FORT STEWART, Ga. - The home of the Third Infantry Division was visited by Georgia Military Affairs Coordinating Committee officials, March 22-23. The visit included GMACC Executive Director Maj. Gen. (Ret.) David Bockel, Deputy Executive Director Col. (Ret.) Bill Cain, Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Jeff Arnold, Command Sgt. Maj. (Ret.) Jeffrey Ashmen and former Hinesville Mayor Tom Ratcliffe.
Accompanied by the Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield Garrison Commander Col. Kevin Milton, the purpose of GMACC's visit at Stewart-Hunter is to support military communities.
"My job, along with 25 other volunteers, is to work with the communities, military installations and businesses around the state of Georgia to make sure that there is a connection among them," Bockel said. "[We] help [the community] with situations like education, TRICARE, Family readiness issues, business developments -- just about anything military [and everything] it encompasses."
They visited several areas on the installation such as Fort Stewart's Central Energy Plant, Diamond Elementary School, Water Waste Treatment Facility, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team Complex and Balfour Beatty Community Center.
Bockel noted that he was impressed by the CEP, an innovation that uses wood chips to make energy such as hot water, chilled water and steam to areas on the installation.
"I was very impressed; it was a real shocker to me," he said. "A couple of weeks ago, I was at an energy conference at Robins Air Force Base. I was mentioning to them the energy usage at the Marines Logistic Base in Albany not knowing what Fort Stewart was doing here. Now, I have a bigger story to tell."
Following their visit at the plant, the GMACC officials visited Diamond Elementary School.
The tour group learned that the schools on Fort Stewart make the special effort for students and Family Members; who face challenges inherit with military duty and changes in duty station.
The South Carolina/Fort Stewart/DoDDS Cuba District Assistant Superintendant Dr. Gael Coyle, joined by Fort Stewart School Liaison Officer Gregg Cooke, Diamond Elementary School President Brenda Gilchrist, Diamond's School Student Body President Zyrah Watson, 12, and Vice-President Autumn Broxton, 10, greeted the GMACC representatives.
"I particularly appreciated going to the elementary schools," Bockel said. "Seeing the military school for [Family Members] is at least equal if not better than some of the schools out in the general population."
While at Hunter, March 23, the GMACC team visited Pulaski Elementary School, Hunter Ridge, Sabre Hall, 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, Ranger Memorial Monument and Tominac Fitness Center.
"You're in a place where you are appreciated by the civilians out in the Hinesville area, Savannah and the surrounding communities," he said. "They appreciate you being here, and I hope that some of these military Families, who have been stationed here, think that it's a good place to live once they leave the military."
Concluding their visit around the Marne Division, Bockel left one final message to the community:
"I've never been prouder of our military and the U.S. Army," he said, "in particular, to the Army in the state of Georgia."
Note: Pat Young, Fort Stewart Public Affairs, contributed to this article.
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