Colorado’s Military Legacy and the People Behind Progressive Property Group

Honoring the service members, veterans, and military families who have helped shape Colorado’s communities

Colorado is known for its mountain landscapes, innovative industries, and strong sense of community. It is also home to one of the most significant military populations in the United States. Service members, veterans, civilian employees, and military families have played an important role in Colorado’s history and continue to strengthen communities across the state.

At Progressive Property Group, that connection is personal. Many members of our team have military affiliations through their own service, their spouses, their parents, or other close family members. Those experiences have helped shape the values we bring to our work, including accountability, adaptability, communication, respect, and a commitment to serving others.

As Colorado celebrates 150 years of statehood, we are proud to recognize the military community as an essential part of the state’s past, present, and future.

Colorado’s Longstanding Military History

Colorado’s military history began before it officially became a state in 1876. According to the Colorado National Guard, the region’s first organized military companies were authorized in 1860. After Colorado became a United States territory in 1861, the Colorado Volunteers were organized to support the territory and the nation.

Over the generations that followed, Colorado service members participated in national defense operations, disaster response, humanitarian missions, wildfire support, search and rescue efforts, and community emergencies. The role of Colorado’s military community has continued to evolve alongside changes in technology, national security, and the needs of the state.

Today, Colorado is home to active duty service members, members of the National Guard and Reserve, veterans, military retirees, Department of Defense employees, contractors, and thousands of military family members.

The Colorado National Guard alone includes more than 5,500 Citizen Soldiers and Citizen Airmen from communities throughout the state. In addition to supporting federal missions, Guard members may assist Colorado communities during wildfires, severe weather, emergencies, and other events requiring statewide coordination. Learn more about the Colorado National Guard.

Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak Region

The military presence in the Pikes Peak region is one of the defining features of Colorado Springs. The region is home to five major military installations representing three service branches:

• Fort Carson
• Peterson Space Force Base
• Schriever Space Force Base
• Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station
• The United States Air Force Academy

Together, these installations support military readiness, education, space operations, national defense, research, technology, and thousands of military connected households.

Colorado Springs is more than a duty station. For many service members and their families, it becomes a meaningful chapter of their lives. Some arrive for a temporary assignment, while others decide to remain in Colorado after retirement or separation from the military. Military families become neighbors, small business owners, educators, volunteers, students, and community leaders.

Fort Carson

Fort Carson was established in 1942 after the United States entered World War II. Today, it is home to the 4th Infantry Division and several additional Army units and organizations.

According to a February 2025 Fort Carson fact sheet, the installation supported approximately 23,716 active duty military members and 57,220 family members. The same report estimated Fort Carson’s annual economic impact at approximately $2.55 billion. Significantly for the Colorado housing market, the report stated that approximately 82 percent of Fort Carson soldiers and their families lived outside the installation.

These figures demonstrate how closely the military and civilian communities are connected. Local neighborhoods, schools, employers, housing providers, service businesses, and community organizations all contribute to the experience of living in the Pikes Peak region.

The United States Air Force Academy

The United States Air Force Academy is one of Colorado Springs’ most recognizable institutions. It educates and develops future Air Force and Space Force officers while contributing to the region through education, athletics, research, employment, and public engagement.

The Academy’s presence has helped establish Colorado Springs as a center for military leadership and aerospace innovation. It also attracts cadets, faculty members, military personnel, civilian employees, graduates, and visitors from around the country.

Peterson, Schriever, and Cheyenne Mountain

Colorado Springs also has a central role in the nation’s space and defense missions. Peterson Space Force Base, Schriever Space Force Base, and Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station support military space operations, satellite systems, command functions, communications, and other national security responsibilities.

Their presence connects Colorado’s traditional military history with the future of national defense. As technology continues to evolve, the Pikes Peak region remains an important location for military, aerospace, cyber, and space related careers.

Colorado’s Military Community Extends Beyond Colorado Springs

Although Colorado Springs has an especially visible military presence, Colorado’s military community reaches across the state.

Buckley Space Force Base in Aurora supports active duty personnel, National Guard members, reservists, civilian employees, contractors, veterans, and retirees. The installation is home to Space Base Delta 2, Mission Delta 4, the Colorado Air National Guard’s 140th Wing, and numerous mission partners. Its responsibilities include support for space based missile warning, space surveillance, communications, and other defense operations. Explore Buckley Space Force Base’s official units and mission.

The Colorado National Guard also has members and units positioned throughout the Front Range and Western Slope. Its service members live and work in Colorado communities while remaining prepared to respond to state and federal missions.

This statewide presence is especially meaningful to Progressive Property Group because our work is not limited to one Colorado Springs neighborhood. We provide property management services for residential and commercial properties in communities across Colorado. Understanding the diversity of these communities is an important part of providing responsive and responsible service.

The Unique Housing Experience of Military Households

Military life can bring housing circumstances that differ from those experienced by many civilian households. A permanent change of station may require a family to research a new community from another state or country. Orders can arrive on a limited timeline, and deployment, training, or reassignment may affect a household’s plans.

