GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Senior leaders from Goodfellow Air Force Base and civic leaders from the City of San Angelo and across Texas rallied together in celebration of a $5.2 million infrastructure upgrade, from a Defense Economic Adjustment Assistance Grant awarded by the state of Texas, Aug. 3.
The DEAAG program funded five new infrastructures across the base. They included: a covered outdoor military working dog structure, a fire vehicle pad, an outdoor covered Alpha warrior pad, a new joint response sampling trailer and an astroturf physical training pad.
These new infrastructures accelerate change by vastly improving service members’ quality of life while also modernizing resources to facilitate mission achievement.
The MWD pad unites the expert training that 17th Security Forces Squadron MWD handlers conduct with the mission demands of deployed locations. These modernized training facilities enhance the lethality of MWD assets, by facilitating more training time within a sheltered facility.
The relentless civic leaders’ efforts helped secure the grant, a testament to the strong and decades long relationship Goodfellow has with the local community. The base could not have received the funding without the help of San Angelo civic leaders.
“The generosity of the city, the county, and the great state of Texas, really have a huge impact on the quality of life and what we can execute here,” said Col. Matthew Reilman, 17th Training Wing commander. “Thank you for this investment. The entire community collectively shapes the defense of our nation.”
In addition to the local community advocating for the DEAAG program, Goodfellow provides economic stimulus for the community.
Goodfellow supports nearly 24,000 jobs and has a total economic impact of $580 million in Tom Green County.
“All great things happen when people come together and join hands to improve this community,” said City of San Angelo Mayor, Brenda Gunter. “We are lucky here in San Angelo because we have a community that believes and understands the values and importance of Goodfellow Air Force Base.”
Through innovative approaches and strong community relationships, Goodfellow graduates over 14,000 intelligence and fire protection service members each year and a supports a population of over 12,000.