PIMA COUNTY – The Pima County Board of Supervisors Tuesday voted unanimously to enter an agreement with the United States Air Force and Davis Monthan Air Force Base to work on behalf of the base to protect it against encroachment. The board also unanimously supported a resolution supporting land swaps between the city of Tucson, Tucson Airport Authority and the Arizona Air National Guard that would aid the construction of a new, more secure entry gate to the Air National Guard at Tucson International Airport, and the relocation of Air Guard munitions bunkers.

The DM encroachment agreement is part of the Department of Defense’s Readiness Environmental Protection Integration program, which seeks to prevent, remove or mitigate incompatible land uses that restrict training, testing and operation of military installations, which can improve opportunities for mission growth.

The encroachment agreement will expand on the county’s encroachment protections that used $10 million of 2004 bond funds to acquire 460 acres in the base’s takeoff and landing corridors. The REPI program allows the county to access $1.5 million in federal funds to acquire properties from willing sellers in priority areas identified by the base. The program has no cost to the county.

The Air National Guard resolution supports expediting the plan to move the current gate access to the Air Guard from Valencia Road and Campbell Avenue, to Valencia and Park Avenue. The Campbell gate doesn’t meet the Defense Department’s force security requirements. Moving the gate west to Park would also resolve s0me congestion issues on Valencia.

The resolution encourages the Airport Authority to transfer 54 acres in the Raytheon Buffer area south of the airport to the Guard so it can relocate its munitions storage area. The creation of the Raytheon Buffer has multiple benefits in that it enables this critical improvement for the Air National Guard, provides necessary buffer area for possible future Raytheon expansions, and facilitates the Airport Authority’s planned runway safety and expansion project.

Supporting the U.S. military in Pima County, especially DM and the Air Guard bases, are key components of the county’s Economic Development Plan. The bases provide thousands of local jobs and have a combined annual economic impact greater than $1.5 billion.

Click here for United States Air Force Cooperative Agreement

and here for Resolution in support of the 162nd Wing of the Arizona Air National Guard

TUCSON, AZ –Southern Arizonans express continued strong support for the area’s military installations and for bringing the F-35 to the region, according to a survey measuring attitudes toward military installations, defense operations and economic development put out by Mission Strong. The survey is an update to a 2014 poll. The research was commissioned by the DM50 in partnership with the Southern Arizona Defense Alliance (SADA) to understand public sentiment about the community’s military presence and share that information with elected officials and government leadership in Washington, D.C.

“We are very pleased to see high levels of support for all of our military installations, as well as regional awareness and strong recognition of these assets as beneficial to the local economy,” said Brian Harpel, president of the DM50. “Our communities clearly support these bases. We see that with Davis-Monthan and throughout Southern Arizona.

“Davis-Monthan continues to be the best facility in the U.S. for future flying missions,” Harpel said. “The base, with its proximity to the Goldwater Air Force Range, offers the best weather, range and air space of any in the nation.”

SADA initiated a public awareness and support campaign last year called Mission Strong to focus individual, community and business leaders and build a broad-based coalition spanning both sides of the political aisle.

Highlights of the 2015-2016 community survey include:

• Regional awareness of military installations by local residents remains high, with over 90
• percent and 80 percent of respondents indicating awareness and support of Davis-Monthan
• Air Force Base and Fort Huachuca, respectively.
• More than 85 percent of respondents agree that a strong military presence is beneficial to the local economy.
• More than 90 percent of Southern Arizonans support local military bases, with more than three-quarters of those surveyed saying they had “strong” or “very strong” support, an increase of 1.5% from 2014.
• There was no statistical difference from 2014 to 2016 in levels of support among residents living closest to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and the 162^nd Fighter Wing and those who lived in all other areas of Southern Arizona.
• The vast majority of the public recognize the benefits of local military installations for economic viability, national defense, and giving the community a sense of pride.
• More than 75 percent of respondents indicated they were in favor of bringing the F-35 to Southern Arizona. Less than one in 10 respondents had any negative response to the F-35.
• Levels of support for the F-35 among residents living closest to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and the 162^nd Fighter Wing were only slightly lower than those who lived in all other parts of Southern Arizona

“Our military installations are vital economic drivers for our communities, providing more than 62,000 jobs and pumping $5.4 billion dollars in our economy every year,” said Larry Lucero, president of SADA. “The Air Force plan for A-10 reduction is the reality of the budget pressures faced by Congress. However, until a suitable replacement is developed and available, the current world situation requires the A-10 asset to support our troops and allies.”

