For more than 70 years, Colorado has been an indispensible location for military training, stretching back to the heroic 10th Mountain Division that trained skiing soldiers here for pivotal World War II battles in the snows of the Italian mountains. That legacy continues today as troops train here to be prepared for rugged, high-altitude terrain around the globe.
Thanks to a new landmark report from the Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, we are not only being reminded of the unique role Colorado plays in protecting our national security, but also how the defense sector is a huge economic driver and job creator for Colorado. It’s a critical connection that we must not only appreciate, but also nurture and grow in the years to come.
The “Report on the Comprehensive Military Value and Economic Impact of Department of Defense Activities in Colorado” shows that the defense sector, including direct and indirect jobs, has become the third-largest industry in the state, matching agriculture.
Our mission at Colorado Wants You, a new nonpartisan, nonprofit group of civic and business leaders volunteering to promote the military’s mission here, is to focus on what sets our state apart from the rest of the nation. I am proud to chair this group along with former U.S. Sen. Hank Brown and former Colorado College president (and former Ohio governor) Dick Celeste.
While many states will boast about the economic benefits of military activity, only Colorado has the kind of unmatched natural assets that our military simply cannot find anywhere else. What makes Colorado so special?
As the report states, “The unique combination of the flat plains landscape that quickly rises to meet the Rocky Mountain range allows a rich mix of geographical environments for land and air training.” In other words, we are simply the gold standard for military training, whether on the Western Slope, at Cheyenne Mountain, the U.S. Air Force Academy or at Buckley Air Force Base, or our other military installations.
But as anyone in economic development will tell you, these natural gifts, no matter how attractive for military training, are not sufficient to create the kind of robust economic activity that Colorado is seeing in the defense sector. The report shows that we have built on this foundation and developed a synergy between the public and private sector that is of immense value to both the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and to the state’s economy.
Equally important, Colorado higher education institutions are providing excellent and relevant training and education that is not only aiding our veterans, but is also helping to build a world-class workforce that is hugely attractive to the DOD and defense companies alike. In addition, Colorado Wants You is committed to pushing for the kind of world-class medical care that veterans in our state not only need but also richly deserve.
Consider these facts:
• Total DOD-related employment represents 5.2 percent of the state workforce, or 170,000 jobs, accounting for $11.6 billion in total labor earnings.
• DOD-related activity accounts for 6.5 percent of the Gross Regional Product.
• Defense-related economic activity in just three counties — El Paso, Arapahoe and Weld — accounts for $10.5 billion annually.
• Twenty counties in the state benefit from DOD-related employment.
In the years ahead, Colorado Wants You will continue our focus here in Colorado and in Washington, D.C., on the indispensable role that the state plays in military training and in our national security. The combination of Colorado’s unique God-given assets with the world-class economic assets we offer in terms of a ready workforce, quality of life and the potential for business growth going forward is the bright picture our team of civic leaders is painting about the military’s mission in Colorado.
Joe Blake is chancellor emeritus at Colorado State University and chairman of Colorado Wants You.
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