Economics professor Paul Coomes and his colleagues have embarked on the third edition of research for the Kentucky Commission on Military Affairs. The research and written materials help the state understand and communicate how large the military is in Kentucky, and how defense dollars ripple through our regional economies. The most visible components are the Army's operations at Fort Knox and Fort Campbell. Kentucky has the sixth highest Army presence of any state. Over $8 billion in defense spending occurs annually in Kentucky, including payrolls for personnel, veterans' benefits, and contracts for equipment, services, and construction. In terms of employment, the military is the largest mobile industry in Kentucky - mobile in the sense that the activity could be located in other states, and therefore brings new dollars into our economies. The regional economic impacts are greatest in the Elizabethtown, Louisville,  Hopkinsville-Clarksville, and Lexington metropolitan areas. This latest study will provide an extended analysis of the local economic impacts of the large growth in operations at Fort Knox that resulted from the last round of the Base Closure and Realignment Commission (BRAC).