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Canadian Forces Base Gagetown is an important link in the overall economy of New Brunswick and specifically the greater Fredericton-Oromocto areas.

The base has an annual budget of $600 million - more than $200 million of which is injected into the local area.

That translates into hundreds of jobs for civilians and much needed sales for the business community.

The future of the base has never seemed brighter.

An expanding Canadian military is relying more and more on its facilities to train the soldiers we need for domestic and oversees operations.

According to Col. Ken Chadder, the outgoing commander at CFB Gagetown, activity at the base will remain at a high level for the forseeable future.

This even applies after 2011, the date the government has promised to bring troops home from Afghanistan.

Brigades that have been going out of the country or to other Canadian bases during the Afghan mission will, instead, start making more use of the training areas at Gagetown.

That will mean more people contributing to the local economy.

"It will be a thriving environment here," said Chadder, a 32-year veteran of the Forces. "We're pre-positioning ourselves to be able to handle that from an infrastructure and support capability."

Examples of this can be found in upgrades to the underground steam lines, heating systems and in a new accommodation quarters currently under construction.

There are also plans to further develop Camp Petersville, situated in the southern portion of the base, and moves are being made to ensure the replacement of an aging vehicle fleet.

The base also supports more than 350 different activities throughout the province in a what has been described by many as a unique symbiotic military-civilian relationship.

The last couple of years, however, have been challenging ones for the base.

The 2007 mission, which saw the Gagetown-based Second Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment designated the lead unit for the formation of the battle group that travelled to Afghanistan, was a huge strain on resources.

"The support to Task Force 107 basically drained the base; it took all the resources we had to support (it)," Chadder said.

"Thanks to the army, they have given us more resources. We have hired more civilian members to the defence team, more reservists and we have got more money to help build the infrastructure and support the base.

"If you look around, there are lots of buildings being built and we have a five-year plan now of where we want to go and how we want to sustain the support here on the base."

The commitment and confidence shown in the base by decision makers in Ottawa bodes well for the region and province as a whole.

For better or worse, CFB Gagetown is becoming an increasingly important fixture in our economy.

When it does well, we do well.