Mission growth is an increase in operations at a military installation. The 2005 BRAC process allowed DoD to reduce its infrastructure and cut costs by relocating certain operations to other installations. As a result, some military installations and their host communities will experience an increase in mission activity and local growth. An increase in military activity can strain a community's ability to reasonably accommodate the influx of military personnel and their families and can place excessive demands on essential community services and facilities. Along with solid information on the size and timing of the direct military changes, adequate funding to address community enhancements-such as widened roads and expanded public school facilities-is crucial for successfully managing growth.

• NGA Issue Brief: State Education Activities to Support Mission Growth
• NGA Issue Brief: State Workforce Activities to Support Mission Growth
• NGA Issue Brief: Organizing State Efforts to Respond to Mission Growth

Resources

• U.S. Department of Defense Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA)
  Growth Project Needs Assessment (PNA) August 2008 Snapshot: Identifying a Federal Funding Gap for Local Economic Adjustment Projects

The NGA Center leads a Mission Growth Working Group, which consists of states that are significantly impacted by the growth of military bases. The group includes state representatives appointed by the Governors from: Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, and Virginia. The group is co-chaired by state representatives from Georgia and Maryland.  The Working Group’s goal is to enhance the relationship between states, military communities, and military bases, with a particular focus on addressing growth issues outside the military fence line.

The federal government is the catalyst for the rapid and significant growth around the nation’s military bases, yet it provides limited support to help states impacted by the growth and few federal programs that specifically assist with growth efforts. As a result, states are trying to access federal programs and resources that were created to address very different challenges and often face qualifications and regulations that restrict their usage. However, a number of changes and realignments could help remedy this problem.

To alleviate the workforce development, education, and transportation burdens of impacted states, the Mission Growth Working Group has developed a list of recommendations for the federal government.  These recommendations were sent to Patrick O’Brien, Director of the Office of Economic Adjustment, Office of the Secretary of Defense.  In addition, Maryland Governor O’Malley and Georgia Governor Perdue sent letters to Larry Summers, Director of the National Economic Council, requesting that the administration act on the recommendations.

Below are links to the recommendations and letters:

• Working Group Recommendations (2/2009)
• Governor O’Malley Letter to Larry Summers (2/6/2009)
• Governor Perdue Letter to Larry Summers (2/19/2009)
• NGA Center Letter to DoD’s Office of Economic Adjustment (2/4/2009)