Military's economic might in Beaufort County just as strong as tourism, report says

With jets that scream overhead and throngs of visitors who flock to see new Marines graduate, the military has an impact of $1.2 billion annually on Beaufort County, according to a recent study by economist Don Schunk of Coastal Carolina University.

The Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce commissioned Schunk to update the Beaufort County section of a statewide study he performed for the S.C. Military Task Force in 2004.

The results show the military rivals tourism, which chamber officials say generates more than $1 billion in annual revenue for the county.

Unlike tourism, however, the military is not as prone to fluctuation, Schunk and chamber officials said.

The area's trio of military facilities -- Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island and Naval Hospital Beaufort -- help insulate the county from economic downturns such as the recent recession, Schunk said.

"(The recession) has been tough for everybody, but it would've been much tougher without our three bases," chamber president Carlotta Ungaro said.

Chamber officials sought to update the statistics in part so they could better educate people about the military's significance before the arrival of the Joint Strike Fighter, a next-generation military jet expected to land in Beaufort in 2014, Ungaro said.

People considering bringing businesses to the area often ask about the military's impact, she said.

Brad Samuel, chairman of the chamber's Military Affairs Committee, hopes the study's findings will build support among people who might otherwise lose sight of the military's importance.

"We just want to remind them of the impact," he said.