The decision to rename Fort Eisenhower has led local organizations and government agencies taking steps to return to the original name, Fort Gordon.
Following an unexpected announcement by President Trump on June 10, the original names of seven army posts are being restored. While the name Fort Gordon has been restored, it is with a new purpose.
The name originally recognized MG John Brown Gordon, who served in the Confederate army. It is now honoring Medal of Honor recipient MSG Gary Gordon of Maine. He lost his life while aiding in the humanitarian crisis in Somalia, depicted in the movie “Black Hawk Down.”
MG Ryan Janovic, Commanding General of the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence, released a statement through a spokesperson.
“As we prepare to receive additional guidance from the Secretary of the Army, we appreciate the support and understanding of our Central Savannah River Area community that has been a stalwart proponent of the installation since its inception in the early 1940s. Our mission remains unchanged in supporting national defense operations and training world-class, highly skilled Signal, Cyber, and EW professionals to fight and win America’s wars.”
One local organization making the transition back to its original name is the Alliance for Fort Gordon. It was founded in 2003 by then Congressman Charlie Norwood (R-GA10).
“In some ways, it’s much easier to go back to a name that you’ve already had,” Dr. Tom Clark, Executive Director, told ABD. “We have the URLs, we have the old stickers, we have the pop-ups. It’s the same Board of Directors. We support the same population. It is a name change, but it is not a mission change. We’re proud to promote, coordinate, and advocate on behalf of our region’s number one employer, Fort Gordon.”
The name change to Fort Gordon triggered the installation of a flurry of new signs to reflect the change, including those by the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT).
GDOT District 2 spokesman Will Volk told ABD they have not yet received a request to change the signs. The department must receive a formal request before the process can begin.
After the request is made, it will take about a month to create replacements. There are more than 40 signs to change.
“We would likely use stickers for most of them, although some signs could be completely replaced. It would take about two weeks of manpower to change all the signs,” he explained. “There is no exact cost estimate yet. However, when the name was changed a couple of years ago, the total cost of materials and manpower was $15,646.93. That number may be higher this time due to inflation, but in total, it likely would cost no more than $20,000.”
New wayfinding signs are also needed at Augusta Regional Airport.
“We haven’t done a budget analysis on it yet to see how much it’s going to cost to make those changes,” said Lauren Smith, the airport’s Assistant Director of Marketing and Public Relations. “We’re one of the fortunate ones. It’s not a whole lot of places around the airport, but we do have a couple of signs that we’re going to have to change. We do have several of them that are city property because they’re on the rights of way, so they will have to oversee the change of those signs.”
Clark addressed the name change at last week’s military appreciation luncheon. He said the name may be changing, but the mission remains the same for the post and the Alliance.
“The men and women there, 32,000 of them, are the region’s number one employer. Those men and women who raised their right hand and said, ‘Send me to America. Send me.’ Those men and women who defend freedom in America and the American way of life never left, regardless of the name of the installation. We are proud to promote, coordinate, and advocate on their behalf.”
