New Fayetteville Military Healthcare Facility

The Fayetteville Rehabilitation Clinic is a new joint venture between Womack Army Medical Center and the Fayetteville VA Medical Center. The clinic provides expanded access to physical therapy, speech-language pathology and occupational therapy services for VA and Department of Defense enrollees in the greater Fayetteville area. 

“This clinic is an excellent example of how patients can benefit when we as the VA and DoD consolidate our efforts in support of service members, former service members and their families,” said Col. Lance Raney, commander of Womack Army Medical Center. 

The joint initiative allows the Army and VA to work together to promote efficient and cost-effective resource-sharing ideas, officials said. “One of the constant challenges we face is increasing access to care for a steadily growing patient population,” said VA Medical Center Director Elizabeth Goolsby. The 10,000 square-foot facility offers rehabilitative care and services. Staff includes eight physical therapists, three occupational therapists, one speech-language pathologist and 13 therapy assistants. The Fayetteville Rehabilitation Clinic is located at 4101 Raeford Rd.

The Last Change of Command

The 1st Sustainment Command (1st TSC) hosted a change of command ceremony for its new commander, Maj. Gen. Flem B. Walker Jr., and outgoing commander, Maj. Gen. Paul C. Hurley Jr., at the Fort Bragg Ritz-Epps Physical Fitness Center. 

The ceremony marked the last change of command for the unit. It is being reassigned to Fort Knox, Kentucky, as part of Army restructuring. The 1st TSC provides a critical sustainment support mission to the Army and multinational forces in the U.S. Central Command. Formerly known as COSCOM, the 1st TSC was originally designated to support Fort Bragg’s XVIII Airborne Corps.

Bridge Replacement Near Hope Mills

A 54-year-old bridge north of Hope Mills will be replaced. The Department of Transportation awarded a $729,221 contract to S&C Construction of Wilmington. The bridge is on Crystal Springs Road over Buckhead Creek, and was built to design standards that are now considered obsolete. It also has weight restrictions, which limit the types of vehicles that can use it. The new bridge will not have those restraints. Work on the project will begin next month and is expected to be completed by Dec. 1.

Citizen Survey Underway

Greater Fayetteville United is conducting a county-wide survey this month to measure trust, communication, interest and engagement in politics and national affairs. Group involvement, giving and volunteering, faith-based engagement and quality-of-life indicators are also part of the survey. It’s administered by a nationally-recognized consultant funded by grants from the Cumberland Community Foundation and the City of Fayetteville. 

The consultant is contacting approximately 4,000 randomly selected Cumberland County residents. “This project will provide the data we need to establish a benchmark and empower residents and local agencies as we work to build a stronger community and strengthen bonds,” said Dr. Darl Champion, president of Greater Fayetteville United. The results of the survey will be used to tackle local issues such as poverty, racism, trust, crime, homelessness and lack of civic engagement. GFU will reveal results of the survey at a community forum in the fall. 

No VA Hotline, Yet

Four months into his presidency, The Military Times reported Donald Trump’s White House has not set up a promised hotline for veterans’ complaints that he vowed would speed up reforms at the Department of Veterans Affairs. The idea was part of a 10-point plan unveiled last July. 

The hotline, Trump promised at a July 26 rally, would ensure that “no complaints would fall through the cracks …this could keep me very busy at night, folks.” The 10-point VA plan was recently removed from Trump’s campaign website along with a host of other pledges from last summer and fall. The president also pledged to create a commission “to investigate all the fraud, cover-ups, and wrongdoing that has taken place in the VA.” No such commission has been announced. 

Run for the Legend

The Airborne & Special Operations Museum will hold its 10th annual 5K/10K Run for the Legend on Saturday, June 3, at 8 a.m. All donations and proceeds from the event support the museum’s operational and educational programs and activities. USA Track & Field sanction the Run for the Legend. The certified course begins and ends on the Hay Street side of the museum. The top three men and women in each race receive trophies. 

Registration is available online at www.active.com and at the museum; it costs $20 in advance and $25 the day of the race. Strollers, wagons, and well-behaved, leashed dogs are permitted, but will be asked to start in the rear of the race.