DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — An Air Force base in Ohio now employs more than 30,000 people for the first time in decades.
Leaders at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton expect personnel numbers to continue to grow.
The Dayton Daily News reports this is the first time the base has employed more than 30,000 people in 30 years.
Col. Tom Sherman, 88th Air Base Wing and installation commander, attributes the growth to the base having better "local hiring authority" to fill new positions and vacancies that remained from a hiring freeze.
Lexington Institute senior defense analyst Loren Thompson says the employment increase is also a result of additional military funding being spent on research and development.
The newspaper reports the base, at its peak, employed around 46,500 military and civilian employees in 1942.
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Information from: Dayton Daily News, http://www.daytondailynews.com
