Mission
Military Affairs Division--Mission and Activities
The Chamber’s Military Affairs Division has a two-fold mission. First is
to sustain and cultivate our long-standing tradition of support to our
local military community and their families. The second facet of this
Division is to advocate and facilitate local defense industry growth by
helping small businesses connect with Department of Defense (DoD)
contractors.
Supporting Our Military Community
The Military Affairs mission to help our military families is a central
theme to the division staff; however, they could not accomplish this
objective without the concerted efforts of hundreds of community
volunteers. These action-based groups and programs are: Military Affairs
Council, Defense Mission Task Force, Operation Home Front, Military Job
Fair, Military Spouse Career Committee, and Small Business Outreach
programs. Collectively, these groups and programs work to improve the
quality of life for our military families and collaterally improve the
economic viability of the Greater Colorado Springs Area.
Military Affairs Council (MAC)
Our area MAC, founded in 1941, is one of the most established and
effective organizations of its kind in the country. Comprised of more
than 200 members, the MAC is our lead a myriad of recognition events for
our military personnel. Such as the Annual Armed Forces Week
Celebration. Held in May, Armed Forces Week is a celebration comprised
of two cornerstone
events—a concert and an awards luncheon. During these gatherings our
community honors the contributions of our area military members with an
emphasis on recognizing the top enlisted personnel from each
installation—this is our most significant sponsorship event of the year.
Defense Mission Task Force (DMTF)
The DMTF was formed in 1989 and is a group of senior military and civic
leaders who work collaboratively to solve military installation
infrastructure challenges related to Base Realignment and Closure
Actions (BRAC) and mission changes. Their efforts over the last 17 years
have helped Colorado Springs maintain and develop a vast array of DoD
missions benefiting our local economy.
Advocate Defense Industry Growth
Small Business Outreach (SBO)
The Military Affairs Division and SCORE in collaboration with area
Installation Small Business Specialists (SBSs) host a two-day education
and training event. The purpose of this conference is to provide a forum
for small business owners to meet prime contractors, installation SBSs,
and acquire targeted training—from the experts—on how to effectively
navigate through the DoD business process. The next SBO is set to be anounced for 2009.
Military Family Career Fair
Each year the Chamber hosts a Job Fair for transitioning
military members. During this day-long event the chamber gathers 70-80
employers interested in hiring Veterans--scheduled for February 2007.
Military Spouse Career Committee
This group is comprised of family support and family readiness group
representatives from each installation. Collectively, they combined
their resources to help prepare military spouses for employment. |
