Bring the F-35 to Selfridge ANGB
Macomb County understands the tremendous impact the military, our service members, their families, and veterans have on the State of Michigan. At the direction of County Executive, Mark Hackel, the Macomb County Department of Planning & Economic Development partnered with the Michigan Defense Center to perform a comparative economic analysis of the five candidate communities competing to be one oftwo Air National Guard beddown locations for the F-35A Lighting II aircraft.
The candidate locations are:
Selfridge ANGB,Detroit, MI
Dannelly Field,Montgomery, Alabama
Gowen Field,Boise, Idaho
Jacksonville ANGB,Jacksonville, Florida
Truax Field,Madison, Wisconsin
All Systems Go
Detroit Has the Experience
Employment Patterns – Detroit has nearly six times the number of defense sector jobs than the rest of the competition combined. Meaning Detroit has the necessary defense sector experience to support the F-35 mission at Selfridge from day one.
Detroit Makes More
Total Defense Sector Demand – Detroit meets 73% of its defense sector demand locally. The competing locations, on average, can only meet 20% of the defense sector demand. This indicates a vastly more mature market capable of supporting the F-35 at Selfridge.
Detroit Attracts the Best Talent
Earnings Potential – The average earnings of a defense worker in Detroit is at least 23% higher than its competition. Detroit’s defense cluster generates higher earnings due to its highly skilled labor. Because of this highly skilled workforce, Detroit is more than capable of supporting the requirements of an F-35 mission.
Detroit Can Fill the Need
Occupational Demand – The competition is currently struggling to fill the workforce needs of their defense industry. Detroit has 1.21 job openings per defense worker compared to the competition who maintain between 3.51 and 6.27, indicating a workforce that has the capacity and capability to fill the workforce demand generated by the F-35 mission at Selfridge.
Detroit is Ready to Go
Defense Contracts Awarded – Detroit leads all regions with nearly $2 billion in defense contracts annually. Detroit fulfills 33% more contracts than its closest rival. Detroit has the necessary defense infrastructure in place to support the F-35 mission at Selfridge today.
Detroit Values its Veterans
Veteran Population – With a large veteran population, Detroit has a more developed workforce with the required experience to service the defense sector. Detroit is home to 32% more veterans than competing locations, indicating its defense workforce and support for the military far surpass the rest.
Show Your Support
If you would like to show your support for basing the F-35 at Selfridge ANGB, click the button below to sign the petition!
