The effect a Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) and an influx of around 40,000 residents is already being felt in other counties with the construction of schools and housing developments. Regional BRAC officials said this week that Sampson is in a great location to see a similar impact, but it is all about being ready.

The BRAC Regional Task Force held a forum at Sampson Community College Tuesday afternoon and BRAC officials spoke to local community members about the impacts the move of two bases, the U.S. Forces Command and U.S. Army Reserve Command from Fort McPherson, Ga., to Fort Bragg is already having in the region.

The BRAC RTF is a partnership of governments working with Sampson and 10 other counties surrounding Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base to coordinate the planning and identify community impacts as part of the move. The biggest wave of people is expected by next March.

On Tuesday, BRAC RTF officials spoke to Sampson’s benefits and what BRAC means to Sampsonians. John Harbison, deputy director for BRAC RTF, pointed to Sampson’s location, “equidistant” between Bragg, Pope, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base and Camp Lejeune.

“You’re well positioned for economic growth in the future,” said Harbison. “It kind of lies in the community’s hands as to where you want to go with this.”

There are 15,000 new jobs expected to come in to the region, 9,000 directly related to the base move and another 6,000 as an indirect result of retail, service and other business establishments popping up to accomodate the increased growth.

In North Carolina, BRAC regional planner Don Belk said, there have been 3,000 textile and manufacturing jobs lost, unemployment is up and graduation rates and literacy levels are low.

Belk said better education would come by way of BRAC initiatives, such as enhanced technology classrooms (there is one at Lakewood High School) and PipelineNC.com, an interactive job search database that gives employers a good gauge of the workforce and potential employees an insight into what qualities those employers are looking for.

Paul Dordal, Brigadier General USAF (ret.), executive director for the BRAC RTF, said Sampson residents need to take advantage of the tools that are out there.

“We need jobs,” said Dordal. “We need to have higher paid jobs. We see growth at Fort Bragg as a catalyst to transform the region into higher technology jobs. Historically, (retiring military) leave the area because the jobs aren’t here. Families get ingrained into the community. They don’t want to leave, but they can’t stay if the jobs aren’t here.”

The way for jobs to be in Sampson and the other 10 counties targeted as part of BRAC was to have a skilled workforce.

“This is an opportunity to train highly-skilled people,” said Dordal. “The number one criteria (for a business) to relocate is a talented workforce. The Lockheeds, the Boeings, you just can’t attract them if the workforce isn’t there. This is an opportunity to retrain our workforce. Training that highly skilled workforce is just essential.”

He pointed to the average salary of $33,000 earned by workers in the 11 N.C. counties targeted by BRAC. He then pointed to the $85,000 average annual salary of the top brass coming into the county. The total economic impact is expected to be $1.1 billion, he said.

“We need to be ready for it,” Dordal said.

He pointed to a map of counties expected to receive the greatest impact from BRAC. Sampson was in the middle.

“Sampson County is right in the center, between I-95 and I-40,” Dordal noted. “It’s just very strategically placed.”

Along with training the workforce, he said it was important to create partnerships with industry, universities and Defense and Homeland Security programs.

Renee Lane, who does communications and community outreach for BRAC RTF, said there has — and will continue to be — a great deal of “information sharing” between Sampson and the 10 other counties, which will act to benefit all.

She said Sampson’s status in the agriculture industry and agribusiness presence is a “huge benefit.” Its rural characteristics could also prove beneficial.

“You just don’t know when a defense contractor’s going to call and say we need 100 acres of land to develop a building,” Lane said. “Sampson County is involved and represented in everything we do. Having Sampson County involved in the task force is a tremendous benefit.”

Local BRAC RTF representatives Roseboro Mayor Roland Hall and Sampson County commissioner John Blanton agreed.

“We’ve got company coming,” said Hall. “When you’ve got company coming, you clean up and get ready. These (BRAC) folks have done a tremendous job in getting organized.”

Hall said Sampson officials needed to follow suit.

“The landscape in this region is changing,” the Roseboro mayor said. “This is an opportunity to improve education and get people better jobs. This has opened my eyes to the possibilities. The possibilities are there.”

Blanton said BRAC could mean a regrowth for Sampson.

“This is the hope for Sampson County for the next decade,” said Blanton. “Between this and if we can get (N.C.) 24 (widened), Sampson County will be a county you will not forget. I wish this room was filled, but we’ll get the word out.”

Chris Berendt can be reached at 910-592-8137, ext. 121, or by email at sicrime@myclintonnc.com.