CAFB brought millions of dollars to the area economy

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The Columbus Air Force Base deployed more than a quarter of a billion dollars into the area economy in the last fiscal year.

$315 million flew in and landed into the area.

That’s up to $44 million from 2017.

Those numbers were the focus of the base’s 2018 Economic Impact Report and Air Force leaders told the Base Community Council that continued growth is good for both Military personnel and their civilian neighbors.

The Columbus Air Force Base is an economic engine for Columbus and the Golden Triangle.

“Columbus Air Force Base is an integral part of the community and it’s great that we can show a 16% growth since last year and $315 million to the community as an impact is great for northeast Mississippi and the Golden Triangle region,” CAFB Wing Commander Colonel Samantha Weeks.

Since 2013, that growth has climbed 30%.

That’s $74 million.

“It is the people coming into the community and what we spend when we live off Base, when we shop for food off Base, or shop for the other life essentials that you need.”

Weeks said part of that growth is coming from an increase in jobs tied to the Base.

“Our maintenance contract is one of the contracts that we have that is very large over the last two years. We’ve also had to do construction projects on two of our three runways and that definitely has a significant impact on the economy in the region.”

Weeks said a nationwide shortage of Air Force pilots is not hurting the Columbus Base.

“Our mission is as a flying training wing is to produce the pilots. We like to say CREATE Pilots here, because we are molding something out of nothing to make it a military aviator and part of our profession of arms and so we will see an increase and the mission of our Base in the next few years, to meet that shortage and increase the production that we have.”

Weeks said the Base and community grow and thrive together.

She has seen firsthand the importance of that relationship.

Weeks grew up in a small area in upstate New York near a Military base.

“It actually closed in 1995, and so I lived through watching the what happens when a Military installation leaves a smaller town and so I love the fact that the Friendly City truly is that and the partnership between the Golden Triangle Region and the Columbus Air Force Base. It is one of the strongest that I have ever seen in my 22 years.”

The Base is undergoing some construction and quality of life improvements.

Some of that includes repaving parking lots, redoing runways, a new outside playground, and improvements to the Base’s fitness trail.