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Wednesday, 05 August 2026
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Written by Jamie Bishop
For generations, Fayetteville’s identity has been inseparable from Fort Bragg. The installation has shaped the city’s economy, culture and workforce, producing thousands of highly trained soldiers whose leadership and technical expertise have made an impact around the world.
The challenge has always been what happens when they leave the military.
Each year, approximately 7,000 soldiers transition out of service at Fort Bragg. Many possess advanced technical skills, security clearances and years of leadership experience, yet too often those professionals leave Cumberland County in search of opportunities elsewhere.
The Fayetteville Cumberland Economic Development Corporation believes it has a solution.
Now under development in downtown Fayetteville, the new Defense Innovation Center is designed to do more than provide office space. The 36,000-square-foot secure facility is intended to become the hub where military expertise, private industry and emerging technology meet under one roof. For FCEDC President and CEO Robert Van Geons, the vision began with a simple question: How can Fayetteville better capitalize on one of its greatest assets?
“The gap it fills is physical infrastructure,” Van Geons said. “Fort Bragg holds a concentration of operational expertise, and North Carolina has an established commercial technology sector. There has been no accessible, secure location off post where the two could work together.”
That idea evolved into a facility unlike anything currently available in the region.
Plans call for flexible workspaces, private offices, training rooms, secure laboratories, multiple Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities and a secured briefing room capable of accommodating more than 200 people. Beyond its physical features, the center is designed to help technology companies navigate military acquisition processes while creating opportunities for service members to work directly with businesses developing the next generation of defense technologies.
“The facility serves as the anchor point of a regional defense innovation ecosystem,” Van Geons said. “It’s where talent connects with advanced employment opportunities and entrepreneurs advance new ideas.”
The impact extends well beyond active-duty soldiers.
Military spouses whose careers are often interrupted by relocations and deployments are also expected to benefit from employers establishing operations in the area. At the same time, the center is designed to help companies begin hiring immediately, even before permanent facilities are completed.
“The Center’s training rooms and key-man offices allow a company to hire and train in our community while its permanent facility is under construction or upfit,” Van Geons explained. “That shortens the time between a company’s decision to locate in Fayetteville and Cumberland County and its first local hire.”
Not everyone leaving military service is searching for a traditional job, however. Many veterans are launching businesses of their own, particularly in cybersecurity, logistics, artificial intelligence and defense technology. Van Geons says the Innovation Center was built with those entrepreneurs in mind.
“The secure offices, labs and demonstration space give those entrepreneurs a place to design, develop and prove new technologies, along with access to the operational community that will evaluate them,” he said. “The facility connects transitioning talent with employers seeking their skills while also providing a launch pad for those advancing their own ideas.”
The project represents a broader shift in how economic development is measured.
Rather than simply recruiting employers, communities are increasingly focused on building ecosystems where businesses, entrepreneurs and skilled workers can grow together. Fayetteville’s proximity to Fort Bragg positions it uniquely for that model, particularly as defense technology continues to evolve.
Looking ahead, Van Geons envisions the Defense Innovation Center serving as the front door to a much larger regional network.
“The Center operates as a portal,” he said. “Veteran talent, startups, defense innovators, research collaborators and military thought leaders will pass through the facility to train, hire and advance new technology before establishing permanent operations across Fayetteville and Cumberland County.”
Success, he says, won’t be measured solely by the number of companies inside the building, but by the long-term impact throughout the community.
“Our goal is for Fayetteville and Cumberland County to be recognized nationally as the place where commercial technology and operational military expertise come together.”
If that vision becomes reality, the Defense Innovation Center won’t simply change the downtown skyline.
It could redefine how the rest of the country sees Fayetteville not only as the home of Fort Bragg, but as one of America’s emerging centers for defense innovation.
(Photo: Guests were welcomed inside the Defense Innovation Center, June 25 for a first look at the vision taking shape. The 36,000-square-foot building will feature key-man offices, conference and training rooms, multiple SCIFs and a large 200+-person presentation hall. Photo courtesy of Cumberland County, NC Government's Facebook page)
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Wednesday, 05 August 2026
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Written by Mahalia Cooks
“Finish lines are lifelines,” according to Army veteran Jonathan Milkovich. This motto is the driving force behind why he founded the nonprofit organization Operation WarriorFit and is embarking on his most ambitious challenge this fall.
Operation WarriorFit helps first responders, veterans and active-duty service members find and maintain their inner purpose and stay fit by funding entries into competitions and active events. Those who’ve dedicated their lives to service can enjoy free or discounted entry into marathons, 5Ks and 10Ks, obstacle course races and many more events.
