business backgrounder | economy
For the Common Good
The military presence in Washington
Richard S. Davis
As Congress and military leaders wrestle with decisions about downsizing bases, Washington state officials are
raising awareness about the military’s impact on the state economy.
Ask Kristiné Reeves about the importance of the military and defense industry to our state and she recites the benefits like
a catechism: $13 billion of Department of Defense (DoD) spending in contracts and payroll; 1,900 companies doing business
on behalf of DoD, and 112,000 employees spread across 35 counties. There’s more, but it’s clear: The industry touches every
part of community and economic life in Washington, representing more than 3.2 percent of the state Gross Domestic Product.
The six major military installations here are:
• Joint Base Lewis-McChord
• Naval Base Kitsap
• Naval Air Station Whidbey Island
• Naval Station Everett
• Fairchild Air Force Base
• Washington National Guard
A 2012 study commissioned by Gov.
— Rich Hadley, president emeritus of Greater Spokane Incorporated and
Chris Gregoire, “Retaining and Expanding
AWB’s representative on the Washington Military Alliance
Military Missions,” also includes the
U.S. Coast Guard (not DoD but part of the
Department of Homeland Security), two Department of Energy facilities pursuing training and research that supports DoD,
and the University of Washington’s Applied Physics Laboratory that performs research
for the Navy.
The table shows the economic impact of each installation as reported in the
Retaining report.
at a glance
“People who are leading companies in the state should
be more aware of [the significant] statewide impact of
the military and what it means to the economy and to
all of the companies that contract with the military.”
Washington state is home to six major
military installations and Department
of Defense contracts support 112,000
employees in 35 counties.
Last fall, Gov. Jay Inslee reinstituted
the Washington Military Alliance,
an advisory group made up of major
businesses and trade organizations
with ties to the defense industry.
Members of the alliance work
closely with a subcabinet on military
downsizing that Inslee established in
June as part of “all-hands-on-deck”
effort to make the case for keeping
service members in Washington.
34 association of washington business
Installation
Economic Impact
Joint Base Lewis-McChord
$6.1 billion
Naval Base Kitsap
$6.1 billion
Naval Air Station Whidbey
$592 million
Naval Station Everett
$475 million
Fairchild Air Force Base
$461 million
Camp Murray,
Washington National Guard
$520 million
Data from “Retaining and Expanding Military Missions,” pages 42, 52, 62, 70, 78, and 84