With the Army and Air Force combining local operations as part of the joint base agreement, it's only natural local military associations follow suite to better serve their members.

That's the thinking behind the Association of the U.S. Army and the Air Force Association's local chapters latest move to bring their corporate members together to better acquaint each other to the advantages of dual membership.

Nearly 70 corporate leaders and individual members met April 8 at the Fort Lewis Golf Course banquet room in the first-ever meeting of the two associations' local chapters.

"Most of these people in here are a member of one or the other," said Tommy Carson, the local AFA chapter president. "I would say a small percentage are a member of both. Why not become members of both? They're both the same thing. You get a plaque to hang up at your business that shows you support the military. You meet military leaders, you get involved with events and activities at both of the bases."

After given a chance to socialize, business and community leaders settled in as Army Col. Tommy Brittain, Joint Base Lewis-McChord commander, and Air Force Col. Kenny Weldon, JBLM deputy commander, explained the finer points of the joint base merger and its effect on the local community.

"The local community is experiencing this (transition) in a good way and the relationships stay the same and maybe they even get better," Weldon told leaders.

"Tommy and I have been to forums with community leaders in previous occasions, and the community would meet with the Army and then they would meet with the Air Force and they'd try and sort out now what exactly they're saying.

"In this environment we're going to be coming to those forums more as a single entity in the future when we talk about master planning for the community and surrounding effects on the retiree population, for example."

Rick Stevens, a GEICO insurance agent based in Lakewood, has been a member of both associations for several years. After moving to the area from Louisiana years ago, the former servicemember said membership helped get him better acquainted with his military customer base.

"It gives you the opportunity to quickly tap into the military community and be introduced to the people who are in high-ranking positions that can give you more opportunities to support both installations," Stevens said.

Dual membership has helped Stevens serve both airmen and soldiers without actually putting on the uniform, he said.

"It gives businesses the opportunity to understand both military sides and ways they can promote their business," Stevens said.