Another reason to invest in Montgomery AL

[Robb Colley]

• Military & DOD
• In Montgomery, the military community contributes an estimated $2.6 billion to the local economy annually and represents 68,473 people (nearly 20% of our population). This number represents active duty military, students in/at Air University, AF Reserve, National Guard, DOD civilians, military contractors, military retirees and all their family members in the greater Montgomery Metro Area.

  Both Maxwell and Maxwell-Gunter AFB play major roles in the Air Force’s and our entire military’s cyber defense and cyber strategies efforts, and the effects of this spill over the bases’ borders into the rest of the area. The Defense Information Systems Agency Datacenter, located on Maxwell-Gunter, stores all of the electronic medical records for the entire Department of Defense. It is the largest Oracle database in the world. It is also one of only two military cloud datac enters for all of the DOD. Plus, the Program Executive Office for Business Enterprise Systems develops, acquires and sustains all of the applications for the Air Force globally, and the 26th Network Operations Squadron operates and defends the Air Force network worldwide.

  Maxwell AFB, the City of Montgomery, ans the Montgomery County Commission are participants in the Smart City/Smart Base initiative. Maxwell is the only military base in the nation to be designated a Smart Base in a pilot program with AT&T.

  In addition to being home to the Montgomery Regional Airport, Dannelly Field is the location of the Alabama Air National Guard. The 187th Fighter Wing is home to the 100th Fighter Squadron, which is one of the original Tuskegee units — the famous Red Tails.

  Continuing the legacy, Montgomery will be getting a coveted fleet of F-35s that will be "bedding down" with the Historic 187th Fighter Wing. Brig. Gen. Randy Efferson, Chief of Staff Air National Guard, enthusiastically explained how winning the F-35 program will help continue the important legacy of the Red Tails. “The 187th Fighter Wing is home to the 100th Fighter Squadron, which is one of the original Tuskegee units dedicated to flying African Americans in combat fighter aircraft,” he said. “This is a very important and immeasurable legacy for the State of Alabama. Receiving the F-35 ensures this legacy for the next half-century.”

• article from the Montgomery Chamber