Military
Base, Camps Combine for Over $830 Million Annual Economic Impact
The home of Combat Airlift is at Little Rock Air Force Base located in Jacksonville, 17 miles north of Little Rock. The base is the world's premier C-130 base - deploying and training the world's best Combat Airlifters.
The base consists of the 19th Airlift Wing, which is the host unit reporting to Air Mobility Command, and the 314th Airlift Wing that reports to Air Education and Training Command. Additionally, the base is home to the Arkansas National Guard's 189th Airlift Wing which also reports to Air Education and Training Command.
Little Rock Air Force Base opened in October 1955. The base consists of more than 6,000 acres and one runway. The base population of more than 5,000 active-duty military and civilian members and about 5,500 family members live and work on and around the base.
The 19th Airlift Wing is composed of four flying squadrons - the 41st, 50th, 53rd and 61st Airlift Squadrons. The 41st is the Air Force's first active-duty combat-ready C-130J squadron. These squadrons are operational and deploy throughout the world.
The 314th Airlift Wing is comprised of two C-130 flying squadrons - the 48th and 62nd Airlift Squadrons which train C-130 crew members from all branches of the service and the U.S. Coast Guard, as well as students from allied nations. Students receive training in all five C-130 crew positions - pilot, copilot, navigator, flight engineer and loadmaster. The wing is also responsible for C-21 pilot training, which is accomplished by the 45th Airlift Squadron, a tenant unit located at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi.
The 189th Airlift Wing works in conjunction with the 314th Airlift Wing to provide C-130 instructor pilot and loadmaster training. In times of emergency as declared by the governor of Arkansas, the 189th AW performs the state mission as directed by the state adjutant general. The base's total economic impact for Arkansas in FY2007 was in excess of $580 million.
The base's annual economic impact for Arkansas is in excess of $580 million.
Chamber President & CEO Jay Chesshir serves as president of the Little Rock Air Force Base Community Council.
Camp Joseph T. Robinson
Headquarters for the State Military Department and the Arkansas National Guard's Joint Force Headquarters, this 32,800-acre site located in North Little Rock provides training facilities and weapons ranges for all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces and civil law enforcement agencies. With nearly 10,500 citizen Soldiers and Airmen across the state, the Arkansas National Guard has a total annual economic impact of more than $250 million.
For more information, Jay Chesshir, CCE (President & CEO), 501.377.6002.