AURORA — There’s more to Buckley Air Force Base than those giant white golf-ball-looking things and the runway where Air Force One lands when the president comes to town.
At its core, Buckley is charged with detecting missile launches anywhere in the world. If a missile is fired, the 460th Space Wing at Buckley — the “host” agency of the entire base — is the first to know.
But it’s also an economic engine that pumps nearly $1 billion annually into the region’s economy. About 13,000 military and civilians work and live at Buckley every day. It’s a big reason have located in Colorado, a state near the top nationwide for that industry.
And local leaders want to see that contribution continue, although there’s no guarantee.
While much of what happens at Buckley stays under wraps because of national security concerns, some things are known. It is home to 84 “base mission partners,” including other military branches, domestic and foreign government agencies, and private-sector companies.
The Air Force base, measuring 6 square miles, isn’t the largest base in the country, but it is the fastest-growing military base in terms of population and construction projects over the past several years, said Col. John Wagner, commander of Buckley since June.
Just last year, Buckley opened a $40 million runway used by its F-16 fighter jets and other planes. A new dental clinic on the base will break ground this year. Next year, construction will begin on a new medical facility to consolidate all of the base’s medical services.
Missile launches
The 460th Space Wing uses infrared and satellite technologies in space to track ground missile launches. Last year, it monitored about 400 such launches and 8,000 other events.
After the annual State of the Base address to community leaders in Aurora this month, Wagner said he is confident that Buckley will continue to be an important asset to the military and the region for years to come.
Officials and local leaders hope that is the case.
The Pentagon has not done a base realignment and closure in 10 years. But it is asking for another round of closures this year because of financial constraints. Potential closures have yet to be revealed.
If Buckley reduces its missions or closes altogether, the impact will be felt for a very long time and hurt everyone in the state, officials say.
“It’s critical,” Aurora Chamber of Commerce president Kevin Hougen said of the base remaining a viable military asset. “There’s always the fear with Congress of budget cuts. It scares the dickens out of me.”
Wagner noted that — given the base’s task of being the No. 1 missile tracking center in the country and that Buckley is only one-third built out — the base is an intriguing candidate to consolidate programs from other bases that might close.
“I’m not worried about closure,” Wagner said. “I see a very bright future for Buckley Air Force Base. I can see it expanding.”
Buckley was built as an auxiliary landing field for Lowry Field in 1938. During World War II, Buckley was one of the largest armament training schools in the country, but it deactivated after the war.
The Colorado Air National Guard later called the base home. But after the closures of the Fitzsimons Army Medical Center in Aurora and, later, the in Denver, the state could not maintain Buckley as a viable option anymore.
In 2000, Buckley was reactivated and has been a key facility for the military, as it monitors the skies for potential danger.
Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan wonders why other government agencies don’t do more to promote the base. He said aerospace companies at or near Buckley bring jobs to the Denver area and perform important research that benefits everyone.
“It’s part of the reason why we have companies like Boeing, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon,” Hogan said. “If Buckley were not here, they would not be here.”
Plans for the future
Local officials are planning for the future, whatever happens.
A $300,000 legislature-commissioned study, to be released in April, will quantify the economic impact of military installations throughout the state.
Aurora and Arapahoe County are securing a loan from E-470 to extend East Sixth Avenue — the northern boundary of Buckley — so it will connect with the tollway.
Tom Clark, CEO of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corp., said the Denver area has been, ironically, the “poster child for great closings” of military bases. in the West, employing nearly 20,000. And the site of the former Lowry base, now a mix of residential and commercial, is among the top places to live in Denver.
In many instances, Clark said, base closures are typically politically motivated, which may not be good news for Buckley.
“States with the largest number of electoral votes and congressmen with the greatest seniority make these decisions,” Clark said. “The places that don’t have a lot of electoral votes — Colorado being one — they’re going to be vulnerable.”
Carlos Illescas: 303-954-1175, cillescas@denverpost.com or twitter.com/cillescasdp
