Veterans get new VA clinic at RAFB

On Tuesday afternoon, and with great anticipation and enthusiasm, Robins Air Force Base held the ceremonial ribbon cutting for its new Veterans Affairs (VA) clinic set in place to service the primary health care and mental health needs of veterans in and around the middle Georgia community.

78th Air Base Wing Commander Colonel Brian Moore was the first speaker to take the stand. He began by thanking the 78th Medical Group for arranging the ceremony and went on to do the same for other key individuals for the parts they played in making the day possible. “That’s what this is about,” Moore emphasized. “This is about community and base integration and taking care of those who have served this nation faithfully. In this case, 2,200 veterans will be serviced by this partnership that the VA staff and the 78th Med Group, under Colonel Maureen Farrell, has been able to facilitate…”

Further, Moore said, “On top of already servicing 47,000 Air Force, civilians, dependents—the ingenuity and innovation to be able to bring all this together and really partner and understand the priority both for the community and for the base is nothing short of spectacular.”

Houston County Board of Commissioners Chairman Tommy Stalnaker took to the podium and called for the two attending Houston County elected heads of cities—Centerville Mayor John Harley and Warner Robins Mayor Randy Toms—to join him.

“You people are the very ones responsible for this as well as anybody,” Stalnaker told the mayors, “and I want y’all to flank me to show a symbol of unification. I’ve got two veterans on each side of me,” he later added, “and I thought it was most appropriate to have them. Two Air Force guys—one on the right and one on the left.”

Regarding the opening of the clinic, Stalnaker stated, “This is probably one of the more important events because it’s serving our veterans. There’s nobody that I can think of in this nation that deserves more credit and more acknowledgement than the veterans of the United States. They have done a wonderful job in their careers, and this is a small service that can be provided for them. It is such a pleasure that the 78th Air Base Wing, particularly the Medical Group and Colonel Ferrell, have worked so diligently in making this happen.”

As a part of her comments, Colonel Ferrell declared, “Over 700,000 veterans live in the state of Georgia, and without a doubt, many of them call the surrounding community home. One of the many reasons is due to the top-notch veterans support in the region.”

She went on to say, “‘Everyday is Armed Forces Appreciation Day’ was coined by Dr. Dan Callahan, World War II army medic as well as a volunteer physician in the Vietnam War. He championed for us in 1968 to ensure that our military members, returning from Vietnam, were treated with dignity and respect—as the mission of the 78th Medical Group and the Veterans Affairs team can attest to, treating our patients with the utmost respect. We look forward to working together to provide the best possible offerings for our veterans in this region, and starting the next chapter of our partnership for the veterans and their family members.”

David Whitmer is the Director of Carl Vinson VA Medical Center. During his remarks, he mentioned speaking with Colonel Ferrell when she became a part of RAFB in 2019. “I talked to her about the need for us to be able to serve our veterans here in Houston County. We had a very small clinic by the standards that we have, and we needed to be able to grow in this area while we’re ready to open up and have a new lease for more space here in Houston County. All I can describe is infectious enthusiasm—very excited about the possibility,” Whitmer said of Ferrell’s reaction.

Once speakers had completed their addresses, Colonel Moore, Colonel Ferrell, Commissioner Stalnaker and David Whitmer were sequestered to carry out the ribbon cutting, with Ferrell holding the scissors. Mayors Harley and Toms also joined them. The ribbon was cut to great applause, following which, tours were provided for attendees who wished to walk through the clinic areas.

“To me, this means great community and base integration,” Colonel Moore told Houston Home Journal following the ceremony. “This is a great partnership, and the closer we are, the better. In this case, the VA is helping our veterans, and the veterans are us,” he said looking out at many who had be in attendance for the gathering. “These folks have served our great nation over the course of their careers… and we’ve got to work together to take care of them. This is a great partnership,” he reiterated, “and we look forward to being able to take care of those folks.”

Mayor Toms agreed. “Like the Colonel said, there are so many veterans; I, being one of them. They’ve served our nation, and they’re in our community. For a while, it looked like they were having to go other places to get the services they needed through the Veterans Administration, but this gives them another opportunity here. It only makes sense that this partnership was formed. It’s a blessing to be a part of a community that loves our veterans and our military members like we do. I joined the military right out of high school,” Toms said. “To come back and be in a position of leadership here in Warner Robins during a time when we’re seeing so many services open up to our veterans… to know I get to be a part of that is a blessing beyond measure.”

Mayor Harley served 34 years in the U.S. Air Force and was stationed at Robins Air Force Base on four occasions. “We have so many people who have retired from the military. This gives them an opportunity to come here instead of going to Dublin and other places. If you live here and work here, you’ll be able to use this. It’s a great facility.” He went on to say, “When I was still active duty years ago, I used to come here when this was a hospital. I remember the clinics and doctors’ offices. To see this become the use of this space is wonderful for our community. It’s wonderful for all of us. For me, it’s a personal honor to be here on this day to see all this. It’s an honor.”

Colonel Ferrell smiled as she looked around the space where so many had gathered for the ribbon cutting ceremony. “It’s been one year,” she said of the length of time it took to bring the idea of the clinic to life. “I am so excited that the day has finally arrived. We really wanted to have this ribbon cutting in April, but COVID sidetracked us.” As for next steps, she said, “That’s going to be in the VA’s hands. That will be the hiring process. One team is already hired, and once they get their other team set up, we’ll be able to take care of 2,200 veterans.”

While there is no date set for when the clinic will be fully prepared to open, Ferrell said she doesn’t expect it to be very long. “I definitely think it’ll happen this year,” she said. “I’m super, super excited. I’m just thrilled to be able to support our veterans.”

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