WASHINGTON -- Wright-Patterson Air Force Base helps prepare the military and protect the nation. But it's becoming increasingly clear: the base is also needed to protect the Dayton-area's economy.

One Dayton business leader who arrived in Washington, D.C. Tuesday to lobby for additional funding and programs for the base told whiotv.com, "It's massively important. We would not be the same community without it. So it's important we look to add other programs to it."

One hundred Dayton-area business and governmental leaders met with Air Force leaders Tuesday to nudge the military for new missions, equipment, and funding for the base. The efforts of the same group in 2005 helped Wright-Patterson survive the military's Base Realignment and Closure process. What's more it helped the base add 1,000 new jobs.

The group, including Dayton Mayor Rhine McLin, met behind closed doors with two assistant secretaries of the Air Force to discuss the military's future plans for the base. The Dayton-area leaders recently began lobbying the military to use Wright-Patterson for the testing and manufacturing of new Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.

Such a project would likely lead to added job growth. In a region that has been economically devastated by layoffs at manufacturing facilities, McLin said Wright-Patterson jobs are needed to rescue faltering property values and small businesses.

McLin told whiotv.com, "It's all about economic development. When people have jobs, people buy homes. Therefore, it's a ripple effect. The education system increases. Jobs are a key component to attracting people to your area."

To hear more of what McLin and Dayton-area business leaders said in Washington Tuesday, click on the links to the right.