Scott AFB Impact is $3 Billion

The Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois this week released the findings of a recent study conducted in partnership with Civic Progress and the Regional Business Council to measure the current impact that Scott Air Force Base (AFB) has on surrounding communities and the St. Louis metropolitan area. The findings reveal that the total annual impact of Scott AFB on the region now tops $3 billion, up from $2.1 billion in 2001, with 136,399 people economically benefitting from the base.

U.S. Congressman Jerry Costello, a tireless supporter of Scott Air Force Base, welcomed the study's findings. "It's clear from this report that Scott AFB is not only one of our nation's most important military facilities, it is the primary economic engine for our region, supporting numerous businesses and tens of thousands of jobs," he said.

Not only has Scott AFB held onto its ranking as the third largest employer in the St. Louis metropolitan region, but it has also added new missions as a result of the consolidation that followed the last BRAC. As the host unit at Scott AFB, the 375th Air Mobility Wing today supports United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), Headquarters Air Mobility Command (AMC), Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC), Headquarters 18th Air Force, and the Air Force Global Logistics Support Center (AFMC). In addition, Scott is home to the 932nd Airlift Wing of the Air Force Reserve Command and the 126th Air Refueling Wing of the Illinois National Guard. Through these commands, every United States military transportation operation is controlled and monitored by Scott AFB, from deploying troops for national defense or disaster relief efforts, to transporting the President of the United States.

"With the current budget concerns pointing to the potential for more defense spending cuts in the future, it is important for our region's leadership to remain fully informed of the critical role that Scott AFB plays in protecting our nation and what a powerful economic engine the Base continues to be for our region," said Gerry Schuetzenhofer, President of the Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois and chairman of its Military Affairs Committee. "Through the local efforts to protect Scott AFB during the last round of Base Realignment and Closure, we all gained a better understanding of its role as home to many of the military's most important commands, however, in the wake of the vast changes in national defense and the growth at Scott AFB over the past decade, we wanted to determine how significantly the base's overall impact on our region might have changed."

While the base acts as the central nervous system of the U.S. military, ultimately, it also is the heart of this region. The ripple effect as Scott AFB delivers its vital services has a profound and positive effect on jobs, housing, education, individual communities and a variety of businesses within the greater St. Louis metropolitan area.

People and Jobs
A total of 136,399 are economically impacted by Scott Air Force Base. This includes 13,020 direct jobs (active duty, civilian and guard and reservists), 18,314 military retirees living in the St. Louis region and receiving benefits (an increase of 30 percent since 2001); 25,531 indirect jobs (employees of businesses that supply goods and services to the base); and 79,534 dependants (active duty, guard and reserve, civilian and retiree dependants.)

With 31,334 individuals directly dependent on Scott AFB for their jobs or retirement benefits, the base has an annual payroll of almost $1.3 billion. The total payroll is the estimated annual dollar value of jobs provided or created by Scott AFB, plus retiree benefits. The 25,531 indirect jobs that are attributable to Scott generate an additional $1.1 billion in payroll, bringing the total payroll impact of the base to almost $2.4 billion.

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