North Carolina Rising

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Preserving Jobs with Military Contracts

About the Project

Location

Eastern North Carolina

Demographics

Ft. Bragg Army Base
- Located in Cumberland and Hoke counties, outside of Fayetteville, NC
- Population 29,183 (as of 2000 census)
- 4,215 families residing on the base
- 148,609 acres (232.2 sq mi)
- Median household income $30,106
- 10.0% of the population and 9.6% of families are below the poverty line
Pope Air Force Base
- Located in Cumberland county
- 12 miles northwest of Fayetteville, NC
- Home of the US Air Force Air Mobility Command 43d Airlift Wing
- Neighbors Fort Bragg Army Base
Seymour Johnson Air Force Base
- Located in Goldsboro, NC, Wayne County
- Goldsboro is the county seat of Wayne County
- Goldsboro population 38,023 (2006 estimate)
- Median household income $29,456
- 15.4% of families and 19.2% of the population live below the poverty line
Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base
- Located near Jacksonville, NC, Onslow County
- Home to the II Marine Expeditionary Force, 2nd Marine Division
- Onslow County's population 143,491 of which 43,100 are active service members
- Median household income $34,995
- 15.8% of the population lives below the poverty line
New River Marine Corps Base
- Helicopter base near Jacksonville, NC
- Located in Onslow County
Cherry Point Marine Corps Base
- Located in Havelock, North Carolina, Craven County
- The second most populous city in Craven, Pamlico, and Carteret County
- Craven County population 94,875
- Median household income $39,141
- 13.7% of the population lives below the poverty line
US Coast Guard Center
- Located in Elizabeth City, NC, Pasquotank County
- 50 miles south of Norfolk, Virginia
- County population 41,897
- Median household income $30,444
- 18.4% of the population and 15.5% of families were below the poverty line

History & Economy

North Carolina's economy was built on traditional industries like tobacco, furniture and textiles. As these industries fell into decline and the U.S. economy began to globalize in the latter half of the twentieth century, NC also needed to transition to a global economy driven by knowledge-based enterprises -- including advanced manufacturing, software and information technology, bio-pharmaceuticals and financial services.

NC legislators and business leaders began to make long-term decisions about the state's future based on local strengths and traditions, and identified diversified growth industries and developed training and educational programs to fuel them.

NC is home to the third largest concentration of military personnel in the nation. In total, more than 416,000 individuals, or 8 percent of total state employment, are either directly employed by the military or Coast Guard, or have jobs with organizations and companies producing products and providing services that support the U.S. military in NC. Defense growth is expected to add an additional 49,000 new jobs to North Carolina's economy by 2013, and organizations such as NC Military Foundation is working to ensure stability in NC's military economy.

In total, the state hosts 7 military installations including the Army at Ft. Bragg and Sunny Point, the Air Force at Pope AFB and Seymour Johnson AFB, and the Marines at Camp Lejeune, MCAS New River and MCAS Cherry Point, the N.C. National Guard and the Army and Air Force Reserve. In addition, the US Coast Guard has 14 installations in North Carolina, including the Coast Guard Support Center at Elizabeth City.

While local community economies are boosted by defense-related industry and ample business opportunities through government contracting, North Carolina lags behind in the number of military contracts awarded to local businesses. NC currently ranks 38th for Department of Defense contracts.

The United States Department of Defense (DoD) is the federal department charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government relating directly to national security and the military. The DoD spends approximately $84.2 billion on procurement of goods and services in a single fiscal year.