thedrifter
03-02-08, 07:03 AM
Squadrons at Cherry Point will kick off troop increase
SUE BOOK
2008-03-02 00:27:06
DAILY NEWS STAFF
FREEDOM ENC
CHERRY POINT - The increase in military personnel in the area will begin with two helicopter squadrons arriving at Cherry Point in June.
Col. Rod Mann, executive officer at the Marine Corps Air Station at Cherry Point, announced the schedule for the squadrons' arrival as he welcomed the civilian Military Growth Task Force at a meeting on the base.
The helicopter squadrons will be temporarily quartered at Cherry Point until they are sent to permanent quarters at the New River Air Station.
The task force was established in October 2007 after a joint announcement by Maj. Gen. Robert C. Dickerson, commander of Marine Corps Installations-East, and Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue that military bases in the region will add 11,477 people by 2011, most as part of a national Grow the Force plan to increase Marine Corps strength to 202,000.
The region number includes civilian job slots connected with the military growth in addition to 9,900 billets, said Tyler Harris, Cherry Point deputy community plans and liaisons officer. The growth is expected to add 800 new Marine Corps jobs at Cherry Point after helicopter squadrons move on New River, and 677 jobs connected to two Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet squadrons expected to begin arriving in September 2010.
The largest portion of the growth is expected at Camp Lejeune with 7,700 new Marines, Harris said. Different numbers are often used for total growth including military dependents and community service industry growth to accommodate the federal jobs.
The task elected an executive committee and heard about the status of a search for an executive director. The group plans to apply for a $5 million federal Labor Department workforce development grant.
The group set plans in motion for subcommittees of local government and private citizens to gather information on key needs in the seven counties expected to have the most growth. It was advised that task force offices have been leased in Jacksonville Commerce Center.
More than 88 applications for the director's job have been submitted to North Carolina's Eastern Region, said Al Delia, director of the 13-county economic development group. He said the field has been narrowed and initial interviews started.
Delia said the money for task force operations now includes a $100,000 Eastern Region grant and $2,500 from Progress Energy. County and municipal governments in the area to be affected will most likely be asked to pitch in for planning but how much is unclear. The task force is now asking only for a resolution of support to accompany federal Office of Economic Adjustment applications for a $1 million grant to hire staff and do planning.
He said the resolution will also be used to show support as the task force applies for a $5 million work-force development grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. He said the local match for that will likely be $750,000 that the Eastern Region has committed to a similar regional work-force development program. That application could be assembled in a week.
Delia and Task Force Chairman Mike Alford were in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday talking with members of the congressional delegation from the area.
The task force members from Craven, Onslow, Carteret, Jones, Pamlico, Duplin, and Pender counties say infrastructure needs are critical and the main concern about getting ready for the growth is being behind the state and federal funding cycle.
Ellie
SUE BOOK
2008-03-02 00:27:06
DAILY NEWS STAFF
FREEDOM ENC
CHERRY POINT - The increase in military personnel in the area will begin with two helicopter squadrons arriving at Cherry Point in June.
Col. Rod Mann, executive officer at the Marine Corps Air Station at Cherry Point, announced the schedule for the squadrons' arrival as he welcomed the civilian Military Growth Task Force at a meeting on the base.
The helicopter squadrons will be temporarily quartered at Cherry Point until they are sent to permanent quarters at the New River Air Station.
The task force was established in October 2007 after a joint announcement by Maj. Gen. Robert C. Dickerson, commander of Marine Corps Installations-East, and Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue that military bases in the region will add 11,477 people by 2011, most as part of a national Grow the Force plan to increase Marine Corps strength to 202,000.
The region number includes civilian job slots connected with the military growth in addition to 9,900 billets, said Tyler Harris, Cherry Point deputy community plans and liaisons officer. The growth is expected to add 800 new Marine Corps jobs at Cherry Point after helicopter squadrons move on New River, and 677 jobs connected to two Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet squadrons expected to begin arriving in September 2010.
The largest portion of the growth is expected at Camp Lejeune with 7,700 new Marines, Harris said. Different numbers are often used for total growth including military dependents and community service industry growth to accommodate the federal jobs.
The task elected an executive committee and heard about the status of a search for an executive director. The group plans to apply for a $5 million federal Labor Department workforce development grant.
The group set plans in motion for subcommittees of local government and private citizens to gather information on key needs in the seven counties expected to have the most growth. It was advised that task force offices have been leased in Jacksonville Commerce Center.
More than 88 applications for the director's job have been submitted to North Carolina's Eastern Region, said Al Delia, director of the 13-county economic development group. He said the field has been narrowed and initial interviews started.
Delia said the money for task force operations now includes a $100,000 Eastern Region grant and $2,500 from Progress Energy. County and municipal governments in the area to be affected will most likely be asked to pitch in for planning but how much is unclear. The task force is now asking only for a resolution of support to accompany federal Office of Economic Adjustment applications for a $1 million grant to hire staff and do planning.
He said the resolution will also be used to show support as the task force applies for a $5 million work-force development grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. He said the local match for that will likely be $750,000 that the Eastern Region has committed to a similar regional work-force development program. That application could be assembled in a week.
Delia and Task Force Chairman Mike Alford were in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday talking with members of the congressional delegation from the area.
The task force members from Craven, Onslow, Carteret, Jones, Pamlico, Duplin, and Pender counties say infrastructure needs are critical and the main concern about getting ready for the growth is being behind the state and federal funding cycle.
Ellie