Buckley pumps over $1 billion into local community Published Jan. 16, 2008 BUCKLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Buckley Air Force Base pumped over $1 billion into the Aurora and Denver communities during fiscal year 2007, which marked the base's fourth year for doing so. Buckley put $1,086,100,251 into the economy in 2007 and $1,090,906,789 in 2006. "Our budget has been relatively stable over the last couple of years," 460th Space Wing Commander Col. Wayne McGee said, "even with the Air Force downsizing in personnel and money going to the Global War on Terror." According to the 460th Comptroller Squadron's FY07 Economic Impact Report, $624,111,701 of the budget went toward Buckley's annual payroll, which finances 12,608 jobs. Another $330,570,240 funded 6,149 indirect jobs that Buckley created. Aside from paying its workers, Buckley spent about $37 million on construction projects and services contracts each to total about $74 million for the two. Throughout 2007, Buckley let three primary contracts: the Leadership Development Center (LDC), the Consolidated Services Facility (CSF) and an expansion to the communications building, he said. The LDC will be able to hold 450 people for one conference and provide secure video teleconferencing, and leadership and professional development. The CSF consolidates all of the 460th Services Division functions and allows better community and base-wide function advertisement. Expanding the communications building allows for growth in Buckley's technical support, information assurance and the security of its networks. These three projects alone totaled about $21.34 million, Col. McGee said. "The LDC, as the name implies, allows us to provide better leadership and professional training," the commander said. "Better trained warriors are better able to protect and defend the base and the nation. Also, [expanding] communications functions, like information assurance, allows us to better provide cyber security and better protect our critical technological capabilities, which enable all warfighting." Buckley also directly injected about $56 million into the Aurora and Denver communities through local purchases. The commissary and base exchange bought $12,369,202 worth of goods. The base spent $13,178,668 in healthcare. Education and travel expenses totaled $1,724,387, and all of Buckley's units purchased $29,057,337 in materials, supplies and equipment throughout the year. Col. McGee said he doesn't expect much change in FY08's economic impact. "FY08 may prove to be as stable as the last two years have been," he said. "However, a contract for temporary living facilities, which will bring 150 temporary housing units to Buckley may allow for a slight increase."