Arizona’s military operations bring in $255M each year, report finds
Nov 16, 2017, 4:13 AM | Updated: 11:42 am
(Facebook/Luke AFB, Arizona-56th Fighter Wing)
(Facebook/Luke AFB, Arizona-56th Fighter Wing)
PHOENIX — The operation of military installations in Arizona bring in more than $255 million a year to the state, a recent report from the Arizona Governor’s Office found.
The report, which was commissioned by the Arizona Commerce Authority in 2014, found that Arizona’s military installations bring in $255.9 million in sales, property and income taxes each year.
The report also found that Arizona’s six military installations and four National Guard operations have led to the creation of 76,000 direct and indirect jobs and accounted for nearly $11.5 billion in output each year.
In a statement, Gov. Doug Ducey praised the “continued support of stakeholders” for allowing for the “ongoing success of these installations and the brave men and women who serve at them.”
“We will continue to make preserving these installations a top priority to ensure they are viable long into the future,” Ducey added.
U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) also said in a statement that the report shows that “Arizona’s military installations and defense community directly benefit[s] our growing economy.”
“Whether it’s Arizona’s unmatched flying weather, world-class training facilities, strong community support, or the patriotic men and women of our state who volunteer to serve in uniform, Arizonans can be deeply proud of the outsized role our state plays in protecting and defending the nation,” he added.
McCain, who heads the Senate Committee on Armed Services, said he would use his position in the U.S. Senate to “strengthen and enhance that essential role.”
Other Arizona lawmakers, including Reps. Trent Franks, Martha McSally, Ruben Gallego and Tom O’Halleran, said the report confirmed that the state’s military bases are “important to our local communities and these missions are indispensable to our national security.”
