Project STEADI (Simulation Technology Education Assisting the Defense Industry) is a collaborative planning effort building upon an existing exceptional public/private partnership and including Columbus State University (CSU), the Columbus Regional Technology Incubator (Center for Innovation), Fort Benning, Homeland Security and Defense Industry Contractors, and multiple economic development partners.

The Chattahoochee Valley region will be experiencing explosive growth of over 35,000 new residents by September 2011 due to the impact of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC 2005) decisions to expand the mission of Fort Benning. Growth of this scale will generate approximately 11,000 new jobs and draw attention to the region as an attractive site for new business. Homeland Security and Defense Industry companies are already looking to the Chattahoochee Valley region as a potential new location because of the dramatic increase in Defense Industry high technology opportunities that will come with the move of the Armor School from Fort Knox, KY, to Fort benning and its integration into the new Maneuver Center of Excellence (MCOE) at Fort Benning.

As the mission of Fort Benning expands, many of the new employment opportunities will require more specialized job skills directly related to the new equipment densities and technology associated with the MCOE addressing Combat and Materiel Technology Development as well as Maneuver Battle Labs (Infantry and Armor Think Tanks).

As a result, the Chattahoochee Valley region is experiencing a current and anticipated future surge in demand for educational programs in computer Modeling, Simulation and Gaming Technology.

Wayne Summers (standing) discusses STEADI during an April 1 press conference to introduce the initiative.
Seated from left: Carmen Cavezza, Mike Gaymon and Frank Brown. Photo by Bill Sutley
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