Military households may need to consider factors such as:

• Reporting dates and relocation schedules
• Commute times and transportation routes
• Lease terms and availability dates
• School and childcare transitions
• Pet policies
• Maintenance communication during deployments
• Moving and household goods schedules
• Coordination between spouses or authorized representatives
• The possibility of future reassignment

Every household is different, however, and military affiliation should never be used to make assumptions about an applicant’s preferences, finances, family structure, lifestyle, or housing qualifications.

Responsible property management means providing accurate property information, communicating clearly, applying lawful screening standards consistently, and allowing each prospective resident to determine whether a property meets their individual needs.

Fair Housing Protections for Service Members and Veterans

The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits housing discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, and disability. These protections apply to many activities connected with renting, purchasing, financing, and advertising housing. Review HUD’s Fair Housing Act overview.

Colorado law includes additional protections. In 2022, Colorado enacted House Bill 22 1102, which added veteran or military status as a protected class in housing. The law generally prohibits denying, withholding, or offering different housing terms because of a person’s qualifying veteran or military status. It also prohibits discriminatory housing advertisements that indicate an unlawful preference or limitation.

The law defines veteran or military status to include qualifying members and veterans of the United States Armed Forces, Armed Forces Reserve, and National Guard. Limited inquiries may be permitted when they are necessary to determine eligibility for a lawful military or veteran housing benefit. Read the Colorado General Assembly’s summary of HB22 1102.

Source of income is also protected under Colorado housing law, subject to provisions and limited statutory exceptions. A lawful source of income can include money received through employment as well as qualifying government or private assistance programs. This protection is particularly relevant when applicants receive military pay, retirement income, disability benefits, housing assistance, or other lawful income.

Fair housing compliance is not simply a statement placed at the bottom of a listing. It should be reflected throughout the housing process, including:

• Property advertising
• Responses to inquiries
• Showing availability
• Application requirements
• Screening standards
• Approval and denial decisions
• Deposits and fees
• Lease terms
• Maintenance services
• Reasonable accommodation requests
• Renewals and notices

Progressive Property Group supports equal housing opportunity and seeks to provide consistent, respectful service without unlawful discrimination.

How Military Connections Influence Our Company Culture

At Progressive Property Group, military affiliation is part of the personal story of many people on our team. Some have direct experience with military life, while others have supported spouses, parents, relatives, or loved ones who served.

Although every experience is different, military connected families often understand the importance of preparation, flexibility, dependable communication, and following through on responsibilities. These values strongly align with the work of professional property management.

A maintenance concern requires coordination and documentation. A property owner needs accurate information to make decisions. A resident deserves clear communication about the home they occupy. A vendor needs organized instructions and timely updates. A relocation requires multiple people to complete their responsibilities within a limited period.

Property management is ultimately about people, trust, and accountability. Our connection to the military community reminds us that a home is not simply an address on a lease. It is where residents build routines, care for their families, prepare for the next stage of life, and find stability during periods of change.

Supporting Property Owners in Military Communities

Colorado’s military presence also creates important considerations for rental property owners. Some owners purchase an investment property near a military installation. Others become rental owners after receiving orders that require them to leave Colorado before they are ready to sell their home.

Keeping a Colorado property may allow an owner to maintain a connection to the state, return to the home later, or build a long term real estate investment. However, owning a rental from another city, state, or country can also create logistical challenges.

A professional property management company can help coordinate responsibilities such as:

• Marketing a rental property using accurate and compliant information
• Responding to prospective resident inquiries
• Coordinating property showings
• Processing applications under established qualification standards
• Preparing leases and required disclosures
• Documenting the property’s condition
• Coordinating maintenance and repairs
• Communicating with residents and vendors
• Maintaining financial records
• Providing owners with property related updates
• Monitoring relevant changes in Colorado rental requirements

Management services and responsibilities depend on the property, the management agreement, and applicable law. Property owners should review their specific circumstances with qualified real estate, legal, tax, and financial professionals when appropriate.

Serving Residents With Consistency and Respect

Military affiliation can be an important part of someone’s identity, but it does not define every need or preference that person may have.

A newly assigned service member may be searching for a rental while coordinating a move from across the country. A military spouse may be managing a relocation while beginning a new job. A veteran may have lived in Colorado for decades. A National Guard member may be balancing military service with a civilian career. A retiree may be searching for a long term home near family.

Each person deserves individual attention and access to the same accurate information, lawful procedures, and respectful communication.

At Progressive Property Group, our goal is to maintain organized processes while recognizing that real people are affected by every housing decision. We believe professionalism and compassion can exist together.

A Progressive Approach to Property Management

Colorado continues to grow and change, but the military community remains an important part of its identity. Service members and veterans contribute to our neighborhoods, economy, schools, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and civic life. Military spouses and family members make sacrifices of their own while building communities wherever they are assigned.

For Progressive Property Group, honoring that community means more than using patriotic language. It means building responsible systems, following fair housing requirements, treating applicants and residents consistently, and helping property owners understand their responsibilities.

It also means recognizing the military connections within our own team and the experiences that influence how we serve others.

As Colorado celebrates its 150th anniversary, we are grateful for the people who have protected, supported, and strengthened this state throughout its history. We look forward to continuing our work in the communities they call home through a progressive approach to property management.

Progressive Property Group is committed to compliance with the Fair Housing Act and all state and federal fair housing laws. We do business in accordance with equal housing opportunity