By Dewey Terrill and Dr. Ferrell Miller

JC Post

The Director of the Military Affairs Council with the Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce, Craig Bender, tackled multiple subjects including transportation during a briefing for the JC Breakfast Optimist Club Wednesday. “Soldiers often have zero to one car per family. If the Soldier takes the car to work, the spouse has no transportation to get to the PX, Commissary or into Junction City” to shop. Bender reported that he is collaborating with the public bus service, ATA Bus to work through the issue.

Bender said transitioning from being a Soldier to civilian life can be made smoother through a program title “Soldier for Life,” in which a Soldier, while still on active duty and with the permission of their commanding officer may work in a vocational field as an intern or apprentice from two to six months, get certified and have marketable job skills to use at the conclusion of their military career.

Another area of responsibility is getting the spouse of Soldiers involved in the community. “If the spouse is involved and likes it here, it increases the possibility the family will stay here” after retirement or the extended term of service.

Bender stated some ways residents of the Junction City area can help promote the community to potential new businesses is to spread the word about the available of road and rail transportation nearby and encouraging the building of spaces for industries to come to this area. One such industry might be a potential business involved unmanned aerial systems. “There are people at Fort Riley and Kansas State, who have skills in development and working with these systems, which is a potential for a business in Junction City.”

THe JC Breakfast Optimist Club meets every Wednesday morning with a breakfast buffet between 6 a.m. and 6:50 a.m., and a meeting from 6:50 to 7:30 a.m.