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Family covenant affirms commitment
Committing their best, leaders of Fort Gordon joined military communities worldwide, signing the Army Family Covenant in a historic signing ceremony Nov. 5, 2007 at the Gordon Club. During the signing ceremony at Fort Gordon Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Foley, U.S. Army Signal Center and Fort Gordon commanding general, said that even though Family support programming has been in place for years, offering much needed assistance, the current situation demands more. "Today's environment of sustained combat has changed everything. Long and repeated deployments by those who serve cause the sacrifices of Families to reach unprecedented levels. So we are especially focused on them today...certainly those who have lost a Soldier, or those Families who are readjusting their lives because of a life changing injury," Foley said. One Soldier experiencing that transition first hand brought his Family to the ceremony and talked about how extremely helpful Army Community Services had been to his Family and especially to his wife. "Being apart from your Family is hard so for them to take time out to help is great. ACS helped keep us together as a Family," Sgt. Edmundo Rivera said. The ceremony included Soldiers, Family members and special guests. In addition to Foley, other guests were Brig. Gen. Donald Bradshaw, commander of Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center and the Southeast Regional Medical Command; Col. John Holwick, garrison commander, Command Sgt. Maj. Donna Brock, DDEAMC command sergeant major, Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas Clark, U.S. Army Signal Center and Fort Gordon command sergeant major and Command Sgt. Maj. Arthur Washington, garrison com- sergeant major who all signed the covenant. Commanders at every Army installation have been signing the same document and will continue to sign them during the next few weeks, to signify their commitment to serving and supporting Army Families who have a military member deployed. The first signing took place Oct. 17 at Fort Knox, Ky., with the Secretary of the Army Pete Geren and Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey. Casey said the Army wants to provide Soldiers and their Families with a level of support commensurate with their level of service, and that the covenant is in direct response to concerns from Army Families. Casey said they are concerned about funding and support for Family programs, physical and mental healthcare, housing, education, childcare and employment opportunities for spouses. In the last three years, the Army has privatized and improved almost 80,000 homes on 36 installations, including Fort Gordon. The Army recently spent $50 million to hire new healthcare providers for Soldiers and Families. There are newlyhired Family Readiness Support Assistants at units that are deployable. Fort Gordon's Army Community Services is now hiring new personnel to provide assistance to Families of deployed Soldiers. Next year, there will be a new building to house the Soldier and Family Assistance Center on Post. The Army Family Covenant commits the Army to provide Families a strong, supportive environment where they can thrive. The covenant solidifies the Army's commitment to building a partnership with Army Families that enhances their strength and resilience, and improves their readiness by: Standardizing and funding existing Family programs and services; Increasing accessibility and quality of health care; Improving Soldier and Family housing; Ensuring excellence in schools, youth services, and child care; Expanding education and employment opportunities for Family members The covenant represents a $1.4 billion commitment in 2008 to improve Army Family quality of life, with the Army's leadership working to ensure similar funding over the next five years. |
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