Fort Jackson (South Carolina)

Overview

Fort Jackson was created in 1917 (as Camp Jackson) as the United States entered World War I. At the conclusion of World War I, Camp Jackson was shut down and the Camp was abandoned 25 April 1922 pursuant to General Orders No. 33, War Department, 27 July 1921. Camp Jackson was reactivated for World War II. At the conclusion of World War II, the post was to have been deactivated by 1950; however, the outbreak of the Korean War caused the post to remain active and it is still functioning in the early 21st Century.

Fort Jackson is the largest and most active Initial Entry Training Center in the U.S. Army, training 50 percent of all soldiers and 60 percent of the women entering the Army each year. Providing the Army with new soldiers is the post's primary mission. 35,000 potential soldiers attend basic training and 8,000 advanced individual training soldiers train at Fort Jackson annually. Soldiers who have trained or worked at Fort Jackson live by the base's motto, "Victory Starts Here." The training is provided by the 165th, 171st, and 193rd Infantry Brigades Monday through Sunday for a ten-week period.

The post has other missions as well. While some military installations have experienced downsizing and closure in past years, Fort Jackson has added several new schools and training institutions since 1995 including the U.S. Army Soldier Support Institute, the Department of Defense Chaplain Center and School, and the National Center for Credibility Assessment, part of the Defense Intelligence Agency. In 2007 the Army consolidated all of its training facilities for Drill Sergeants at Fort Jackson, and in 2009 Command Sergeant Major Teresa King became the first woman to head what is now the sole Drill Sergeant School for the U.S. Army.

Fort Jackson encompasses more than 52,000 acres (210 km²) of land, including 100 ranges and field training sites and more than 1,000 buildings. Soldiers, civilians, retirees and family members make up the Fort Jackson community that continues to grow in numbers and facilities. An additional 10,000 soldiers attend courses at the Soldier Support Institute, Chaplain Center and School and Drill Sergeant School annually. 12,000 military families make Fort Jackson their home. Close to 3,500 civilians are employed at Fort Jackson and 46,000-plus retirees and their families receive services from this base.

On base, visitors can visit the U.S. Army Basic Combat Training Museum, previously known as Fort Jackson Museum when opened in 1974. The museum helps visitors to learn the history of Fort Jackson since created in 1917. Admission into the Combat Training Museum is open Monday through Friday, except for Federal Holidays, and admission is free.

Located in the heart of the midlands region of South Carolina, Fort Jackson was incorporated into the city of Columbia in October 1968 and is midway between New York and Miami. Columbia has direct access to three interstate highways, I-20, I-26 and I-77, and indirect access to two additional interstates within 100 miles (160 km), I-95 and I-85. Average temperatures in the region range from a high of 90+ °F (32 °C) in July to a low of 34 °F (1 °C) in January. Annual rainfall averages around 48 inches (1,200 mm).

The fort has a significant economic impact on the local area. Annual expenditures by Fort Jackson exceed $716.9 million for salaries, utilities, contracts and other services. In addition, over 100,000 family members visit the Midlands area each year to attend basic training graduation activities, using local hotels, restaurants and shopping areas.

In the 1994 film Renaissance Man, starring Danny DeVito, Mark Wahlberg, and Stacey Dash, basic training scenes from the fictional "Fort McClane" were filmed at Fort Jackson.

U.S. Army Chaplain Center and School (USACHCS)

U.S. Army Chaplain Museum

United States Army Financial Management School

Notable former soldiers

Joe Crank