Why One Veteran Chose to Live in Robins Region, GA – and You Should, Too 

©Journal Communications/Jeff Adkins

Tim Craig was born and raised in Mobile, Alabama, enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and spent 20 years working in various locations. His family’s last assignment was in the Robins Region, where they decided to stay after Craig’s retirement in 2003. Now, another 20 years later, he’s the program manager and director for the Georgia Veterans Education Career Transition Resource (VECTR) Center. 

Craig shares why he decided to make the Robins Region home, and why he thinks it’s the ideal place for any veteran to put down roots. 

Why did you decide to stay in the Robins Region, and what do you love about living there? 

We love this location in Middle Georgia because it’s only about two hours from any place in the state that we would want to go. Even though we landed here based on the career paths my wife and I chose, the family friendliness in the area made it the perfect place for us to settle and reside. With Robins Air Force Base being here, every day in Warner Robins is Armed Forces Appreciation Day, so being in a place that highlights and supports the military is a great place to be for my family. 

Why is the area an especially good place for veterans to live? 

One reason is because Robins Air Force Base is one of the largest employers of people in Georgia. It houses a tremendous number of both military and civilians, and (the community) recognizes the viability and value of the Robins Air Force Base. The base generates somewhere between $4 billion and $5 billion for the Georgia economy. The partnership between the civilian and military installations, plus the housing, the school system and the infrastructure make it a very unique place. 

What are the resources available from the VECTR Center? 

The Georgia VECTR Center was a joint initiative between the local, county and state officials to better support those military members and their families who were actually leaving Robins Air Force Base. It’s based on three points: education, employment and entrepreneurship. We have many community resources available for veterans and their families. 

What is something that might surprise people about the Robins Region? 

I think the closeness of the community, the economy, the number of job opportunities available here, the number of educational institutions – like working with Central Georgia Technical College, which is the administrative host of the Georgia VECTR Center. They offer so many different programs and opportunities to help military people pursue education, employment and entrepreneurship opportunities. People who don’t know the Robins Region might be pleasantly surprised.