Innovative partnership with the U.S. Army builds upon trusted relationships
The University of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute of Government and U.S. Army Garrison Fort Moore recently signed an intergovernmental support agreement (IGSA) to enhance the resilience of the military installation and its surrounding communities.
The agreement is a cost-effective way for Fort Moore to acquire services while building stronger relationships with surrounding communities. Military services are authorized by federal law to enter into such agreements if they enhance mission readiness, increase efficiencies, or reduce costs. The Nov. 7 signing marked the latest IGSA with UGA; a regional IGSA was signed in July.
The development solidifies Fort Moore’s relationship with academia, specifically UGA, said Elizabeth Guzman, IGSA manager.
“These partnerships are extremely important to us because they provide us with the efficiencies that the Army needs to help sustain our installations,” she said.
Representatives from the UGA Institute of Government and Fort Moore with the intergovernmental support agreement (IGSA) proclamation. The agreement is a cost-effective way for Fort Moore to acquire services from state or local governments while building stronger relationships with surrounding communities.
Administered through the institute’s Defense Community Resilience Program, the agreements help military installations and surrounding communities build long-term resilience. The program connects communities with experts across UGA to provide community engagement, governmental policy, infrastructure planning, economic development and natural resource management expertise.
“We are honored to celebrate our innovative partnership with the U.S. Army through our Defense Community Resilience Program,” said Rob Gordon, director. “It builds upon the Institute of Government’s unique capacity to create trusted relationships with military personnel and communities, leveraging and deploying research and technical expertise from across UGA.”
Fort Moore Garrison Commander Col. Jerel “J.D.” Evans said the agreement assists with securing the future of the Army by stewarding, conserving and enhancing premiere training lands, and Lawson Army Airfield, for immediate and long-term mission requirements.
“It also directly enables Fort Moore’s mission of providing trained and combat-ready soldiers and leaders, developing the maneuver force’s doctrine and capabilities, and ensuring a high quality of life for our soldiers, civilians, and their families; as we continue securing the freedoms for the people of our great nation,” he said.
ABOUT THE DEFENSE COMMUNITY RESILIENCE PROGRAM
Housed at the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, the UGA Defense Community Resilience Program aims to enhance the resilience of military installations and their surrounding communities by leveraging UGA’s expertise in community engagement, infrastructure planning, governmental policy, economic development and natural resources management. Based in Athens, UGA’s Defense Community Resilience Program employs resilience professionals based in partner defense communities to serve as liaisons with the installations, adjacent communities and UGA’s network of researchers and technical experts from academic, government, private and nongovernmental partners. The program currently is engaged in Georgia communities surrounding Fort Moore, Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Air Field, and Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base. Work also extends into coastal South Carolina and Florida.