Davis-Monthan Vital Part of County Economy

By Ramón Valadez
Pima County Supervisor, District 2

Commissioned by the U.S. Army in 1940, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base is the largest military installation in Pima County. These also include the Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Fighter Wing at Tucson International Airport, and just across the Pinal County line is the U.S. Army Silverbell Heliport at Pinal Air Park.

The economic benefit DMAFB and the other military installations in the county provide to our region cannot be overstated. DM alone has an estimated annual economic impact of up to $1.5 billion. We must do everything we can to protect and preserve our military installations in the county, especially Davis-Monthan.

But our community’s relationship with DM is not all about economics or just a one-way street. The airmen and civilians at DMAFB are vital participants in our community, supporting local events and charities, volunteering for nonprofits, and serving on public boards and commissions. They are often the first to step up in times of crisis even before being called to do so.
I serve on the state’s Military Affairs Commission, which works with the state’s communities and military installations to provide advice to the state Legislature and Governor about issues involving military facilities in Arizona. Last year, the Commission provided funds from the state’s Military Installation Fund to help pay for improvements to DM’s Wilmot gate, which helped relieve congestion at its main Craycroft Road gate.

The gate improvement was a Pima County initiative and I’m very proud to say that Pima County is a regional leader in the effort to remove any problems or barriers for DM to remain an active military base. Keeping DM viable into the future will require a regional effort and Pima County leads the way.

County assistance to DM ranges from protections against development encroachment to job training and placement assistance for separating military personnel. Nearly every county department plays some role in assisting the base in accomplishing its mission.

Protecting our military bases also is a major part of the county’s Economic Development Plan, which the Board of Supervisors endorsed earlier this month.

There are no guarantees that the military will always have a presence in Pima County and Tucson, but as long as it does, we should endeavor to ensure it only has good reasons to keep its bases open and operating.
I’m proud of Pima County’s leadership supporting our region’s military installations and believe Tucson will remain a military town far into the future.