Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is seeking out new community partnerships in 2014 in order to cut costs in response to ongoing budget troubles. With the wind-down of two wars and a trend towards trimming in Washington, Wright-Patt is looking for ways to control basic forms of spending on the base.
“As budgets continue to decrease,” said Colonel Cassie Barlow, head of the 88th Air Base Wing, “the Air Force looking for alternative ways to support its mission and to really maintain the quality of life that we’re used to, for our airmen and for their family members.”
Buying salt in bulk along with nearby cities is one example of a way to save money.
“When you operate a city, which is what we do here at Wright-Patterson, we have a very similar mission to a lot of our municipalities in the local area, and we have a lot in common,” said Barlow.
The Air Force is already sharing lab space and other resources with nearby universities, and Barlow says they may also find developers who want to lease parts of Wright-Patt’s 8,000-acre property.
Even after the latest versions of the federal spending bill restored much of the military budget that had been cut by sequestration, Air Force bases around the country are considering staffing cuts in 2014, and encouraging airmen to take voluntary retirements.
