Military Affairs

Maryland is extremely proud of the role its military bases play in defending the freedom of our nation. Military bases in Maryland have a major impact on the state's economy. Highly trained and dedicated uniform military, civilian, and contract employees work together to support the missions of our major military installations in Maryland. In addition to the mission, military installations are credited with driving economic development at the local and state levels. Ten major military installations in Maryland contribute approximately $18 billion each year to the state’s economy, and the economic impact will grow as decisions made during the BRAC process are implemented between 2006 and 2011.

Maryland's Military Focus

The majority of Maryland's military installations focus on R&D, test, and evaluation for various services, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. These installations perform tasks that are essential to the nation's military and homeland security missions. The military's concentration on R&D attracts many academics, businesses, and like-minded government agencies to Maryland. The partnerships and alliances that are formed between the federal, government, industry, and academic institutions, in turn, create economic benefits throughout the state, including unemployment rates that tend to hover below the national average.

Base Realignment and Closure

Maryland fared better than almost any other state at the close of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process. Maryland will gain 15,837 total net jobs as a result of the BRAC recommendations that became law on November 9, 2005. The total number of jobs may be found in Appendix O of the final BRAC Commission report. This number does not include the anticipated defense contracting trail that will likely follow these jobs or the secondary economic impact that the BRAC recommendations will have on counties that surround military installations receiving jobs as a result of the BRAC decisions. It is estimated that over time, Maryland could receive between 40,000 and 60,000 new jobs.

This positive net outcome for Maryland can be attributed to a multi-tier, bipartisan effort led by the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development's Office of Military and Federal Affairs (OMFA), as well as the Maryland Military Installation Strategic Planning Council (Military Council). The OMFA began planning for the 2005 BRAC process in 1999. Officials from various key state agencies, such as the Maryland departments of planning, environment, transportation and education, joined the OMFA, members of Congress, local, and state officials as well as military alliance presidents to discuss and adopt a uniform strategy to address challenges presented by the 2005 BRAC process.

Beginning in 2003, the Military Council met more than fifteen times to discuss and implement a state-wide strategy to address the BRAC Commission. The OMFA was designated by the Maryland General Assembly in 2004 as the single point of contact for issues related to the ongoing BRAC process in Maryland. Maryland’s BRAC strategy was based upon economic development, and was executed through the Military Council, OMFA, and the many public/private partnerships that exist between military installations and private sector businesses.

On May 13, 2005 the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) released its BRAC recommendations. These recommendations were reviewed by the BRAC Commission, which sought comments from community and state officials. Once the commission completed its review, they presented their report and recommendations to the President. The President approved the report and, in turn, submitted it to Congress for review and approval. Congress adopted the report and all recommendations contained therein on November 9, 2005.

Members of the OMFA are prepared to address issues related to the BRAC process. They also respond to inquiries from state agencies, departments and private businesses regarding the process used to create partnerships with Maryland's military installations.

To learn more about the BRAC process, see:

2007 BRAC Study

Department of Defense BRAC 2005
Maryland Fares Best in the Nation on 2005 Base Realignment and Closure List
APG Maryland At the Ready

For more information on military installations and alliances in Maryland:

Military Installations

Military Alliances

For information on doing business with the federal government, download the 2007 Business Opportunities Manual. (Requires Adobe Acrobat reader.)