LITTLE ROCK (KFSM) — Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced the forming of an initiative aimed to support the state’s military installations, according to a press release from his office.
The release stated that Hutchinson has committed $400,000 in funding to establish a statewide organization and commissioning an economic impact analysis.
“The nation’s military presence in Arkansas through our bases and our defense contractors plays a vital role, not only in the defense of our country, but also in the economic stability of our state,” Hutchinson said in the release. “We have several groups around the state who have an interest in seeing our military prosper, and this pro-active initiative will allow us to combine our strengths and pursue common objectives and opportunities. I’m proud of the steering committee we’ve assembled and challenge them with directing this initiative successfully.”
The organization, called the Governor’s Military Affairs Committee, will set short-and long-term objectives for the military installations, the release stated. The committee will include both private and public leaders around the state.
The release listed four objectives of the committee:
- Grow and protect the state’s military installations, utilization and missions
- Advocate at state and federal levels on behalf of state and local economic developmental interests
- Position Arkansas as a priority state in the national defense plan
- Appoint a public-private partnership steering committee to accomplish short-term and organizational goals