According to a Bloomberg Government Study released in 2011, southeastern Arizona ranks No. 7 in U.S. military spending in the nation.

Mission Strong includes a website, missionstrongaz.org, where residents can sign up to participate in the community effort. The campaign includes informational materials, ongoing updates, community presentations and public service advertising.

SADA was formed in late 2012 with a purpose of supporting sustainability of the region’s military installations, defense and aerospace partners and associated education and research institutions. Through its members, SADA represents tens of thousands of Southern Arizonans. The growing list of supporters includes the 162nd Fighter Wing Air National Guard Air Guardians, Cox Communications, DM50, Fort Huachuca 50, HSL Properties, International Association of Machinists, Metropolitan Pima Alliance, Pima County, Southern Arizona Home Builders Association, Southern Arizona Business Coalition, Southern Arizona Leadership Council, Sun Corridor Inc., Town of Marana, Town of Oro Valley, Town of Sahuarita, Tucson Association of Realtors, Tucson Electric Power, Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Tucson Metro Chamber, VisitTucson and the Yuma Chamber of Commerce.

The DM-50 is a diverse group of Tucson business and civic leaders founded to strengthen the relationship between Davis-Monthan Air Force Base (“DM”) personnel and the civilian population of the region, and to improve the quality of life for service personnel and their families to show respect and appreciation for our military’s service to the nation. The group, a non-profit, volunteer service organization, has no formal ties to DM and functions as an advocate for the base.

Read the full report here

“Tucson Thanks Our Airmen and Families BBQ” is set for noon to 4 p.m., Thursday, September 3, to thank an expected 5,000 airmen and women and their families at Davis-Monthan’s Bama Park, to enjoy an afternoon of food, live music and outdoor activities, jumping castles, corn hole tournaments and games.

Tucson’s largest deployment of military personnel since World War II will be coming home and the Tucson Metro Chamber Military Affairs Committee and other local groups and organizations want to throw a welcome home party.

“Tucson will be coming together to show appreciation to our service men and women. It is my hope that everyone in the community will go up and say ‘thank-you’ when meeting a military person in the community,” said Mark Irvin, one of the businessmen who first conceived of such the celebration and got the ball rolling.

Other sponsors or the event who joined in were Jim Click, BSD Winers & Diners up, City of Tucson, Pima County, Citi, B-Side Cover Band, Visit Tucson!, Arizona Diamondbacks, PICOR, Villas Ice, Finley Distributing, Sentinel Peak Brewery, TEP, UofA Athletics, Assurance Healthcare, USO, Eegee’s, SAHBA, Tucson Community Cares Foundation, Air Force Association Tucson Chapter, F&S Distributing, Boys & Girls Club, Pizza Hut of Arizona, and Safeway.

Those returning to D-M have been training in close-air-support missions alongside other NATO nations including Estonia, The Czech Republic, Romania, Poland, Slovakia, The United Kingdom and Lithuania. D-M forces originally left home in February and have been part of a longer, two-year training mission across Europe.

“This is an amazing opportunity for Tucson to show their support for the men and women who serve our country and keep us safe,” said Welcome Home Event Organizer Ellen Jimenez, Committee Chair for the Military Affairs Committee. “We want them to know we are happy to have them home with their families.”

The following PSA will begin running today on local TV click here to view: TucThnxMilitary30V2 – Small

For questions please contact Ellen Jimenez at 520-468-8209 or ellenjimenez@viscountsuite.com