Fort Gordon reaffirms bond with soldiers

A year ago, Fort Gordon officials pledged their commitment to the families of soldiers stationed there by signing the Army Family Covenant.

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"America's military families and the communities they live in are the strength of the nation; together we remain committed to building strong families and communities," Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas Clark wrote in an e-mail.

'It's been one year since we publicly signed the Army Family Covenant to strengthen the bond with our families. This month, we reaffirm our commitment to provide a quality of life commensurate with their incredible sacrifices in support of our nation.''

A re-signing of the covenant will take place at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Gordon Club.

Points in the covenant included improving family housing. The last of 310 new houses was completed in April by contractor Balfour-Beattie, with renovations under way to remaining homes on post.

Also in the covenant was ensuring excellence in child care. James Green, director of Fort Gordon's Directorate of Morale, Welfare and Recreation, announced in August that two new child care centers with a capacity for about 300 children will be built on post.

One initiative emerging after the signing of the covenant was the Soldier and Family Assistance Center. The concept has been in the Army for a few years, but it did not reach Fort Gordon fully until January, when Kent Brickman and his staff of about a dozen employees were brought on board. The organization moved into a new building in July.

The center assists wounded or injured soldiers who are part of the Warrior Transition Battalion.

"The original idea was to be a USO-type of service," Brickman said. "We've grown past that to be a one-stop shop."

Employees help with a variety of topics, including rsum assistance, benefit education for those who will leave the military and child care.

In its first 10 months, about 2,500 people have signed up for services, he said.