Photo By Chuck Cannon | Lt. Gen. Gwen Bingham, Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management (right),...... read more read more
FORT POLK, La. — The Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Polk and Vernon Parish community members received the Department of the Army’s 2018 Army Community Partnership Award Dec. 4 in a ceremony at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.
The installation is among seven recognized for innovative partnerships with the surrounding communities. These partnerships enhance Army readiness, modernize Army processes and improve business reform while building stronger community relations.
Accepting the prestigious award were Fort Polk Garrison Commander Col. Jarrett A. Thomas II; Johnny Bevers, Fort Polk deputy garrison commander; Fort Polk Progress President Michael Reese; Leesville Mayor Rick Allen; Rosepine Mayor Donna Duvall; and Vernon Parish Police Jury President James Tuck.
Fort Polk was the only installation honored for three partnerships. The partnerships provide an overall savings of $4 million annually:
• Fort Polk Solid Waste Management Partnership with Vernon Parish Police Jury for waste collection and removal services on Fort Polk.
• Fort Polk Garrison Vegetation Control Partnership with the City of Leesville. Allows the city to perform lawn maintenance and tree removal in high visibility areas and on Fort Polk’s ranges.
• Fort Polk Custodial Services Partnership with the Town of Rosepine.
The fiscal year 2013 defense authorization bill authorized military installations and their host communities to enter into what are called intergovernmental support agreements (IGSAs) for base support services. An IGSA is part of the Public-Public Partnership program, which allows the Army to solicit partnership proposals from the field and benchmark existing partnerships.
Receiving the award, said Thomas, was an honor and testament to the support that Leesville and Rosepine offer the Fort Polk community.
“I’ve been serving the Army for 22 years, and I’ve never met community members more supportive of what the Army — Fort Polk — is trying to do. I’m also appreciative that the Department of the Army recognizes this as well,” he said.
Bevers received special recognition at the Pentagon ceremony for being instrumental in the IGSA efforts at Fort Polk. He was presented an American flag that had been flown over the Pentagon by Lt. Gen. Gwendolyn Bingham, assistant chief of staff for Installation Management, who said that Fort Polk is “trailblazing for the Army in developing (IGSAs).”
“This has been unforgettable,” said Bevers. “To receive the symbol of our country that has waved over the symbol of our country’s strength is a great honor, and I’m deeply appreciative.
“But each IGSA is a sum of all its parts — it takes the efforts of everyone involved to be successful. I want to thank the City of Leesville, Rosepine and Vernon Parish for their partnerships. Today is proof that our hard work has not gone unnoticed.”
Intergovernmental support agreements, said Thomas, allow Fort Polk to operate more efficiently. It’s a building block, he said, “to secure the missions of the JRTC and Fort Polk, both today’s and tomorrow’s.
“With our partnerships with Leesville and Rosepine, Soldiers can focus on the mission at hand, and our partners can enjoy an increased revenue stream. IGSAs are a win-win for everyone involved.”
| Date Taken: | 12.07.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 12.07.2018 10:13 |
| Story ID: | 302563 |
| Location: | FORT POLK, LOUISIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 121 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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