Флорида выделила грант в 125 тысяч долларов для защиты военных баз в округе Бей

Florida grant to help Bay Defense Alliance advocate for military bases PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - The military plays a major role in Bay County, and military leaders say community support is critical to carrying out its mission. New state funding is helping strengthen that partnership. Bay County has fought to keep its military installations in the past. Tom Neubauer, president of the Bay Defense Alliance, said the Air Force, Navy, and Army once determined they had 20-25% too much infrastructure, putting the county’s Navy base on the first closure list in 1921. “The chamber of commerce stood up, realized we could argue it off the list, and we eventually did,” Neubauer said. Because of that effort, Naval Support Activity Panama City calls the area home, alongside Tyndall Air Force Base. Colonel Ryan Thulin, 325th Fighter Wing commander, said the military support system in Bay County stands out. “The military support system that we have in Bay County is unlike anywhere else I’ve experienced in my career, the community ties, the strong military support, the motivation, the willingness to partner with the military,” Thulin said. The Bay Defense Alliance says the military supports over 30,000 jobs and about 37% of Bay County’s economy. Thulin described the relationship between the military and the local community as symbiotic. “The relationship between the military and the local community is so important, it is a symbiotic relationship where we prop up each other’s lines of effort, we form those partnerships, our military members are out in the community, our military members’ kids go to the local schools,” Thulin said. On Monday, Florida awarded the Bay Defense Alliance a $125,000 grant. “This gives us the ability to actually travel to D.C., spend some time with our congressional delegation with senior leaders in all the branches in the military and address the issues and advocate for the things the bases need,” Neubauer said. That advocacy includes childcare for military families. “It’s a very important issue for both installations that these military members have a place to take their children, the schools are very important, we’re working really hard to make sure Tyndall Academy reopens as a new and bigger school,” Neubauer said. To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WJHG on Facebook, Instagram and X (Twitter). Have a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Email [email protected]. Please include the article’s headline in your message. Keep up with all the biggest headlines on the WJHG News app, and check out what’s happening outside using the WJHG Weather app. Copyright 2026 WJHG. All rights reserved.