Editor’s note: The largest non-manufacturing employer in the CSRA with an annual economic impact of 2.4 billion dollars is Fort Eisenhower, but even a military installation is not immune to the impact of a major hurricane.
In the latest update on Fort Eisenhower, based upon continued degraded conditions on the installation, Commanding General, Maj. Gen. Ryan M. Janovic extended the installation closure through Friday, October 4, 2024. Only mission essential & emergency operations persons, as well as residents, will be allowed to enter the gates.
“The safety, health, and security of our force and families on & off the installation remains the priority. We will spend the next 48 hours sequentially and safely restoring essential services so we can methodically re-open the installation.”
The U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence and Fort Eisenhower’s Commanding General also sought and gained approval for a “safe haven” declaration that increases the safety and well-being of forces and families assigned to Fort Eisenhower. This decision came after the unfortunate loss of power and water from Hurricane Helene.
MG Janovic signed the memo to support the Soldiers, Civilians, and Family Members assigned to Fort Eisenhower who are currently dealing with severely degraded living conditions caused by the hurricane, by offering a pathway for reimbursement for expenses incurred due to relocation to “safe haven” locations.
Fort Eisenhower also emphasized the memorandum and voluntary evacuation authorization had nothing to do with any threats to safety beyond the current absence of power and water on the installation.
The memo is not a mandatory evacuation order. The Joint Travel Regulation requires such a memorandum to authorize reimbursement of certain expenses incurred by permanent parties who voluntarily evacuate up to 500 miles from Fort Eisenhower.
Mission-essential personnel are required to remain as the Fort Eisenhower community continues to recover; leaders in each chain of command continue to identify the persons required for mission-essential operations.
While the safe haven authorization does not apply to trainees assigned to the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence’s Cyber and Signal School, early graduations (approximately 600 trainees) and delayed reporting of next courses are being examined to best care for the men and women in training.
Like the rest of the CSRA, Fort Eisenhower eagerly awaits the ability to open the post, rescind the safe haven declaration, and regather the full force of the Fort. “In the meantime, the safety and well-being of the entire team remains the priority.”
The Eisenhower Medical Center as of yesterday, has limited medical capabilities. Only Emergency Department, Inpatient, and Behavioral Health services are operational. All other appointments and surgical procedures have been canceled and will be rescheduled. Dental clinics are available for emergency procedures only.
