Junction City Chamber of Commerce officials recently traveled to Clarksville, Tennessee where they learned about the growth in that community adjacent to Fort Campbell, and the retention rate of Soldiers who remain there after leaving the military.

For those non-career Soldiers leaving the Army the rate is 47-49% compared to 16-20% five years ago. The percentage of career Soldiers who retire from the military and remain in the Clarksville area is currently in the 67-69% range compared to 45-50% five years ago.

Chamber President Mickey Fornaro-Dean and Military Affairs Council Director Craig Bender reported on their trip this week during a meeting with the Chamber board in Junction City.

Fornaro-Dean noted that they were informed in Clarksville that they do what’s best for their community, not the easiest. The population of that Tennessee city has grown during the last 15 years.

Approximately 27,000 troops are stationed at Fort Campbell. Also, 80% of the active duty Soldiers at Fort Campbell live in Clarksville and not on post, and the City recently received an $8 million grant for use with their workforce.

Fornaro-Dean noted that Clarksville is a bigger place than Junction City, but they do a lot that Junction City can leverage. There are some ideas that can be implemented quickly and others long term. She commented in the short term one example could be a Spouse’s Day where military spouses would be hosted with activities and be presented with educational information.