In The News

FORT GORDON, Ga. (WFXG) – A major change at the Eisenhower Army Medical Center at Fort Gordon may be reversed soon.

This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act for FY2027, the annual funding bill for the military.

Included in this year’s bill was a resolution to restore full staffing and services to the Eisenhower Army Medical Center, reversing a recent announcement that it would be reduced to an ambulatory care facility.

“When I first heard about this, [I] discussed it with [Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers]. He said, ‘Well, this doesn't make any sense, because a lot of the money we're appropriating is for quality-of-life issues for our military. And there's no bigger quality of life issue than health care,’” Rep. Rick Allen (R-GA) said.

Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) who collaborated heavily with Allen on the bill, says he believes the legislation has everything necessary to reach the finish line.

“I'm very grateful that I think ultimately Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is going to be helpful, but we just got to get the documentation, and I believe with the documentation we have that it will justify maintaining the level of services and the level of personnel who are currently at the Eisenhower Center,” Wilson said.

Wilson says the Eisenhower Center is important on both sides of the two-state region.

“Many of the persons who work at Fort Gordon are actually residents of South Carolina, and so bottom line is, I'm very happy to have heard from constituents that they're very pleased that there'll be further study before any further action to reduce the services that can be provided,” Wilson said.

Allen says this year’s Nation Defense Authorization Act as a whole will provide more for the military, even beyond the restoration of services at Fort Gordon.

“We're giving our military a raise. It's a well-deserved raise. Again, we're dealing with a lot of quality-of-life issues, housing, health care, those kinds of things. And our warfighters deserve it.”

The bill now heads to the Senate. Both Allen and Wilson believe the Senate will make some changes, but they say they will do everything to make sure that the Eisenhower Center remains fully operational.