Carl Vinson and the Cost/Benefits of Georgia's Military Bases

Georgia Economic History DEPRESSION AND WORLD CONFLICT

Lesson 11 “The Most Expensive Thing in the World is a Cheap Army and Navy” Carl Vinson and the Cost/Benefits of Georgia’s Military Bases

Enduring Understanding The impact of a global war affects the economy, society, and politics of a nation, region, and state.

Lesson Essential Question How can wars create economic opportunities?

Introduction Carl Vinson is known as the “Father of the Two Ocean Navy” and his long career in the U.S. House of Representatives (25 consecutive terms) allowed him to help Georgia’s economy by establishing or keeping many military installations (bases, naval stations, and military factories) in the state. This lesson examines how Carl Vinson’s influence helped Georgia’s economy grow as well as a current view about the costs and benefits of military base closings in the state and the nation.

GPS Standards – SS8E1 The student will give examples of the kinds of goods and services produced in Georgia in different historical periods.

SS8E3 The student will identify revenue sources and services provided by state and local government. c. Evaluate how choices are made given the limited revenues of state and local government

SS8H9 The student will describe the impact of World War II on Georgia’s development economically, socially, and politically. b. Evaluate the importance of Bell Aircraft, military bases, the Savannah and Brunswick shipyards, Richard Russell, and Carl Vinson.

Economic Concepts economic growth, government revenues, government expenditures, productive resources

Knowledge Core Skills The student will know that: The student will be able to: Carl Vinson’s influence aided in the read for information. location of many of Georgia’s draw conclusions. military installations. interpret a chart. military institutions provided for identify main idea, detail, sequence jobs and economic growth during of event, and cause and effect in

and after World War II. social studies context. based on the “multiplier effect” the analyze graphs and diagrams. closing of military bases offers both benefits and costs to citizens of the United States.

Materials Needed Time Required 1 copy/student: 2-3 class periods Georgia and World War II Worksheet Military Institutions and Their Impact on Georgia’s Economy Worksheet 1 copy per group of 4 Military Base Closings - Reading 1 Military Base Closings - Reading 2 Military Base Closings -Reading 3 Military Base Closings - Reading 4 Military Instillation Closing Pros and Cons Worksheet Military Installation Closing Impact Slips Worksheet 1 copy to display on overhead or LCD projector: Carl Vinson and World War II Transparency glue scissors calculators (one per group)

Procedures 1. Begin class by explaining to students that military installations (military bases, shipyards, factories) often provide great economic benefits to states that host them. Not only do these bases bring military jobs to the area, but due to an economic concept known as the “multiplier effect,” communities receive other benefits such as new schools, grocery stores, etc. to meet the needs of both the community as well as the residents of the military base. In addition, the residents of the base generate tax revenue by paying local and state taxes.

2. Explain to students that one man, Carl Vinson, is credited for the large number of military installations based in Georgia, which were very important in the war effort during World War II and helped build Georgia’s economy.

3. Display the Carl Vinson and World War II Transparency and distribute the Georgia and World War II Worksheet. Tell students to record notes about Carl Vinson on the back of the page and to fill out information about the “Georgia Ship Yards,” “Bell Aircraft,” and “Military Bases” in the appropriate outlines. Georgia Council on Economic Education © 2008 Lesson 11 page 2 of 16 Georgia Economic History DEPRESSION AND WORLD CONFLICT

4. Distribute the Military Institutions and Their Impact on Georgia’s Economy Worksheet. Tell students to examine the data and create a pie graph illustrating the percent of Georgia’s workforce that worked in Georgia’s four largest military installations during World War II. Although 6.76 percent of the total work force does not appear to be a large number, explain to students that these military institutions helped to promote Georgia’s economic growth during and after the war based on the multiplier effect. Ask students what other industries may have benefited from these military installations.

5. Explain that military institutions and installations are still important to the economies of many cities and states because they generate both jobs and revenue for local and state governments. At the same time these institutions and installations are also expensive expenditures for the federal government, costing many millions of dollars to maintain properly. As a result of these high costs many have been shut down throughout the country.

