Fort Eisenhower Announces Changes to Gate Operations
Officials at Fort Eisenhower have announced changes coming to gate operations. Starting next month, only Uniformed Services Identification (USID) cards, also known as DoD ID cards, will be permitted at McKenna Gate (Gate 1) from 5 to 9 am, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.
Starting Monday, February 5, all occupants of the vehicle must be DoD ID card holders, children under the age of 18 with a DoD ID Card Holder or Gold Star Family Automated Installation Entry card. Trusted travelers, temporary pass or other AIE cards will not be permitted during the restricted times.
According to a news release from Fort Eisenhower, security personnel will turnaround any vehicle with Trusted Travelers or Pass/Automated Installation Entry (AIE) cards (this includes Veterans Affairs issued ID cards) and redirect them to the Main Gate (Gate 6) or Gate 5 on Tobacco Road.
“The amount of morning traffic through our McKenna Gate poses safety concerns,” said Lt. Col. Hank Cartagena, Director of Emergency Services and Provost Marshal. “These changes are necessary to ensure the safety of our workforce, visitors, and the general public transiting adjacent state and county highways. Our security and military personnel process too many vehicles in the mornings leading to reduced effectiveness of the vetting process. It’s a simple solution and one we assess will result in easier post access for most people.”
Officials say limiting access during peak hours should reduce traffic by 30%, or roughly 1,500 vehicles. Current vehicle load during peak hours is approximately 5,000.
Redirecting Traffic to Fort Eisenhower’s Main Gate (Gate 6) will:
- Reduce congestion during morning commute hours at the Gordon Highway and Jimmie Dyess intersections creating a safety hazard for our workforce and the local community
- Assist medical personnel and those with medical appointments to arrive on time
- Reduce stress on security personnel and military manpower manning the gates during peak hours
Redesignation of Fort Gordon to Fort Eisenhower
Fort Gordon officially became Fort Eisenhower during a renaming ceremony on post October 27, 2023. Fort Gordon, named for Confederate general and former Georgia governor John Brown Gordon, was the last of nine military installations honoring the confederacy or Confederate veterans to be renamed.
