FORT BENNING Ga. – U.S. Army Fort Benning garrison command leaders and Chattahoochee Valley Tri-Community officials converged at Fort Benning, Ga., for the Army Community Partnership Awards ceremony held on May 19, 2022.
The Department of the Army announced that the U.S. Army Fort Benning Garrison Directorate of Emergency Services (DES) is among the recipients of the 2021 Army Community Partnership Awards.
The Department of the Army recognized the Fort Benning garrison and neighboring communities’ along with six other installations during a virtual award ceremony for the 2021 Army Community Partnership Awards that the Army had originally scheduled for January but had to postpone due to COVID-19 concerns.
Fort Benning and the Chattahoochee Valley Tri-Community region (Fort Benning, Alabama, Georgia) have partnered according to an All Hazard – All Emergency Mutual Aid Assistance Memorandum (AEMAAM).
Fort Benning was recognized along with neighboring communities for demonstrating partnerships that boost the quality of life, safety, and security of civilians, Soldiers, and their Families, enhance Army readiness, and modernize Army processes while building stronger community relationships.
“This award does exemplify the incredible partnership. We know that partnerships are not built in a day; they are built over time. This does nothing more than show the value of those partnerships and enable readiness for Fort Benning and the entire Fort Benning community,” said Brandon Cockrell, deputy garrison commander, Fort Benning.
The AEMAAM partnership creates and codifies the systematic approach in which 22 military and civilian partner organizations exercise local and regional mutual aid assistance, share information, and rapidly provide emergency aid and resources.
The regional coalition of emergency and essential service professionals further strengthens the resiliency of the Fort Benning military community.
The AEMAAM partnership will also create law enforcement, fire, and emergency service partner capacity that builds preparedness and gains efficiencies across military, local, and county government through regional strategic investments.
"It helps to validate the partnerships that we have between the sheriff's office and Fort Benning being a valuable federal partner of ours, and we know that when we need them, we can call them when they need us [and] they can call us. This has been a lasting relationship, and it's nothing new – this has always been a great partnership, and we look forward to the years to come of it," said Greg Countryman, Muscogee County Sheriff.
The AEMAAM partnership streamlines response capabilities to regional weather, disaster, and threat events and expands information sharing between agencies.
“The partnership with Fort Benning and the local community is something without which we could not function. There are no resources available within the military post to back up fire … back up police. We all rely on one another when things get tough to be there. We are fortunate in the Tri-Community region where everybody is willing to … to work together,” said Kevin Clarke, director, Emergency Services, Fort Benning.
Fort Benning provides mission readiness execution, enabling the wellbeing of civilians, Soldiers, and their Families while improving infrastructure and preserving the environment through the equitable, effective support of installation services.
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