6. Divide students into groups of four and provide a different article per student. Have each student jot down the costs and benefits related to base closings that they find in their own article.

7. Distribute one copy of the Military Instillation Closing Impact Slips and Military Instillation Pros and Cons Worksheet to each group. Ask students to read each statement and determine whether these statements are a benefit or a cost of closing a military installation. Students should cut out all slips and tape them in the correct column.

8. Conclude lesson by asking students why the work of Carl Vinson has been so important for the economy of Georgia over the years. Have students explain the multiplier effect in relation to military installations in Georgia. (The multiplier effect is an effect in economics of how an increase in spending produces an increase in national income and consumption greater than the initial amount spent. For example, if a corporation builds a factory, it will employ construction workers and their suppliers as well as those who work in the factory. Indirectly, the new factory will stimulate employment in laundries, restaurants, and service industries in the factory's vicinity.)

The New Georgia Encyclopedia For more background information to support this lesson, read these entries:

World War II in Georgia

Carl Vinson (1883-1981)

Franklin D. Roosevelt in Georgia

Richard B. Russell Jr. (1897-1971)

C-141 Starlifter

C-5 Galaxy

Lockheed Martin

Bell Bomber

Dobbins Air Reserve Base

Fort Benning

Fort Gillem

Fort Gordon

Fort McPherson

Fort Stewart

Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base

Marine Corps Logistics Base, Albany

Moody Air Force Base

Naval Air Station Atlanta

Navy Supply Corps School

Robins Air Force Base

Souther Field

EconEdLink Online Lessons For more student activities on economic history in a U.S. context, use these lessons:

Economic Spotter: Resources During World War II http://www.econedlink.org/lessons/index.php?lesson=EM364&page=teacher

Assessment

1. Over his long career in the U.S. House of Representatives Carl Vinson was able to use his influence to provide a large number of military installations in Georgia. These installations promoted A. scarcity. B. recession. C. depression. D. economic growth.*

2. A potential economic benefit of hosting a military institution or installation in a state is A. a transient population B. increased traffic congestion C. higher unemployment rates D. higher government revenues*

3. A potential economic drawback of hosting a military institution or installation in a state is A. economic growth. B. government revenues. C. jobs with equal opportunity. D. they are expenditures for the federal government.*

Carl Vinson and WWII Transparency

Carl Vinson (1883-1981) • “Father of the Two-Ocean Navy.” • Served 25 consecutive terms in the U.S. House of Representatives (1914-1965). • Consistently pushed for national defense. • Worked with FDR to expand the naval aviation system resulting in thousands of new planes and pilots as well as 20 air bases. • He also influenced the shipbuilding industry by helping to ease restrictions on the construction of ships as well as creating more shipyard facilities.

Georgia Shipyards • Located in Brunswick & Savannah • Largest civilian contribution came from coastal region. • Constructed nearly 200 “Liberty ships”- to transport troops and goods to European fronts.

Bell Aircraft • 1943-Bell bomber plant in Marietta, GA • Built B-29 bombers

Georgia Military Bases: • Fort Benning-Columbus • Camp Gordon-Augusta • Fort Stewart-Savannah • Fort McPherson-Atlanta

Adapted from a lesson plan by Elly L. Frachiseur and Derek N. Tuthill under the supervision of Scott L. Roberts

Georgia and World War II: Graphic Organizer Worksheet

Ship building

Air plane production

Military Bases

Adapted from a lesson plan by Elly L. Frachiseur and Derek N. Tuthill under the supervision of Scott L. Roberts

Military Installations and Their Impact on Georgia’s Economy

The last U.S. Census before World War II (1940) recorded Georgia’s population as 3,123,723. Of that 1,225,705 were of working age (All men and women over the age of 14) Examine the following data.

