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Columbus, Georgia: Civilian-Military Relationships Spawn Economic Development

As the 1990s approached, Columbus, Georgia knew that military base realignments and closures were about to happen. Rather than wait for the U.S. Department of Defense to make its decision, the Columbus Chamber of Commerce took a proactive position. Specifically, through the Military Affairs & Commercial Development and Economic Development departments, the chamber partnered with the military community at Fort Benning to leverage their unique asset (i.e., strong civilian-military relationships) to reach three key objectives. One, the chamber and Fort Benning have partnered to support the work force needs of new and existing industry. Two, they have joined forces to resolve the area's problematic shortage of land for industrial development. Three, they have worked together to bolster Fort Benning's value in Columbus. The joint venture between the civilian and military communities in the greater Columbus area has yielded several benefits. New and existing businesses have created thousands of jobs and invested millions of new capital while soldiers and their families have realized new economic opportunities. Land is now available to meet the rising demand for industrial space. Instead of losing units during the 1990s, Fort Benning has gained military operations. The Columbus Chamber of Commerce's relationship with the military dates back to the beginning of this century. In 1917, a chamber of commerce delegation was sent to Washington, D.C. to compete for a new military installation. In 1918, the U.S. Secretary of War awarded Columbus, Georgia the installation-Camp Benning. By 1922, Camp Benning was redesignated as Fort Benning, a permanent military installation. Since then, numerous units have been added to Fort Benning, even in the 1990s when base realignment and closures were in effect across the country. Fort Benning is by far the greater Columbus area's largest employer. As of June 1999, it employed 22,284 military personnel and 7,781 civilians. There are also approximately 52,298 family members of soldiers serving at Fort Benning who have access to various military services. Therefore, the economic impact of Fort Benning on the area is significant. Army School of Americas, a training institution for Latin American military officers and government civilian personnel, opened at Fort Benning. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, Fort Benning, and leaders in the greater Columbus area recognized the importance of a military operation's positioning within a community to its long-term sustainability. They refocused their efforts on strengthening the three factors that affect such …