Group hosts VEDP marketers to showcase unique attributes of Army base and its people.
Petersburg—Virginia’s Gateway Region (VGR) hosted a familiarization tour for employees of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership this month to showcase the vast workforce training and critical operations that occur at the Army’s Fort Lee military base, located in the heart of the region.
“Fort Lee is often an overlooked treasure in our regional economy,” said Keith Boswell, President and CEO of Virginia’s Gateway Region. “We wanted to spend an entire workday showcasing this economic development asset to the Commonwealth’s marketing machine, VEDP. I think everyone walked away with a much broader understanding of the Fort’s impact on Virginia’s Gateway Region and the Commonwealth.”
The group was escorted by Captain Junias Jackson and toured the Quartermaster Museum, the Live Paratrooper Training Center, the U.S Army Ordnance School and the U.S. Army Transportation School. Fort Lee supports nearly 28,000 people on post and 63,000 people off post. As many as 70,000 troops pass through its classrooms each year, making it the third largest training site in the Army.
“From learning about the intensive training required to disable explosives, to seeing the pride of soldiers graduating from the Army Logistics and Air Transportation Schools, I have a deeper appreciation for the role Fort Lee plays in America’s military,” said Reggie Tabor, Economic Development Manager for the City of Petersburg. “We’re excited to work with VGR to dive even deeper into the economic impact the base has on our city and region.”
About Virginia’s Gateway Region
Virginia’s Gateway Region exists to enhance the economic development opportunities for the cities of Colonial Heights, Hopewell and Petersburg, and the counties of Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, Prince George, Surry and Sussex. Virginia’s Gateway Region is a private, nonprofit organization that is publicly and privately funded to facilitate new business opportunities, work with existing businesses, advance resources that will enhance the economic viability of the region and foster regional cooperation among the public and private entities that are involved in economic development activities.
About Fort Lee
Located in Central Virginia, Fort Lee is home to the U.S. Army Combined Arms Support Command (CASCOM) and serves as a focused training installation for military supply, subsistence, maintenance, munitions, transportation and more. Army Logistics University, the U.S. Army Quartermaster School, the U.S. Army Ordnance School and the U.S. Army Transportation School are all located at Fort Lee. Tenants of the installation include headquarters elements of the Defense Commissary Agency and Defense Contract Management Agency; Kenner Army Health Clinic; a Military Entrance Processing Station; and the only two active-duty mortuary affairs companies in the Army inventory.