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Eglin Air Force Base Strategic Partnering Initiative - January 1996

Introduction
The Florida State University Department of Urban and Regional Planning is pleased to present this working paper for the Eglin Air Force Base Strategic Partnership Initiative. This report was prepared by a team of twelve graduate students in the Master of Science in Planning Program under the direction of two faculty members: Gary Cornell, the Planner in Residence, and Jim May, Senior Research Associate in the Homer Hoyt Center for Land Economics and Real Estate.

The project was carried out on behalf of the Air Force Development Test Center Requirements Directorate (AFDTC/DR), Eglin AFB, Florida. AFDTC/DR has responsibility for coordinating Eglin's long-range planning with governments in the region as well as determining the impacts of local government plans on the mission of Eglin Air Force Base (EAFB). Eglin's continued military value is highly dependent upon the ability of its assigned organizations to perform their current and future weapons testing missions.

A new generation of precision guided weapons with higher levels of strike accuracy is changing the way the Air Force is meeting our nation's air-to-surface munitions needs. Operation Desert Storm underscored this direction, as a second generation of "smart weapons" - developed and tested at Eglin Air Force Base - made the difference in brining the conflict to an early end. As still newer technology is being developed at EAFB, it is the vision of the AFDTC to become the world's premiere test center for munitions.

Support from the civilian community has long been key to Eglin's ability to perform its mission. In the future, as the community grows and Eglin's mission changes, this partnership will become even more critical. For without cooperative strategic planning and strong intergovernmental coordination, the rapidly growing community could encroach on Eglin's reservation to the point that some missions could be lost to other ranges. Such mission losses could result in substantial adverse economic impact. Likewise, any range development in a manner incompatible with adjacent land use could impact the civilian community. Therefore, it is vitally important that Eglin and local government officials work together as a team.

Discussions with local community leaders clearly show that they share an interest in maintaining the high military value of EAFB, the area's largest employer. Maintaining Eglin's military value to the Department of Defense in the context of continued growth of the surrounding communities requires joint Air Force and community cooperation. Scope of Project The goal of this project is to improve familiarity of base personnel with the structures and procedures of local, regional and state government planning agencies in surrounding communities. Improving communications and coordination with these agencies will improve the base's strategic planning and enable base personnel to be more effective in taking part or intervening in public decision-making processes which affect the base.