Eglin Braces for Economy Downturn Fallout

Eglin Air Force Base in Florida has created a one-stop site—dubbed Nomad University—to address concerns from airmen and their families as the 33rd Fighter Wing drawdown proceeds under BRAC 2005. One new ingredient in this drawdown is the state of the nation’s economy, in particular the housing market. The beddown of the new F-35 joint and international training mission at Eglin may currently be in limbo, but the 33rd FW Nomads have to prepare for the wing’s inactivation. Since this whole-unit action is taking place “during a depressed real-estate market, we may expect to see some additional financial burdens, particularly those families who are home owners,” said Jim Helms, with Eglin’s Airmen and Family Readiness Center. (Eglin report by Chrissy Cuttita)