The Homestead Air Reserve Base Serves the Community

The Homestead Air Reserve Base (HARB) and the military and civilians that work there are an important part of the Homestead, Florida City, and South Dade community. Since its activation as the Homestead Army Air Field in September of 1942 the base has contributed not only to national security but to the economic and civic well-being of its hometown area.

This article will detail various impacts that HARB and other parts of the military presence have on our area. The 482nd Fighter Wing is designated the host unit for HARB. That means that the 482nd ‘s commander, currently Colonel Joshua Padgett, as well as being responsible for the Wing’s training, readiness, and operations is in civilian terms the mayor and landlord for the base and all the units and organizations that call it home.

The 482nd Fighter Wing and HARB are complex organizations with wide-ranging missions. Most visible to South Floridians are the 29 F-16s belonging to the 93rd Fighter Squadron. To keep them flying with individuals trained, and ready to deploy, units within the Wing and the Base provide maintenance, supplies, fuel, ammunition, food, security, fire/rescue support, and aerial port (cargo) operations.

As well, HARB hosts 11 tenant organizations including Special Operations Command South, Customs and Border Protection, a US Coast Guard Maritime Safety and Security Team, and a Detachment of F-15 fighters from the Florida Air National Guard.

The contribution of the military to the area’s economy is large. A fact sheet published by HARB earlier this year gives some of the relevant numbers. It identifies the number of employees at 3000 who mostly live in the surrounding communities. That number includes around 1300 Reserve Airmen who drill monthly.

For 2022, an estimated $379 million flowed into the local economy. The fact sheet provides the following: “HARB’s total payroll for FY2022 is in excess of $276 million. The estimated number of indirect jobs created is more than 1,600 valued at about $102 million.” These indirect jobs are jobs supported by the dollars spent in retail establishments such as stores, restaurants, car dealers, and many more. It also includes services such as childcare, rent, and auto repair.

The fact sheet also calls out additional direct dollars flowing into the local economy for “Auto fleet maintenance, linen, and laundry service, purchases from local beverage distributors, grounds maintenance, and contracted electrical, painting, and plumbing work.” The numbers are even larger when all units and organizations at HARB are considered.

In a press release, District 9 County Commissioner McGhee said, “The Homestead Air Reserve Base is important to the Miami-Dade County economy, particularly that of South Dade because it contributes 4,700 direct and indirect jobs, nearly $400 million in direct expenditures each year, and more than an estimated $800 million in total economic benefits when indirect impacts are considered.”

In addition to these “every day” economic impacts by HARB and its tenant organizations there are also significant dollars generated by visiting units and individuals. Wings Over Homestead, the airshow held every 2 years by HARB, brought in an estimated 140,000 spectators and also hundreds of exhibitors and participants who stayed in local hotels and ate in local restaurants.

Another example is the US Army’s Golden Knights Parachute Demonstration Team who will be training for several months at HARB while staying in local lodging and spending in local businesses. Over and above the economic impact of the military presence is its civic and community impact.

Associated with HARB are Reserve, National Guard, and Active-Duty Members, DOD Civilians, Contractors, and Dependents. Another part of the military presence is Military Veterans and their families. These groups are our neighbors and many of them are active in our schools, civic organizations, businesses, and local government.

US Census Bureau data and projections tell us that Military Veterans currently make up about 3.6 % of the Homestead area population. However, in looking at Census data from 2017, the last available year, around 17.5 % of employer firms in the area were owned by Veterans who at that time made up only 2.2% of the population.

This outsized effect of the military presence is mirrored in the Homestead City Council where Councilwoman Erica Avila’s husband is a pilot at HARB and Councilman Tom Davis is a recently retired Air Force Reserve Officer who served at HARB. Regularly, the News Leader will be bringing you stories about the people, units, and organizations at HARB and other nearby locations, Military Veterans, and other people associated with the military in our community.