…and their dependents (specifically those who frequent Eisenhower Army Medical Center). If you can’t find the Medical Examiner at Eisenhower any more, here’s why.
Since its founding in 2006, one of the most popular destinations for the Medical Examiner has been at Fort Gordon’s Dwight David Eisenhower Army Medical Center. Back then, the Examiner was given permission to place a newsstand in an area that already had several stands, on the sidewalk in front of Eisenhower. Nothing much changed until a few weeks ago when a reader called to say he drove to Eisenhower specifically to get an Examiner. He said he couldn’t even find the newsstand. It was gone.
Backtrack a few weeks: Mr. Wesley Elliott, a Public Affairs Officer (PAO) at Eisenhower, had called me to ask who authorized the placement of the Examiner newsstand on post, and to follow up on the complaint of a reader who said that she was offended by an article. I said I had indeed gotten a negative Letter to the Editor e-mail from a reader who was a civilian employee at Fort Gordon some weeks ago, but the issue seemed to be fully and amicably resolved to her satisfaction. And although I couldn’t remember the name of the 2006 PAO (Jennifer Chipman, as I later recalled), I assured him I placed my lone newsstand on the 56,000 acre post with the full knowledge of and permission from the appropriate office. He wanted written proof. I was never given written authorization. Just verbal. He said he would look into it.
Sometime between that conversation and when the reader called to say the newsstand was missing, without ever contacting me a second time Mr. Elliott directed that the Medical Examiner newsstand be removed and discarded. This despite the fact that he initiated the contact, therefore he had my phone number and e-mail address from the outset. Rather than simply call me and direct me to remove my $150.00 newsstand (or updating my permission in written form), he had it destroyed. Ironic when you consider that Fort Gordon’s middle name is communication. It is home of the Signal Corps, the largest communications-electronics facility in the free world. The Signal Corps develops, tests and manages communications systems to keep in contact with armed forces around the globe. Fort Gordon is also home to a massive new NSA facility. You’d think they would know me and how to reach me.
The bottom line: the Medical Examiner is currently, to use Fort Gordon’s terminology, banned from being distributed on post. All due to what I consider to be a lack of communication.
Fort Gordon may be the largest communications facility in the world. But from my experience they are far from the best.