Indiana’s state of readiness: Investing in our military future
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While the United States was engaged in Middle East operations during the Global War on Terror between 2001-2021, China focused on scaling its warfighting capacity by producing aircraft, warships, submarines, and missiles at breakneck speed and in massive numbers. Today, the United States military is playing catch up and working tirelessly to prepare for the high-end fight against a peer competitor. This requires an effort like the U.S. response during World War II.
In our nation’s first State of the Union Address, President George Washington said, “To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.” While DoD has focused on producing U.S. weapons platforms and capabilities, our military installations have been neglected. Indiana should pursue avenues, like other defense-friendly states, which can assist our aged military installation infrastructure to better support our warfighters.
From Fort Wayne’s 122nd Fighter Wing to Naval Support Activity Crane, Camp Atterbury to Grissom Air Reserve Base, our nationally recognized defense, composed of military and federal employees, defense-industry professionals, and academia are doing their part to ensure that our military remains strong. However, we as Hoosiers should do more.
The Sagamore Institute reports Indiana has more than 61,000 defense jobs. The Hoosier defense ecosystem contributed $6.5 billion to the Indiana economy in 2023. Many U.S. states with a defense presence have a state-level government entity dedicated to sustaining military missions, which focus on opportunities for future mission growth. A review of sixteen states found that most have defense offices and/or funds dedicated to at least one of three primary areas: military base infrastructure, defense community assistance, and the defense industry.
Currently, Indiana does not have such a state program. When compared to other states, Indiana’s lack of policies and funding dedicated to Hoosier military bases and their future military relevance is less than ideal. Without establishing new policies or dedicated funding, this key part of Indiana’s economy could be at risk.
The number of states willing to invest in fixing infrastructure in and around military facilities has increased steadily in recent years. Many states have realized that supporting their military installations brings a massive influx of direct economic impact, via paychecks and focused spending on projects which benefit their community. This has caused many states to take a proactive support role, with Bond programs ranging from $40 million to $350 million. State military affairs office annual budgets ranging from $5 million to $8 million, and one state has established a $200 million revolving loan program. These states could provide a blueprint for Indiana to follow.
The Connecticut Office of Military Affairs promotes and coordinates state-wide activities that enhance the life of military personnel while strengthening the military presence in Connecticut. Connecticut has a $40 million program which provides support to installation infrastructure which directly results in increased military value to its base, which in turn is responsible for $4 billion of economic impact yearly to Connecticut.
In the last four years Michigan and Mississippi established similar offices focused on defense to strengthen and expand military missions within their states, bringing increased DoD spending, and improved defense communities outside their installations.
Florida’s Office of Military and Defense manages grant programs to streamline business and economic development efforts, provide support for military families, and protects military installations. Furthermore, the Florida Defense Infrastructure Grant Program supports up to $6 million in infrastructure projects which support military installations and surrounding communities.
Future DoD funding will change in response to the global environment. In turn DoD will look across the country to evaluate which missions are most critical to our nation. The future of Indiana’s military footprint depends on decisions made in Washington D.C. Those installations with high functioning facilities and supported infrastructures will likely be more valuable and become, or remain, a relevant part of the DoD’s future portfolio, likely to attract future missions and additional personnel into those communities.
Conversely, those installations in need of substantial investment or those containing degraded infrastructure are unlikely to be selected for new mission sets and could face a reduced mission scope. In a fiscally constrained defense environment, this can even lead to installation closures.
For many reasons, numerous states have decided to provide direct infrastructure and community support to avoid a much more costly scenario – losing the jobs and economic impact provided by their military installations and defense jobs. Ultimately, it is these military installations which posture our nation for success in battle. By establishing a dedicated defense investment program, Indiana will send a clear signal to the DoD that our state and our Hoosiers intend to remain a vital part of the nation’s defense.