By Chuck Wullenjohn – Yuma Sun Staff Writer

“Yuma is a town of fervent military supporters, and it’s been that way for a long, long time.”

“Dating back to 1850 when the Army first established a permanent local presence at Fort Yuma, a heritage that continues at U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground today, the military has played a significant role in molding and forming the Yuma community. In today’s economy, the combined over one billion dollars of annual spending by Yuma’s two bases makes the military’s economic impact the second largest component of the Yuma economy, after agriculture. By itself, YPG is the largest single employer of civilians in Yuma County.”