General Wickert, commander of Edwards Air Force Base, told Tehachipod that Edwards runs like an 8,000-person company with roughly $1.4 billion in operating authority and about $1 billion in payroll, money he said flows into the local economy.

"If we were a corporation, we'd be an 8,000 person company with a $1,400,000,000 of operating, of revenue. About a billion dollars of that is payroll, and that comes right back into the local community," General Wickert said.

The base’s daily population and payroll create secondary economic effects, the general said, and the base expects significant new hires tied to an increased testing workload. He told podcast hosts Maya Acosta, Greg Garrett and Corey Costello that Edwards was asked to add about 2,000 employees by 2028 to support programs already committed; the base hired about 1,000 people in the first year of that effort.

The general said the base is operating at an unusually high operations tempo because the Air Force is modernizing multiple weapons systems simultaneously, which drives both hiring and community needs.

"We were told, sir, we need to hire 2,000 more people by 2028 just to support the test programs that we've already signed up for," he said. "In the first year, we hired a thousand." He also warned that a federal hiring freeze affecting new hires across government exists, although Edwards has secured exemptions for some positions.

Officials identified quality-of-life services as central to meeting hiring goals. Wickert said health care, housing availability and childcare affect mission readiness: limited child-development center hours due to staffing shortages have already forced reduced services.

Adventist Health Tehachapi Valley was mentioned as a potential partner exploring urgent-care options on or adjacent to the base; Wickert said such partnerships are being pursued to improve access to medical care for military families and civilian employees living in nearby towns.

The general framed quality-of-life investments as mission readiness rather than optional amenities: "My only regret with that quality of life priority is actually referring it to it as quality of life because it seems like that's kind of a nice to have, not a need to have. It's actually really a mission readiness." He said improved local services help keep airmen focused on high-risk testing duties.

The base encourages people interested in future positions to monitor hiring announcements; Wickert said the base will continue to seek applicants as it gains authority to fill positions and receives exemptions from any hiring restrictions.

The interview made clear the base’s payroll, hiring needs and service gaps have immediate local economic and social impacts, and Edwards is engaging local partners to address housing, healthcare and childcare shortfalls that could slow recruiting and retention.