A pilot from the 74th Fighter Squadron taxis an A-10C Thunderbolt II
to the runway Aug. 30, 2019, at Moody Air Force Base, Ga.
(U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Eugene Oliver)
The payroll for Moody’s uniformed
personnel in 2018 was $278,893,213, while
the civilian payroll was $35,635,104, ac-
cording to figures provided by the base.
Construction costs that year came to
just more than $50 million, while the cost
for materials, supplies and equipment was
$59,935,151.
The 2018 analysis estimates that 2,519
jobs were indirectly created by the base,
with an average annual salary of $36,910.
The total estimated value of the jobs creat-
ed was $92,976,290.
Annual expenditures for Moody
in 2018 totaled $122,572,644.
In all, the base’s eco-
nomic impact in 2018
was estimated at
$749,926,717, which included more than
$192 million in retiree pay.
Like VSU, Moody’s impact extends
beyond the dollar sign. In 1991, the Base
Realignment and Closure Commission put
Moody on a preliminary list of facilities
suggested for closure as a cost-cutting mea-
sure.
Faced with the possible closure of one
of the county’s major economic engines, a
coalition of local leaders worked success-
fully to convince the commission to remove
the base from the closure list. Local leaders
proved to the commission that much of the
data the Air Force had used in evaluating
Moody was incorrect or outdated.
“The cost of Moody Air Force Base’s
closure would be greater than the econom-
ic impact of the base,” Tori said. “Many
service men and women return to the
greater Valdosta area after retiring from the
Air Force, which leads to economic
activity above the economic
impact of the base
itself.”
The 2018 analysis estimates that 2,519
jobs were indirectly created by the
base, with an average annual salary of
$36,910. The total estimated value of
the jobs created was $92,976,290.
Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce | Trendsetters
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