Maj. Gen. William Dutch Holland
August 5, 2012
Maj. Gen. William L. Dutch Holland, U.S. Air Force (Ret.) – the executive coordinator of the Governor’s Military Base Task Force – sits down for an interview with publisher Alan Cooper, discussing the importance of protecting S.C.’s military bases; the issues facing those bases, their surrounding communities, and the state overall as we look toward the next round of federal base realignments and closures (BRAC).
According to the State newspaper, military bases in the Midlands pump $7.1 billion a year into the local economy. Installations in-and-around Charleston bring-in $4.7 billion annually. Beaufort’s three installations add $1.2 billion a year. And defense contracts held by Upstate companies that supply the military equate to $2 billion a year. That’s a statewide economic impact of at least $15 billion.
Holland – a fighter pilot, a helicopter pilot, and the former commander of 9th Air Force – assumed the post of executive coordinator of the S.C. Military Base Task Force (chaired by Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom) in June.
