Thursday, August 13, 1998

Plans at Dyess promise hope in tough times

This week's announcement by U.S. Rep. Charles Stenholm's office that the activation of a third B-1 squadron at Dyess Air Force Base is back on schedule would be great news even in soaring economic conditions. During the Abilene area's current economic downturn, the word from Washington is like a godsend.

Frankly, times are tough here right now. With the price of oil at a 12-year low and no quick reversal in sight, layoffs have begun throughout the Big Country's oil patch. In addition, summer's drought has had a brutal impact on area agriculture and will continue to affect Big Country communities through the coming months. The U.S. Agriculture Department reported Wednesday, for example, that the nation's cotton crop will be down by 24 percent, and cotton is a major Big Country money-maker.

The decision in Washington - which Stenholm helped broker with valuable assistance from U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison - to move forward with the stalled plan for Dyess offers hope on the horizon, improving the future prospects for Dyess and also for its economic contribution to the local economy.

First, the project calls for almost $15 million in base construction, which will begin this month. Then the 13th Bomb Squadron will take off in 2000 as a training squadron with 282 people and funding for two more B-1s. By 2004, the 13th will evolve into a combat-ready squadron with six B-1s funded and 432 airmen, for whom Congress has approved $20 million in additional housing at Dyess.

Those new people could pump more than $20 million into the local economy, and that estimate doesn't take into account the potential benefit to local building contractors.

The crucial role Dyess plays in Abilene's economy and that of the whole Big Country can't be overlooked or dismissed. While many military communities are struggling with implemented or anticipated reductions in force, actions such as this point toward an increasing role for Dyess in the future. That's good news for now and good news for the next century.