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Fairchild leaders meet with legislative staffers, discuss economic impact

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Sam Fogleman
  • 92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  Team Fairchild hosted two distinguished visitors, each a representative of a statewide political officeholder, for a question and answer session and tour Jan. 14.

Kristiné Reeves, Washington State Department of Commerce military and defense sector director, and John Culton, U.S. Senator Patty Murray's Eastern Washington director, came to Fairchild to gain insight about the economic impact of the base, and what the location means to their office's constituencies and the community at large.

The visitors were briefed on the specifics of the base's operations in terms of the relationship between the 92nd and 141st Air Refueling Wings, as well as the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape aspect of Fairchild.

"I'm trying to help the state understand from a larger picture," Reeves told Fairchild's leadership. "You generate a much larger impact than folks are giving you credit for."

The impact of sequestration and budgetary challenges were a major part of the conversation the visitors had with base leadership.

"This has hit a lot of us like a cold shower in the last year," said Col. Brian Newberry, 92nd Air Refueling Wing commander, during the discussion of sequestration. "We need to prepare more for these austere times."

Following the question and answer session at base headquarters, the group proceeded with a tour of the major facilities around Fairchild, including the Airman & Family Readiness Center and the SERE side of the base.

Reeves said that the governor's office would love to help articulate the message of Fairchild's contribution to the community.

Base leaders communicate periodically with state and federal decision makers in order to help them make informed decisions.