SPEA research analyzes economic benefits of military training facilities

Preliminary results from a study by School of Public and Environmental Affairs graduate researchers revealed that Indiana counties housing military training complexes benefit economically from the presence of these facilities.

The study, led by SPEA professor Barry Rubin, examined four counties in south-central Indiana affected by the presence of the Indiana National Guard’s Atterbury-Muscatatuck Complex, which consists of Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center near Edinburgh, Ind., and Muscatatuck Urban Training Complex near Butlerville, Ind.

The University collaborated with the Indiana National Guard through the Indiana Complex Operations Partnership for the study, which will continue throughout the year.
The final report will be delivered in May 2013.

According to a press release, researchers noted that Bartholomew, Brown, Jennings and Johnson counties benefited from the job opportunities created by the facilities.
The facilities collectively employ about 2,500 people.

Hotels and restaurants also benefit from the presence of those facilities.
This summer, about 9,000 individuals traveled to Butlerville for a month-long training exercise. Those individuals, who consisted of soldiers and officers from various training facilities, stimulated the local economy by eating at local restaurants and staying in local hotels.

Some hotels were completely booked as a result of the training, according to a press release.

The training cost about $18 million, and about $6 million was spent locally.

“Dollars and cents cannot fully explain the impact of this National Guard location,” Rubin said. “Instead, I am encouraging a holistic approach in which all aspects of the bases’ interactions with the community are examined.”

Researchers will also examine the non-economic benefits of these military facilities.
Soldiers from the Atterbury-Muscatatuck Complex often contribute to the communities in which they train by completing community service.

“Not only can a value be placed on the hours of service, but there is also value to this type of social capital for surrounding counties,” Rubin said.

The research will make way for a graduate capstone course next semester that will finalize and refine data.

Students in the research course will then present their findings to the Indiana National Guard during a final presentation.

— Kirsten Clark