USD 400,000 in Defense Grants for Bay County

On June 30th, Governor Rick Scott announced that Bay County was awarded $280,000 through Florida’s Defense Reinvestment and Infrastructure Grant Programs.

The funding will be used to support and sustain Naval Support Activity Panama City and Tyndall Air Force Base, with its $2.6 billion in defense economic impact in Bay County. Governor Scott also announced that Bay County will receive $120,000 through the Florida Defense Support Task Force.

Governor Scott said, “We want Florida to be the most military-friendly state in the country, and these important investments helps us accomplish that goal. These grants will continue to ensure Bay County has all the necessary tools to support our military and create more jobs for Florida.”

“The Florida Defense Grants Programs are vital for our military and defense industry, and strengthen Florida’s workforce through the highly skilled former military personnel who enter the employment market each year. I am proud to play a part in supporting our military installations and communities, and appreciate what our service men and women do to protect our state,” said Bill Johnson, president & CEO of Enterprise Florida.

Bay County was one of eleven counties to receive a Defense Reinvestment Grant, which is designed to support relationships between military installations and their community. This $95,000 grant will help to protect Florida’s military installations, as well as promote economic diversification strategies in defense dependent communities.

The Defense Infrastructure Grant is awarded to local projects deemed to have a positive impact on the military value of the installation in addition to benefitting its community. This $185,000 grant will work to protect Tyndall Air Force Base through the implementation of an adaptive traffic signal system that will improve traffic flow and safety for commuters near the installation.

The grant provided by the Florida Defense Support Task Force will be used to conduct a feasibility study of dredging the turning basin to allow safe transit for larger Navy vessels at Naval Support Activity Panama City (NSA PC) to facilitate berthing of Littoral Combat Ships (LCS). The creation of a ship’s turning basin at NSA PC will allow for LCS Mine Warfare Module testing to be conducted entirely at NSA PC, saving the Navy both time and money and protecting the more than 27,000 jobs that the defense industry supports in this region.

“The Bay Defense Alliance appreciates the support from Governor Scott, Enterprise Florida and the Legislature. The Defense Reinvestment and Infrastructure grants provide vital assistance as we work to strengthen the missions and enhance the military value of our installations,” said Tom Neubauer, President, Bay Defense Alliance.

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Image: Florida Governor Rick Scott