Training Center ranks as a good neighbor, asset

Yakima is a military town, yet many people may not realize that.

Unless, of course, you're one of the 550 civilian and military employees who work full time at the Yakima Training Center, making it one of the county's top 10 employers.

Or, if you're among the multitude of retailers, etc., that do business with them as they make a significant contribution to the area's economy. Together with contracts and other expenses, the training center contributes an estimated $35 million per year to the local economy.

Or, you happen to be among the thousands who over the years have received military training at this premier facility. It's used for training by Fort Lewis, near Tacoma, but has also hosted units from other parts of the world, as well as reservists doing summer duty or being readied for active duty deployment.

The vast expanses of the center are ideally suited for everything from small unit exercises to large-scale military maneuvers and mock warfare, all of which have taken on new meaning in recent years with this country's involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. The center is currently playing host to about 2,200 soldiers a day, with fixed barracks for 2,500.

But more than a valuable training facility, the Yakima facility is also a good neighbor. Because the center has no post housing, the 550 employees who work there live in the Yakima Valley -- primarily Selah, Yakima and Naches. They pay taxes, raise their children and contribute to their communities.

We take this occasion to acknowledge the many contributions of the Yakima Training Center, both to the nation's security and defense and as partners in the Yakima Valley.

Thanks for a job well done, and for so long. We look forward to the continued partnership for many more years to come.

* Members of the Yakima Herald-Republic editorial board are Michael Shepard, Sarah Jenkins, Bill Lee and Karen Troianello.

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