilians to fill vacant spots.”

Payroll contributed the most with $144.5 million. This portion is how much money the base personnel are receiving putting into the local economy through groceries, gas, entertainment and other goods.

According to the EIR, annual expenditures reflects what the base spends apart from payroll, and in fiscal 2016, $83.5 million went toward construction, contracts, supplies and equipment and miscellaneous expenditures.

Indirect jobs means those jobs that were potentially hired on to possibly fill the needs of base requirement. Example being extra staff in businesses in order to keep up with the amount of people assigned to the base.

Columbus AFB also has a large population of retired veterans who generated $110.4 million, which is not a part of the $260.8 million produced from the other three categories.

“As proud as we are of the economic boost that the base and the mission brings to the community, we are really more proud of the relationships and the support we show each other,” Gosney said. “Neither of us could be as good as we are without the support of each other.”