Military Installations Number of Employees Savannah Shipyard 15,000 Brunswick Shipyard 16,000 Warner Robbins Air Force Base 23,670 Bell Air Craft (aircraft?) Company 28,158

These were the 4 largest military employers in the state of Georgia during World War Two. In the space below, create a pie chart illustrating the percent of Georgians of working age who were employed by these military installations.

Source: U.S. Census (1940) “Georgia: Table 24: Employment Status of Persons 14 Years Old and Over, by Age, Color, and Sex for the State, Urban and Rural, and for Cities of 100,000 or More: 1940” p. 573; Bonnie B. London (2005) Georgia and the American Experience. Atlanta, GA: Clairmont Press. p. 413.

Military Installations and Their Impact on Georgia’s Economy

The last U.S. Census before World War II (1940) recorded Georgia’s population as 3,123,723. Of that 1,225,705 were of working age (All men and women over the age of 14) Examine the following data…

Military Installations # of Employees Savannah Shipyard 15,000 Brunswick Shipyard 16,000 Warner Robbins Air Force Base 23,670 Bell Air Craft Company 28,158

These were the 4 largest military employers in the state of Georgia during World War Two. Create a pie chart illustrating the percent of Georgians of working age who were employed by these military installations.

Percentage of Georgians Employed by the Largest % of GeorigiansMilitary Employeed Installations by the Largest Military Instilations 6.76%

Non-Military

Military Work Force

93.24%

Chart generated from: National Center for Educational Statistics: Kid Zone http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph

U.S. Military Base Closings will Reading 1 Streamline Defense Spending

In 2005, the Pentagon recommended a series of base closings in order to ensure that the United States would continue to have the best trained and equipped military in the world while meeting new threats the U.S. is facing in a post 9/11 world. You may be asking yourself, how can closing military bases strengthen the military while at the same time help the U.S. taxpayer?

Several high-ranking military officials offered an answer. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, for example, said that the purpose of the base closings was to eliminate excess bases and training facilities and redirect the funds to make the U.S. military more effective. He said this round of basing closings would save taxpayers an estimated $5.5 billion annually, which would almost equal $49 billion over 20 years.

Closings will be based on military value, in other words, the less important these bases are judged to be for national defense, the more likely they are to be shut down.

Adapted from Jacquelyn S. Porth, “U.S. Military Base Closing May Save $49 Billion over 20 Years” (2005):International Information Programs http://usinfo.state.gov/is/Archive/2005/May/16-963531.html

Four Georgia Bases on Closure List Reading 2

The Pentagon recommended closing historic Fort McPherson in Atlanta, Fort Gillem in Forest Park, Naval Air Station Atlanta in Marietta and the Naval Supply Corps School in Athens but Georgia officials vowed to put up a fight in order to make sure that this does not happen.

Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), who echoed previous statements by Governor Sonny Perdue, insisted that all four bases have been instrumental in the fight against global terrorism and that he would “make the strongest case possible” in defending the four bases.

This is not the first time military bases have been selected for closure in Georgia. In 1991, a Georgia base, Moody Air Force Base in Valdosta, was on the initial list. However, it was spared through intense congressional lobbying.

Interestingly enough, it was only Atlanta that took a major hit in Georgia. Due to closings in other parts of the country, many bases in Georgia actually gained military and civilian jobs. Statewide, the biggest winner was Fort Benning, which added more than 9,800 military and civilian jobs.

In defense of the base cuts, Rep. Jack Kingston, a Georgia Republican who sits on a panel that directs defense spending said, “You probably have 47 states that would change places with Georgia on this report.”

In metro Atlanta, Dobbins Air Force Bases was slated to gain 118 new military and civilian jobs, but that will make up only a portion of the 1,498 jobs lost with the closure of the Naval Air Station. Even still, experts claimed that the closing of the Navy facility would not impact Lockheed Martin’s Marietta plant, a private company which builds military cargo planes and the Air Force’s F/A-22 fighter jet.

Nationally, Georgia was second to Maryland in the number of positions gained from these cuts.

