Have You Seen Any Sheppard A.F.B. Personnel Lately?
Why does Sheppard Air Force Base have a mini-water park? Doesn't Wichita Falls have a water park? Isn't Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls? Why does the military spend so much of our tax dollars isolating itself from the local community? The base has everything it needs in order for its personnel not to have to set foot into the actual city of Wichita Falls.
It has night clubs, movie theaters, grocery stores, snack bars, barber shops, car servicing, golf course, a flying club, athletic clubs, and on and on. It's a self-contained city that has no use for Wichita Falls other than for employees to staff these facilities. I see that Sheppard also has an "Annex" at Lake Texoma. Why more isolation? Do they think people don't want to fish, boat and camp with military personnel?
Now you might say that the base provides employment opportunities for local citizens. Yes, there are many military-related jobs, on the base, that requires staffing. What I'm talking about are the non military-related jobs. The base kids can go to Castaway Cove. If the increase in businesses causes Castaway cove to have to hire more staff, then this will happen and more Wichitans will be employed.
If base personnel want to watch a movie, we have a glut of theaters awaiting their patronage. If the increase in moviegoers requires that local theaters hire more staff, this is a good thing. I wonder how much of downtown would be alive and well if Sheppard Air Force Base were not allowed to be so independent. The city could provide free bus service to all base personnel wishing to leave their isolated world and join the rest of the community from time to time. Remember that the base has no money other than what it receives from the taxpayers.
If the local town has sufficient and adequate recreational and retail outlets, then these should not be duplicated on an adjoining military installation. I understand that these and other benefits are a powerful attraction to keep the military up to strength. I think the proper authority should determine how much these benefits are worth in current dollars, and then adjust the military pay upward to make up the difference.
If all the construction, maintenance and staffing dollars devoted to "isolation projects" across America were totaled, I'm sure we would have an easy billion dollars for military pay raises. Then, military personnel can shop and recreate within the community.
Here's an alternative idea. How about military installations move all non-security, entertainment and similar operations toward the outer edges of the base or post. Then, move your fences back behind these structures. Now, the community can come out and shop and recreate with YOU!
And before you start waving your flags, my 6 years, 7 months and 23 days of military service more than authorizes me to gripe.
Maynard