New Fort Knox Medical Clinic

Kentucky’s senior senator, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, wrote an op-ed regarding the new planned medical clinic at Fort Knox, which was secured with enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

Senator McConnell worked to obtain funding and authorization for the new $80 million, 102,000 square-foot medical facility at the base. The project will move forward with the President’s signing of the NDAA last week.

Major General (Ret) Bill Barron, Executive Director, CORE Committee, Inc., serving the Fort Knox community said, “the construction of a new medical facility at Fort Knox to replace the aging Ireland Army Hospital represents a smart investment by the Department of Defense, not only for current service members, families and military retirees but for the future of this premier Army installation. The Fort Knox community has worked closely with Sen. McConnell for a number of years to get this new medical facility built and it would not have been possible without his commitment to seeing it through. The community is deeply appreciative of the Senator’s ongoing support for this important project and for Fort Knox and its outstanding Soldiers and Civilians.”

In the op-ed, Senator McConnell wrote that “we made sure Kentucky’s military community was heard in Washington and ensured the new medical facility was included in a package of fiscal year 2014 bills that authorized the Department of Defense (DOD) to begin construction and appropriated funding to complete the project.

“Working with DOD, I saw to it that plans were developed to meet the needs of the Fort Knox community. DOD then committed to building an $80-million, state-of-the-art facility to replace Ireland Army Community Hospital (ACH), and the authorization of that planned facility was signed into law by the President last week. After years of denial and delay, and after three separate bills carrying the project were signed into law, DOD will construct a new medical facility that is worthy of the thousands of heroes in uniform, their families, and military retirees who call Fort Knox home.

“I have long been and will continue to be a vigorous advocate for Fort Knox and its servicemembers, families and civilians—we owe a great debt to them all. The soldiers, retirees, civilians and military families in the Fort Knox community can rest assured I will always go to bat for them when it comes to protecting their interests and this crucial and storied installation. Our men and women in uniform deserve the very best, and I am proud to have helped ensure that they will have the kind of medical facility they deserve.”

The text of the op-ed is below:

Congress Scores Major Victory for Fort Knox

Recently Signed Defense Bill Provides for Construction of New $80 Million Medical Facility

By Senator Mitch McConnell

The Fort Knox community scored a major victory last month when Congress passed a bill that directs the Department of Defense (DOD) to build a new, state-of-the-art medical facility at Fort Knox to replace the aging and obsolete hospital that’s currently there. Area residents have been advocating for the new facility for years, and I worked hard to ensure their message was heard in Washington. I am pleased that all our hard work has finally borne fruit.

The current medical facility at Fort Knox, the Ireland Army Community Hospital (IACH), was built some 57 years ago—making it one of the oldest hospitals in the Army. Maintenance on a facility nearly six decades old is expensive. Fort Knox is home to more than 40,000 servicemembers, Army civilians, and military families, many of whom depend on IACH for their primary and specialty care. For years it’s been clear that the Army needed to build a modern medical facility that could provide the care our servicemembers, retirees and others deserve.

That’s why I continually raised my concerns about the condition of the current hospital with DOD officials both in meetings and through my seat on the Senate Appropriations Committee. Finally in 2013, DOD requested funding from Congress to build a new replacement facility. Within months of DOD making this request, however, the Obama Administration made several decisions that complicated the project’s future.

I wasn’t going to let the project be knocked off course. We made sure Kentucky’s military community was heard in Washington and ensured the new medical facility was included in a package of fiscal year 2014 bills that authorized DOD to begin construction and appropriated funding to complete the project.

Working with DOD, I saw to it that plans were developed to meet the needs of the Fort Knox community. DOD then committed to building an $80-million, state-of-the-art facility to replace IACH, and the authorization of that planned facility was signed into law by the President last week. After years of denial and delay, and after three separate bills carrying the project were signed into law, DOD will construct a new medical facility that is worthy of the thousands of heroes in uniform, their families, and military retirees who call Fort Knox home.

The Obama Administration has been determined to reduce the size of the Army, and postings in Kentucky have often been targets. But with the DOD’s commitment to invest $80 million in a new,102,000-square-foot medical facility at Fort Knox, the government is making a wise investment in the post, which is vital not only to Kentucky but to the nation.

I have long been and will continue to be a vigorous advocate for Fort Knox and its servicemembers, families and civilians—we owe a great debt to them all.

The soldiers, retirees, civilians and military families in the Fort Knox community can rest assured I will always go to bat for them when it comes to protecting their interests and this crucial and storied installation. Our men and women in uniform deserve the very best, and I am proud to have helped ensure that they will have the kind of medical facility they deserve.