Red River Army Depot Adds Economically to State

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Courtesy of Pixabay

Red River makes a huge impact locally, and a substantial one across the state of Texas.

Here is the Press Release from the City of Texarkana Texas:

Governor Greg Abbott announced Monday the results of a study completed by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts at the request of the Texas Military Preparedness Commission (TMPC) analyzing the impact on the state’s economy of the various U.S. military installations within Texas.

The Comptroller estimates these military installations contributed at least $123.6 billion to the Texas economy in 2019 and supported more than 630,000 jobs in communities across the state.

Red River Army Depot is credited with providing 10,566 jobs and an economic impact totaling $1,718,185,000 in 2019.

“We’ve been working for a long time to ensure that RRAD is in a good position to withstand any changes that come our way from the federal government and supply and demand needs across the globe,” Dennis Lewis, Commissioner on the Texas Military Preparedness Commission appointed by the Governor, said. “A few volunteers in this community have been working behind the scenes for a long time to ensure that we retain jobs, prepare for workload shifts, and are in a good position should another BRAC ever come along. Red River Army Depot is one of the largest economic drivers for our region, and it is imperative we continue to work to protect and grow this sector of our local industrial base. A loss of more than 10,000 jobs (direct and indirect) would cripple our local economy and directly affect our quality of life.”

“The local Military Affairs group is committed to doing what is within our sphere of influence to protect the depot and local defense industry,” Lewis said. “We work tirelessly to educate our community leaders, State and Federal legislators, and advocate on key issues of importance for Red River Army Depot. This economic impact study is an important piece of proving the worth and value of RRAD to, not only our community, but the state’s economy. Our region is blessed to have RRAD and state leaders who know the importance of it.”

“Texas is the proud home to 15 military installations and the U.S. Army Futures Command,” said Governor Abbott. “Not only are these military installations critical for the defense of our nation, they support more than 630,000 jobs in communities across this great state and are a key driver of the Texas economy. Now more than ever, these jobs add critical stability for communities focused on economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic. That is why I will continue to work with the Texas Legislature and TMPC to ensure that military installations in Texas keep adding unmatched value for our nation.”

“The military installations in Texas are a vital contribution to our strategic national defense and provide a significant economic impact on the entire state economy,” said Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar. “In most cases these bases and the men and women who work there are the lifeblood of their communities – supporting local businesses, buying homes and creating the fabric of their neighborhoods. But the economic impact can be felt by every Texan and supports jobs in a wide variety of industries and sectors of the state economy. I applaud the Governor’s efforts to ensure continued support for these important installations.”

The Comptroller’s economic impact analysis represents a conservative estimate of the economic importance of Red River Army Depot to Texas. Each installation’s distinctive characteristics contribute to the Texas economy in different ways. This analysis uses a consistent model to determine the economic impact of each of the state’s military installations to the state’s economic growth.

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