Military
The Spokane region is home to
Fairchild Air Force Base,home of the 92nd Air Refueling Wing – the largest air refueling wing west of the Rocky Mountains. Fairchild’s location, 12 miles west of Spokane, resulted from a competition with the cities of Seattle and Everett in western Washington. The War Department chose Spokane for several reasons: better weather conditions, the location 300 miles from the coast, and the Cascades Mountain range providing a natural barrier against possible Japanese attack.
Fairchild Air Force Base is the largest single location employer in our region with more than 5,500 employees. The economics of our region are significantly impacted by a combination of military payroll, local purchases and construction dollars of the various military units here. The combined annual military budget for operations and maintenance, construction and capital improvements, and payroll brings the military’s contribution to over $647 million directly to the Spokane regional economy. Using the federal multiplier, the economic impact to our area is over $972 million per year.
For these and many other reasons too numerous to mention in this briefing, Greater Spokane Incorporated and community partners that make-up the Inland Northwest, continually support the missions and personnel of Fairchild Air Force Base and the military units that serve our nation from our region.
Forward Fairchild
Greater Spokane Incorporated, with its members, created Forward Fairchild to defend and advocate for Fairchild Air Force Base during the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure process; expand – evaluate the infrastructure in order to recruit new missions to FAFB; and engage – rally the community in support of our region’s #1 employer.
Operation Spokane Heroes
Operation Spokane Heroes is a cooperative partnership between the Greater Spokane Incorporated, the Spokane Regional Convention & Visitors Bureau, Global Credit Union, Northern Quest Casino and the Spokane Armed Services Community.
Men and women from every branch of the military are answering the call to protect the freedoms that make this nation great, but the call to action is not for them alone to answer. It is up to each of us to do our part to support our government, support our military, and perhaps more importantly, to support the families of those who have left for foreign soil.
Operation Spokane Heroes (OSH) is designed to help us, as a community, do just that. By showing our support to military families, whether it is by offering discounted goods and services or making a donation to the Operation Spokane Heroes Fund, we let them know their importance to the Spokane Region and our country.
To contribute to the Family Support Fund, contact the Family Support Center at (509) 247-3250. Military and family support is available for military personnel and their families by contacting the Family Support Line at (509) 247-3250 or (509) 247-2246.