FORT SMITH, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — The city of Fort Smith will receive $208 million for the mission’s future pilot training sites and pilot training center thanks to the FY24 Defense Appropriations bill that was signed into law on Saturday.

On March 9, The FY24 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill was signed which gave the city $83 million for the construction, planning, and design for Ebbing Air National Guard Base’s pilot training center.

“We’re very, very delighted that the funding is now starting to flow,” Fort Smith Mayor George McGill said.

These bills allow pilots, technicians, maintenance workers from around the world to call Fort Smith and the River Valley home.

“It’s going to be a game changer for the entire state of Arkansas and certainly the Arkansas River Valley and Fort Smith,” McGill said.

Last year, the U.S. Air Force announced Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith would be home to the foreign military sales mission.

“Probably one of the most important missions that’s in our military at the moment as we train our foreign allies in the flying of the F-35 aircraft,” McGill said.

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He says this is the first time those who train at the base will not live on a military base, but instead, in the surrounding areas.

“They will be actively involved in our community. They will live in our communities. They will attend our schools,” McGill said.

They will be in the area for a while.

“Typical training cycle will last from 18 to 24 months. And then we can expect the Singapore Air Force to have a permanent squadron of F-16s and they have 35 houses here as Ebbing base,” McGill said.

He says the arrival of the personnel taking part in the training will have a major impact on the state’s economy.

“On an annual basis to our economy, it could run in the neighborhood of $850 million to $1 billion a year,” McGill said.

Fort Smith Air Base to host military pilot training

Faith Davies, brand ambassador and server trainer at JJ’s Grill in Fort Smith, says she is excited to have more people in the area.

She says COVID-19 caused a drop in their sales, but with more people in the area, “it gives us a chance for more business, more opportunities not just for our location, but for others and for other businesses as well locally.”

McGill says the first wave of personnel could be from 900 to 1200 people, but they are prepared to handle this influx.

“Our home builders are working tirelessly to deal with adequate housing,” McGill said.

He says they are expecting a squadron of aircraft later this year, and they already have personnel arriving in Fort Smith to prepare for this mission.

Their next steps are to build out the base, prepare to build the training and flight simulator center and anything else they need to fly a F-35 aircraft.

McGill says they are in the process of working on the runway, building the berm area and loading and unloading areas.

“So, there’s lots of work going on as we speak,” McGill said.

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