S.C. has a heavy military presence. Here's what it means economically to the Palmetto State.
For a relatively small state, South Carolina plays a large role in the nation's defense.
From major bases with active-duty personnel and reservists to defense contractors and their civilian workforce, the economic effect of the U.S. military on the Palmetto State is substantial.
In its most recent joint report with the S.C. Military Base Task Force, the University of South Carolina's Moore School of Business said the annual impact of the military community is $25.3 billion - more than 8 percent of the state's economy.
"The military is an indelible part of South Carolina with eight major installations and our neighbor, Fort Gordon, Georgia," said Dan Beatty, chairman of the task force. "We have the 10th-largest number of military personnel of any state and have the eighth-largest number of military retirees in the nation."
The study shows the bases support 62,520 Department of Defense personnel from all the services with $2.6 billion in payroll. Some 752 firms are executing DOD contracts worth more than $2 billion.
The military presence translates to 191,519 full-time jobs that are supported, directly or indirectly, by the military along with $10.5 billion in income for state residents, according to the report.
Retired Army Maj. Gen. William Grimsley, secretary of the Veterans' Affairs Department, said the agency advocates every day for everyone associated with the bases.
"Our installations are critical to our nation's national security, and they bring a direct and substantial economic impact to the state. More importantly, however, those in uniform and their families bring unique experiences, skills and values into the South Carolina community. They make invaluable contributions that simply cannot be measured in dollars," he said. "Military people and facilities are quite literally woven into the fabric of South Carolina's culture, and our great state would be something less than it is without them."
Here is a look at those bases, people and financial impact:
Charleston
The total annual economic impact of military-related activity of the region is $10.8 billion, the most in the state:
Joint Base Charleston
U.S. Coast Guard
Army Corps of Engineers
Department of Defense contracting firms
Military retirees and veterans
S.C. National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve
Midlands
The region is second in annual military-related economic impact at $4.1 billion:
Fort Jackson
McEntire Joint National Guard Base
Department of Defense contracting firms
Military retirees and veterans
S.C. National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve
Sumter
The region is third with an annual impact of $2.5 billion:
Shaw Air Force Base
U.S. Army Central Command
Department of Defense contracting firms
Military retirees and veterans
S.C. National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve
Beaufort
The region is fourth with an annual impact of $2.3 billion:
Marine Corps Air Station - Beaufort
Marine Corps Recruit Depot - Parris Island
Naval Hospital Beaufort
Department of Defense contracting firms
Military retirees and veterans
S.C. National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve
Upstate
The economic impact of the region is fifth at $2.2 billion:
Department of Defense contracting firms
Military retirees and veterans
S.C. National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve
Aiken/North Augusta
The region's annual impact is sixth at $776.3 million:
National Nuclear Security Administration
Department of Defense contracting firms
Military retirees and veterans
S.C. National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve
Grand Strand
The annual military-related impact is seventh at $642.5 million:
Department of Defense contracting firms
Military retirees and veterans
S.C. National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve
Rock Hill
The annual economic impact is eighth at $460.8 million:
Department of Defense contracting firms
Military retirees and veterans
S.C. National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve
Pee Dee
The annual economic impact is ninth at $432.4 million:
Department of Defense contracting firms
Military retirees and veterans
S.C. National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve
Reservists and retirees
The study found the total economic impact of the Army Reserve on the state is $300.6 million annually. That's about 5,390 jobs and $142.9 million in labor income.
The economic impact of the S.C. National Guard totals $815.3 million annually. This translates to some 15,809 jobs and $429.9 million in income.
"Our Guard and Reserve personnel are located in every county in the state, serving military as well as the business community," Beatty said. "Importantly, our service members do not serve alone, as their families are an integral part of our schools, workplace and places of worship."
The study also found:
The military community generates 1 of 12 jobs in South Carolina.
An estimated $884.1 million in annual state tax revenue can be linked to the military.
There are 417,515 veterans in the state, and 56,969 are military retirees.
Military retirees bring in $1.6 billion in DOD-funded retirement income.
The Department of Veterans Affairs spends about $3.5 billion on state veterans' medical care and other benefits.
"The strategic importance of South Carolina's military community as part of the broader United States military is critical," wrote Joseph Von Nessen, research economist with USC, in the study. "South Carolina's military community provides a variety of resources that the nation regularly draws from for training, combat and support services."