Part of an overall community outreach program, the video message is a component of a public service campaign that will include various public service announcements and a website built around the theme “Embrace BRAC,” explained John Boggess, vice president of communications for Thompson Marketing, who is producing the campaign.
Slated for launch July 17, the program will provide information on the military’s joint basing for relocating Families as well as military and civilian Families already in San Antonio.

“If you look at the word embrace, there’s BRAC right in the middle,” Boggess said.
Under the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure, San Antonio is one of 12 locations worldwide where Department of Defense installations are forming joint bases.

Approximately 49 installation functions at Fort Sam Houston will combine with Randolph and Lackland Air Force Bases to form Joint Base San Antonio. Projections suggest 8-10,000 Families will relocate to San Antonio under BRAC and that associated services will be needed to support them and the over 80,000 military and civilian employees, when JBSA is completed in 2011.

Castro points out the economic boost BRAC brings to the city during his segment of the video. “Overall, we’re looking at a positive economic impact to San Antonio of more than $5.5 billion dollars. And a growing San Antonio will only improve the quality of life for current citizens and people relocating to our community.”

Realignment has not always been welcome or smooth. Earlier in the process, Air Force officials argued that potential changes to their civilian employees’ retirement, medical or other benefits would “have a huge adverse effect” on morale under the Army or Navy systems. Each service also handles readiness, budget and maintenance issues differently, presenting challenges that are being addressed through extensive implementation meetings and workshops, according to an article published on the Fleet Reserve Association’s Web site.

Garrison Commander Col. Mary Garr participated in a recent joint basing workshop hosted by Air Education and Training Command at Randolph. Garr said the workshop focused on the right things to do while assessing service-specific issues appropriately. She said the joint basing team still had a lot of work ahead, but that progress toward laying the foundation for success is impressive.

During the video, Garr highlights opportunities for the community. “San Antonio will have the largest base operation,” she said, citing the more than 152,000 military students that will be training and graduating here once BRAC is completed, bringing more business into the area. She then introduced Poppovich.

“San Antonio is Military City U.S.A.,” said the Spurs head coach during his video piece, adding that BRAC growth “will take this Military City to a championship level. I’m proud of my military background and, as much, I embrace the military.” Poppovich is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy.

“We want to embrace the Families that move to San Antonio and provide a very warm welcome. San Antonio is an extremely friendly town – I call it a town because I grew up here, but it’s a major city,” Boggess said. “At the same time we want the citizens of San Antonio to embrace what is happening with the military.”

The City of San Antonio launched its multimedia campaign “Embrace BRAC San Antonio” at Fort Sam Houston’s historic Quadrangle, July 17.

The campaign aims to create greater local awareness about opportunities the multi-billion dollar project brings to the community and includes events, billboards, public service announcements and a Web site, www.embracebrac.org. Welcome kits with information including DVDs are also available for new Families.

Approximately 200 military representatives, community leaders and elected officials attended the opening ceremony. Haley Scarnato, a finalist on “American Idol,” sang a moving version of the “National Anthem” a cappella followed by speakers and unveiling the logo and campaign.

U.S. Army Garrison Commander Col. Mary Garr highlighted connections between the military and San Antonio that the Quadrangle and FSH symbolize, describing the 164-year history between the Army and the San Antonio community. She explained that prior to the Quadrangle’s completion in 1879 the Army used a variety of buildings and places in and around the city to manage and house its officers, troops, ammunition and supplies.
“The citizens of San Antonio and the civic and business communities played an important role in convincing Gen. Phil Sheridan to keep the Army in San Antonio after the Civil War,” she said.

The Army stayed in San Antonio and continued to look for a permanent location. City fathers donated an area east of the city in 1870 and the Quadrangle was the first building completed at the “Post of San Antonio,” renamed Fort Sam Houston in 1890.

“By 1887, San Antonio began expanding trolley lines to this area, local citizens called ‘Rattlesnake Hill,” Garr said. “Neighborhoods were established near the post since it was easier to commute. With the proximity of the Army, this area became known as Government Hill” and still exists today with a strong neighborhood association.”
Garr said expansion will provide lasting benefits to the community.

“BRAC stands for Base Realignment and Closure. But because this realignment will have such a positive impact on San Antonio, we think the BRAC acronym could also stand for Building Relationships Around Community,” said District 2 City Councilwoman Ivy Taylor.

Taylor stressed the economic growth due to the influx of business into San Antonio. 
“Large and small companies alike will have a chance to grow their businesses. That is why we need the people in the community to keep up with the progress. The public relations campaign is designed to keep people up-to-date with that information.”
She said there had been quite a lot of pre-planning and that planning continues.
“We also have the Fort Sam Houston Community Development Office where we have provided funding for staff who will be out in the community.”

“We were ranked number one in the nation in terms of the strength of our economy during this very difficult time and the reason we were is because of a very strong public-private effort here,” said Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, adding BRAC is the biggest economic development project in the history of San Antonio.

 “Soldiers and their Families will be coming into a military community which is thrilled to have them,” Garr said, “and a civilian community surrounding Fort Sam that is absolutely thrilled to have them.”