Beshear creates BRAC task force
Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear has created a Task Force on Military Base Realignment to augment state preparations resulting from the 2005 Department of Defense Base Realignment and Closure recommendations.
"The 2005 BRAC Task Force did a good job outlining the needs to be addressed in order to take advantage of this great opportunity," Beshear said in a news release. "This new group will help implement the federal government's BRAC transformation undertaking in Kentucky."
The task force is designed to meet specific needs in categories such as:
- Transportation;
- Economic development;
- Community water and sewer availability;
- Educational demands created by an influx of new residents;
- Area planning;
- Coordination among affected parties;
- Information/data exchange and processing;
- Work-force development.
"By composition, the new arrangement will provide ongoing expertise to local communities affected by BRAC," Beshear said. "It also assures greater connection with The Kentucky Commission on Military Affairs, which played a major role in bringing BRAC programs to this stage in our commonwealth and to our affected military bases."
Beshear will be chairman of the task force. Other members include the secretaries of the Economic Development, Transportation and Education cabinets or their designees payday loans lenders.
Also included are the state's adjutant general, the executive director and chairman of the Kentucky Commission on Military Affairs, the executive director of the Lincoln Trail Area Development District, representation from Louisville and the Fort Campbell area, and the executive director of One Knox — an agency created by government and business leaders to support growth resulting from the BRAC initiative.
For Kentucky, the greatest degree of activity regarding mission changes and an influx of military and civilian employees with their families will occur at Fort Knox. But BRAC also can extend into the Fort Campbell area, depending on DOD decisions, the release said.
Although exact figures are not definite, the positive impact on Kentucky is enormous, according to the release. Although the Armor School at Fort Knox is realigned to Fort Benning, Ga., and the Naval Surface Warfare Center is realigned to Picatinny, N.J., Kentucky receives a number new personnel and commands.
State economic gains will result from supplemental DOD personnel arriving at Fort Knox. Thousands of military and high-salaried professional positions are anticipated along with $1 billion in construction, according to the release. As many as 7,000 family members are expected move to Kentucky.
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