The Alliance for Fort Eisenhower teamed up with AT&T and Human I-T to provide laptop computers to students and families with the goal of providing active duty service members, E5 and below, with the tools to bridge the digital divide.
“We do that in so many different ways, especially in K through 12, but in the Augusta area, with our military families being so important, we felt like it was very important to extend this type of a program to the military families out of Fort Eisenhower,” Stan Shepherd, Regional Director of External Affairs of AT&T Georgia, told ABD. “We are just thrilled with the ability to be able to provide them laptop computers, with our technology partner, Human I-T, and with the CSRA Alliance for Fort Eisenhower.”
The Bit Room at the Center was filled with soldiers or spouses of deployed active duty military, many accompanied by their children.
“l was interested in seeing how we are supported by AT&T and everywhere else,” she told ABD. “It actually helps a lot, missing back home, and I feel like it also like gives you motivation. It makes you feel proud of your husband. I’ve been thinking about how much he does for us, and not just for us, but everybody else. So, I’m very proud of that, and I’m very proud of him.”
Naomi Stanton, wife of Fort Eisenhower Commanding General Paul Stanton, said connectivity is vital for military families, especially the younger generation of soldiers.
“Back in my day, our first duty station was overseas, and it took us two years to pay off a computer that we got, and really, back then, it was just email, just to be able to communicate,” she said. “Family support groups have kind of gone to the wayside, and so, this is how young people communicate with each other.”
She added that today computers and connectivity have additional uses.
“What makes this so beautiful, is that they can then have access to all of the spouse groups online, everything with Fort Eisenhower,” adding they can also connect with their next duty station. “They can look at housing options, like childcare. So, this is opening up all new doors, and it’s just a beautiful opportunity. I love this.”
Shepherd is also active in the Alliance for Fort Eisenhower and is currently the Chairman of the Board of Directors.
He said, in addition to supporting active duty military and their families, it is important to show support for the post, the Augusta region’s largest employer.
“They’re a huge part of the entire economy, not only from a military standpoint, but also from our new cyber economy that we are trying to build,” he said. “All of that based off of their movement here to Fort Eisenhower. It is exciting to be here in this particular building as well because of what it means to cyber in this community.”
At the personal level, Stanton said it is impossible to describe how military families feel when they have community support.
“I can’t put that into words, because this is kind of like asking a football player after they won the Super Bowl, ‘How does that feel?’ It’s that same kind of feeling, because it’s so special and unique, and only that athlete knows what that feels like,” she said. “It’s similar for someone who is an old broad like me, to see young spouses to be gifted something so important, especially since we are so cyber here, specifically with Fort Eisenhower.”
This program is part of the AT&T Connected Learning initiative.
