Accomplishments

Military City USA^® Support and Partnerships

During the past 15 years, the City of San Antonio and its Military and Veterans Affairs Department have:

• Advocated for new and expanded missions at Joint Base San Antonio’s (JBSA) installations. JBSA’s workforce has continued to grow over the last several years with personnel performing cyber, medical, flying, and training missions
• Invested/leveraged more than $138 million for JBSA commander priority infrastructure projects
• Executed Intergovernmental Support Agreements (IGSA) to provide on-base services that reduce costs
• Implemented land use controls protecting installations from encroachment/development that would threaten existing and future military missions
• Advanced JBSA’s and BAMC’s interests at the State Legislature and at the Pentagon
• Supported military families through spousal hiring and other programs

Advocacy

The City continuously advocates on behalf of JBSA and military families at the State and Federal level.

• San Antonio has not lost any missions in the past two decades due to the City and its partners aggressively and successfully opposing legislation that would enable incompatible land use around military installations, such as:
  • Protecting the City’s Tree Preservation Ordinance that mitigates against endangered bird species from seeking new habitats on Camp Bullis, threatening the mission.
  • Drafting language to create the 5-mile Military Protection Areas in the 2017 Annexation Bill to ensure continued enforced of development standards in the City’s ETJ.
  • Added bracketed exemptions in numerous bills for cities with a military installation in its ETJ.
• We championed a Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) request to recognize military treatment facilities as participating Medicaid providers during the 87th Texas State Legislature, which was signed into law.
• As a member of the Texas Mayors of Military Communities (TMMC) coalition, we restored funding for DEAAG in 2015 and have advocated for continued funding every Session since.
• We supported several pieces of legislation to ease military family relocations to Texas, including professional licensure portability and school registration upon receipt of Permanent Change of Station order.

Family/Community Support

• The City continues to fund a highly successful Military Spouse Fellowship Program agreement with the Hiring Our Heroes Foundation
  • City has provided funding of over half a million dollars since 2019 towards the Military Spouse Fellowship Program.
  • 92% of fellows received permanent employment with a $61k average annual salary
• Incorporate military dependents into City’s SA: Ready to Work jobs training program
  • JBSA assisting with program education outreach to military families
  • Registration intake includes military demographic questions
• Guided effort for City’s Pre-K 4-SA program and Workforce Solutions Alamo to provide military families priority eligibility status in affordable childcare programs
• Annual recognition by the City Council of veterans, active-duty military and military families, and support for Veterans Day, Women Veterans Day, and Memorial Day celebrations.
• Selected to host the 2020 Department of Defense Warrior Games
• Selected as a Hidden Heroes City by the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, advocating for those family members who provide care to wounded, ill and injured military members
• Partnered with the U.S. Army on the Partnership for Your Success (PaYS) Program guaranteeing Soldiers leaving the service an interview and possible employment with the City.

Partially funded the Good Samaritan Veterans Outreach & Transition Center, which provides no-cost personalized services/referrals to transitioning service members, veterans, reservists, and family members.

Ongoing City/Military Coordination

• Annual visits to the Pentagon by Mayor, City Manager and Military/Veteran Affairs Department Director
• Staff support and Council co-chairmanship of Military Transformation Task Force (MTTF)
• Council-appointed and staff-supported Veterans Advisory Commission (VAC)
• Trademarked Military City USA branding; licensing to local companies such as USAA and the Spurs