Forida commanders visit Eglin to speak with state officials

  • Published
  • By Samuel King Jr.
  • Team Eglin Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Officials from more than 15 different military bases and every branch of service converged here Feb. 24 to discuss issues with representatives from the Florida state government. 

"This forum is a tremendous opportunity to have a candid dialogue with our state lawmakers and to have specific issues about our military installations heard by the right people," said Robin Bailey, 96th Air Base Wing director of staff. 

Dr. Dale Brill, Director of the Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development, led the day-long discussion which covered a variety of issues. Chief among them were transportation priorities, employment, housing, environmental education and community affairs. 

The objectives of the forum were three-fold according to Dr. Brill: celebrate the bases dedication and commitment to the state, commit to candid conversation from the group and dedicate the group to solving the issues brought to the discussion. 

"We have a huge opportunity to listen to the issues and know what the challenges are for our state," said Dr. Brill. 

After the formal opening remarks, each installation representative provided an update on their respective base, outlining specific issues. Trends formed on the topics raised. Encroachment, transportation, quality of life and housing were items raised by almost every installation. Many were in favor of a mass transportation system for the communities to alleviate traffic, parking, and road wear problems. 

Another concern brought up was state certification requirements for jobs such as accounting, teaching and nursing. A few installations were experiencing problems due to the housing market and the fact that some military members renting homes were forced to move out due to owner foreclosure. Encroachment was a major issue; however, commanders from Naval Air Station Pensacola and Whiting Field shared success stories on the issue. 

Following the updates, the group broke up into smaller groups to addressing transportation quality of life and encroachment. 

At the end of the forum, Col. Bruce McClintock, 96th Air Base Wing commander, recommended installation envoys and state representatives meet quarterly to stay on top of the issues addressed. The next meeting was tentatively scheduled for May in Tallahassee, Fla. 

"This signifies positive growth and communication between the installations and our state government," said the colonel. "Now it's time to do the legwork and find solutions to make our bases and our state better."