Adapted from: Rob Martz and Bob Kemper, “Four Georgia Bases on Closure List” (2005) The Atlanta Journal Constitution http://www.ajc.com/news/content/custom/blogs/breaking/entries/2005/05/13/four_georgia_bases_on_closure_list.html

Lawmakers Scramble to Save Bases Reading 3

The Pentagon recommended closing 33 major military installations and many smaller facilities across the United States, sparking fierce reactions from lawmakers who had hoped their states would be spared. Recommendations called for changes in all 50 states, with a net loss of 10,782 military positions and 18,223 civilian positions overall. At the same time 2,818 contractor posts would be added.

One lawmaker claimed the cuts were a threat to national security. Duncan Hunter, R- Ca., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, opposed a recommendation to close the submarine base at New London, Connecticut, because "undersea warfare is now and in the future will be critical to our survival as a nation."

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said he understood the economic impact closures would have on cities and towns throughout the country and said,"… the changes that will occur will affect a number of communities, communities that have warmly embraced nearby military installations for a good many years -- indeed, in some cases, decades." He went on to promise "The department will take great care to work with these communities with the respect that they have earned, and the government stands ready with economic assistance."

Adapted from: CNN “Lawmakers Scramble to Save Bases” (2005). http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/05/13/base.closings/index.html

Base Closings and the South Reading 4

Military base closings caused despair for many parts of the country and left communities fighting for hometown bases on which they had come to depend. The story for the South is different. The South is actually increasing its share of military bases and raising its stake in the military economy.

The South has historically been home to a disproportionate share of military bases. While the region holds under a third of the nation's population, 56 percent of troops nationally were stationed in the South. Anchored in states like Georgia, North Carolina, Texas and Virginia, this has led to a network of "military towns" like Fort Bragg, N.C., which exert a powerful political, economic, and cultural influence in the region.

Given the South's dependence on military towns, the Pentagon's list of proposed closings was highly anticipated in the region. While 62 of the 180 installations slated for closure are in the South, the region as a whole stands to gain from the Pentagon's first major base realignment in a decade.

As with past base closings, the Pentagon's announcement will open a new round of debate about the political motivations behind the decisions, as well as provoke community discussion about the pros and cons of fighting to keep military bases. The pros of military installations are that they generate economic activity -- including on-base jobs with good pay and equal opportunity. The cons are that they undercut revenues through their tax-exempt status, exert control over community affairs, and are prone to volatile economic swings as troops come and go.

Adapted from The Institute for Southern Studies: Facing South “Base Closings in the South” (2005) http://www.southernstudies.org/facingsouth/2005/05/base-closings-and-south.

Military Installation Closing Pros and Cons Worksheet, page 1

Closing military installations is a controversial political and economic issue. Read your assigned article and decide what the economic benefits (good points) and costs (bad points) are for closing military bases. Then glue the provided cost/benefit slips in the correct columns.

Benefits Cost

Military Installation Closing Impact Slips Worksheet, page 2

Improve military Georgia gained 7,423 jobs

Save 49 Billion Dollars which Save taxpayers money can be used for 21st Century defense requirements

Atlanta takes a major Lose jobs with “good pay” and economic hit “equal opportunity”

Closed bases have supported “Threats to National Security” troops “instrumental” in fighting terrorism

Other cities will benefit from Many cities are economically more troops who are relocated dependent on these closed bases from closed bases.

Military Installation Closing Pros and Cons Worksheet KEY

Closing military installations is a controversial political and economic issue. Read your assigned article and decide what are the economic benefits (good points) and costs (bad points) for closing military bases. Then glue the provided cost/benefit slips in the correct columns

Benefits Cost

Save 49 billion dollars which can Atlanta takes a major be used for 21st Century defense economic hit requirements

Improve military Bases have been “instrumental” in fighting terrorism

Georgia gained 7,423 jobs Lose jobs with “good pay” and “equal opportunity”

Save taxpayers money Many cities are economically dependent on these bases

Other cities will benefit from “Threats to National Security” more troops who are relocated from closed bases.