The organization arose from Milkovich’s own efforts to join races while on a tight budget after he left the military.
Like many, Milkovich started college right at 18, but he soon found that adjusting to this new way of life proved easier said than done.
“I was probably one of those individuals that should not have gone to college at 18,” Milkovich said. “I had a lot to still learn and had a little too much fun right after high school.”
After failing out of college, Milkovich joined the military, which changed his life for better and for worse. Alongside enduring physical ailments like back and knee issues, Milkovich also learned valuable lessons that would influence his future steps.
“It’s where my best friends came from, to this day, and it gave me that discipline in my life as a whole that allowed me to set myself up for success for my second college story,” he said, referring to his successful undergraduate stint and current MBA program at Syracuse University.
Leaving the military required another recalibration of his motivations.
“I came out of service, I’d lost one of my guys right before I got out, and I slowed down, and everything started catching up to me,” Milkovich said. Doing races helped restore that needed structure, but many are expensive to enter, and organizations at the time mainly offered charity bibs for major marathons — not local events.
Operation WarriorFit fills that gap.
Their database currently has over 100 registered members and more than 2,700 race entries in 30 states. To keep things fair, entries are distributed through a lottery system 12 weeks before a race begins, providing enough time for members to train and prepare for their desired event. Once on the road to the race, members can join Community Groups to train with people in their area and maintain their mental and physical resilience through external uplift.
This network of communities exemplifies the organization’s R.E.A.D.Y. framework, which stands for resilience, endurance, accountability, dedication, and, most importantly, you. A race is essentially “giving you that endurance and building that accountability that you can take into other aspects of your life,” Milkovich said. “You’re building those moments that you’re able to really think through something and be like, ‘Hey, this isn’t the hardest thing I’ve done, let me continue through with it.’”
Explore OWF Community Groups at https://www.operationwarriorfit.org/community-groups.
As a part of Milkovich’s actions to spread the word about Operation WarriorFit’s contributions to mental and physical health support and awareness, he’s taking on a new journey that will further his goals.
Operation Carolina is Milkovich’s biggest mission yet: a 700-mile solo run across the state of North Carolina in 17 days. With his aim to cover about 40 miles a day, his run will start on Monday, Sept. 21, in Murphy and end on Wednesday, Oct. 7, in Hatteras Point.
This run will take him from the mountains to the coast and many more places in between, testing his physical and mental endurance throughout. The goal is to start 22 conversations each day about mental health, both in person and on social media.
“We’re gonna take an approach to understand what people are going through and what support we can provide,” Milkovich said, adding that assisting people also involves collaborating with other nonprofits, such as Catch a Lift Fund.
The in-person element is where you come in. Anyone can join the route alongside Milkovich after mile 10 on each day; then, stay for as few or as many miles as you want. Whether you show up individually or with friends, you’ll build community and connect with like-minded people. Milkovich wants participants to walk away knowing this can be the first step that enables them to reach greater heights in racing.
“We want people to come out, whether you can run a mile, bike a mile, skateboard a mile, whatever it may be,” he said.
See more details on how to be a part of the run at https://www.operationwarriorfit.org/operation-carolina.
North Carolinians can keep up with the journey through daily updates, including morning video previews of each day’s route, evening recaps and live GPS tracking through the Operation WarriorFit website. The entire route will also be viewable through an interactive map on Strava at https://www.strava.com/routes/3458317396815052932.
Fleet Feet Charlotte is the title sponsor for Operation Carolina. This business equips runners with the right gear and offers expert training, making them the perfect partner for this bold initiative. Coinciding with their participation, there will be a large community meetup and group run once Milkovich reaches Charlotte.
As Operation WarriorFit is still fairly new, Milkovich and his board of directors look forward to making even bigger moves in supporting service members, veterans and first responders, including offering access to run coaches and training resources and continuing to expand their Community Groups.
Operation WarriorFit will also encompass more events in numerous categories as it grows — from running and rock climbing to biking and swimming.
“If it gets you out there and it gets you moving and healthy and putting something on your calendar to stick around for another week or two, we’re working to have that on our website,” Milkovich said.
Keep up with Operation Carolina on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569077765518 and Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/operationwf/. If you’d like to support Operation WarriorFit or apply to start looking for races near you, kick things off at https://www.operationwarriorfit.org/get-involved.
(Photo: Jonathan Milkovich, the founder of Operation WarriorFit, plans to run the 700 miles across the state of North Carolina to raise awareness for mental health for veterans, soldiers and first responders. Photos courtesy of John Milkovich)
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