The new director of the Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Council, Craig Bender begins work Tuesday.

Recently retired from the military, Bender will return to an area where he spent time while serving in the Army at Fort Riley. “My family and I lived here for about five years, really involved in this community out in Milford. Just getting out of the Army and I still really enjoy dealing with the Army. This just seems like a good fit where it came to being able to help the community and still be tied in to the military. So the two just seemed to go hand in hand.”

Bender retired from the Army with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.