Companies either located in the Grand Rapids area or with manufacturing operations in the Grand Rapids area received $24,004,921 in military contracts during March according to documents available from various government sources. This amount is a dramatic increase from February, when $2,614,448 in military contracts were distributed.

The number of contracts and total dollars highlight the variety of ways in which local companies are contributing to “the war on terror” and the occupation of Iraq:

• Cardinal Maintenance Service received a $111,532 contract to providing maintenance services at the Naval air station in Key West, Florida.
• Choice Services received a $9,732 contract for food services for the Air National Guard.
• Eaton Aerospace received three contracts worth $162,960 for components used in military aircraft.
• L-3 Communications received three contracts worth $339,766 to produce military aircraft components for the Air Force.
• Smiths Aerospace received a contract for $16.5 million dollars for components for the F/A-18 fighter.
• Wolverine Worldwide received a $6.8 million contract from the Navy for leather dress shoes.

Additionally, the large military contractor Raytheon received a $16,103,430 contract for thermal sight systems with 10% of the work being completed in Grand Rapids. It is also worth noting that General Dynamics, received a $17 million contract for work on M1A1 tanks with 3% of the work being done in Muskegon.

While military contracts rarely get attention in the corporate media, WZZM 13 did report on Smiths Aerospace’s $16 million contract:

WZZM 13 News Reader – But there is some encouraging economic news tonight, Smith’s Aerospace has been awarded a contract worth an estimated $34.5 million dollars. Smith’s works on various military projects and has operations around the world including Grand Rapids. This contract would last for 5 years and focus on upgrading on logistics systems on various military aircraft. Smith’s says the work will be done at facilities in Michigan and Florida. (Total Time: 24 seconds)

Unfortunately, the story was typical in that it provides no context about what the exactly the contract is for, nor does it provide any information about how the aircraft (the F/A-18) is used in the ongoing “war on terror” and the occupation of Iraq. Similarly, the report essentially is a rehashing of press releases sent to the media by both Smiths Aerospace and the Department of Defense.