CONTRIBUTED BY 2ND MISSION ALLIANCE
OPELIKA — 2nd Mission Alliance, a faith-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving veterans, first responders and their families, is building a new Leadership and Training Center at its Selah property in Opelika and will dedicate the facility in honor of Maj. John “Alex” Klinner.
The Major Alex Klinner Leadership and Training Center will provide approximately 5,000 square feet of covered, year-round space supporting the organization’s canine, equine and veteran programs.
For 2nd Mission Alliance President and founder Bill Schwenk, a retired Army officer and 23-year veteran, the decision to place Klinner’s name on the facility is about ensuring that a life of service continues to influence others.
“This isn’t about putting a name on a building,” Schwenk said. “It’s about carrying a legacy forward. Alex lived a life of service, leadership and commitment to others. We want every veteran, every first responder and every person who comes through this facility to know his name and understand what it represents.”
Klinner was a U.S. Air Force officer and pilot who dedicated his life to serving his country, his fellow airmen, his family and his community. His legacy extended beyond his accomplishments in uniform to the people he led, mentored and served alongside.
The new facility will become a central part of the work taking place at Selah, 2nd Mission Alliance’s approximately 26-acre property in Opelika.
The center will provide space for working-dog training and rehabilitation, equine activities, veteran and first responder programs, volunteer training, educational opportunities and community events.
It will also support the organization’s work with rescued working dogs and wild mustangs — animals that, much like the people 2nd Mission Alliance serves, are finding purpose again.
2nd Mission Alliance is building the Major Alex Klinner Leadership and Training Center differently.
Instead of relying solely on a traditional capital campaign, 2nd Mission Alliance has invited businesses, contractors, tradespeople and members of the community to become part of the project by contributing materials, equipment, professional expertise, labor and financial support.
That invitation has already generated significant community involvement.
Project partners and supporters include Alabama Power, Builders FirstSource and Martin Marietta Materials, along with local businesses, contractors, tradespeople, volunteers and individual donors who are contributing to the construction and development of Selah.
“This project is showing us what can happen when a community decides that everybody has something they can contribute,” Schwenk said. “One company brings materials. Someone else brings equipment. A tradesman gives us his time. Volunteers show up ready to work. No single person has to build this place. We’re building it together.”
The result will be more than a training facility.
It will be a permanent place where veterans and first responders can reconnect with purpose and community; where rescued working dogs can receive training and another opportunity to serve; where people can experience the unique connection created through horses and wild mustangs; and where future generations can learn about service, sacrifice and leadership.
For Schwenk, that makes Klinner’s name especially fitting.
“We can’t change what happened, and we can’t replace the people we’ve lost,” Schwenk said. “But we can decide what we do with the legacy they leave behind. We can remember them. We can tell their stories. And most importantly, we can continue serving people in their name.”
Construction of the Major Alex Klinner Leadership and Training Center is part of the continuing development of Selah and the expansion of 2nd Mission Alliance’s canine, equine and legacy programs.
2nd Mission Alliance will announce additional project partners, construction milestones and dedication information as the project progresses.
2nd Mission Alliance will host an opening ceremony for the Major Alex Klinner Leadership and Training Center at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at Selah in Opelika.
Military leaders, veterans, community partners, local officials, members of the media and invited guests will gather on the property to formally open the project and recognize Klinner’s life, service and legacy. “ ..”
The ceremony will mark the formal opening of the community building. Construction activity will follow as project partners begin bringing the Major Alex Klinner Leadership and Training Center to life.
