Fort Jackson

Anniversary park for Fort Jackson gets another $300,000 pledge

Submitted by bhilferty on Fri, 02/10/2017 - 03:02
RICHLAND COUNTY, SC--Supporters of a plan to build a $2.7 million park on Fort Jackson to note its 100th anniversary won a pledge Tuesday from Richland County Council to match what the city has agreed to contribute. The county agreed to chip in $300,000 spread over three years using meal-tax money. But County Council put two conditions on its contribution: The Department of the Army must first approve the park and organizers must provide a detailed budget. Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/news/local/article131367069.html#storylink=cpy

Gateway Presentation to Greater Lexington Chamber

Submitted by bhilferty on Wed, 07/13/2016 - 21:58
Cmd. Sgt. Maj. Marty Wells briefs the Greater Lexington Chamber

The Greater Lexington Chamber hosted its monthly breakfast Tuesday and the topic of conversation was an upcoming 100th birthday for a Midlands institution.

Fort Jackson, the largest basic training installation in the entire US Army, will celebrate its centennial birthday in 2017. Gateway to the Army Association President and CSM (retired) Martin Wells spoke to the audience about plans to commemorate Fort Jackson, which opened its doors in the May-June timeframe of 1917. 

Meet the newest Army recruits

Submitted by bhilferty on Sun, 07/03/2016 - 22:05
Jamie Udet, 18, middle, of Myrtle Beach, joins other recruits as they try on their uniforms for the first time, Thursday, June 30, 2016. Soldiers-in-training do all their in-processing in the reception stage, which includes paperwork, medical/dental screenings, shots and haircuts. They are also issued their uniforms and dogtags and begin their orientation in Army procedures & values. Gerry Melendez gmelendez@thestate.com

BY JEFF WILKINSON [email protected] On July 4, 1776, representatives of the 13 American colonies declared independence from Great Britain.

Their confidence was buoyed by the stunning victory just seven days before by 400 soldiers of the Continental Army’s 2nd South Carolina Regiment on Sullivan’s Island. The small band, hunkered down behind a log and earthen fort at the entrance to Charleston Harbor, drove off the most powerful navy in the world.

Those South Carolinians were volunteers.

Brig. General Pete Johnson named new Fort Jackson commander

Submitted by bhilferty on Fri, 06/24/2016 - 21:56
Outgoing base commander, Maj. Gen. Roger Cloutier, Maj. Gen. Anthony Funkhouser and Brig. Gen. John ‘Pete’ Johnson, stand together before a ceremony in which Brig. Gen. Johnson replaced Maj. Gen. Roger Cloutier as base commander. Tracy Glantz tglantz@thestate.com

COLUMBIA Brig. Gen. John P. “Pete” Johnson was named the 49th [editor note: he was determined to be the 50th] commanding general of Fort Jackson, the Army’s largest initial training base.

The change of command at Victory Field took place amid the pomp of a ceremony that dates back to the American Revolution. Johnson took the installation’s flag from Maj. Gen. Anthony C. Funkhouser, commanding general, Center for Initial Military Training.

Editorial: At 100, Fort Jackson remains vital to U.S. Army, Columbia and S.C.

Submitted by bhilferty on Sun, 06/19/2016 - 20:14
Rappelling at Fort Jackson
It’s frightful to think what living in the Midlands would be like today without Fort Jackson, the Army’s largest basic training facility. The base creates jobs, sends soldiers to volunteer in our community, brings positive publicity, attracts thousands of visitors annually, and beckons military retirees to move here after their active duty days are over.

On Saturday, Fort Jackson will officially launch its yearlong centennial celebration with the annual Army Birthday Ball at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.

Centennial Park Contract Signing

Submitted by bhilferty on Tue, 03/08/2016 - 22:03
This Thursday at 2:30 p.m. the Gateway to the Army Association will sign the contract with renowned local builder and sculptor Ron Clamp to build the Centennial Park on Fort Jackson.

The public is welcome to attend the signing which will be at the First Responder & Military Service Members Historical Memorial at the Columbia Convention Center—this is one of Ron Clamp’s projects and it was also organized by one of our board members, Dan Hennigan.

Plans unveiled for memorial park ahead of Fort Jackson centennial

Submitted by bhilferty on Thu, 01/21/2016 - 00:53
Photo credit: Drill sergeant candidates from the active component Army, Army Reserve and National Guard receive on-the-spot corrections from Staff Sgt. Logan Robbins, a drill sergeant leader, on “zero day” at the U.S. Army Drill Sergeant Academy at Fort Jackson, S.C. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Brian Hamilton)

COLUMBIA, SC (COLA Daily.com, 20Jan16, by Kelly Petty)--Fort Jackson will celebrate its 100th birthday next year, and a local nonprofit has unveiled plans for a monument and park to be built on military installation’s grounds to commemorate the centennial and celebrate the history and legacy of the Army base.

“Fort Jackson holds a special place for millions of people nationwide,” said retired Command Sgt. Maj. Marty Wells, one of 11 members on the Gateway to the Army Association.

Wells said the project would cost $2.7 million in monetary and in-kind donations.

Sailors prepare for ground combat at Fort Jackson

Submitted by bhilferty on Sat, 11/14/2015 - 16:52
Navy Sailors learn proper convoy procedures and battle injury aid to civilians during training at Fort Jackson's Camp McCrady, home to Task Force Marshall. Tim Dominick tdominick@thestate.com
Lt. Cmdr. Michelle Sanabia hunkered down in a firing pit at Fort Jackson’s Bastogne gun range and kicked her boots up on the tripod of an imposing 50-caliber machine gun – a stalwart of the U.S. military since World War II. Not many rounds hit their mark. But the slight, 53-year-old Navy emergency room nurse from Millington, Tenn., has had her first experience with an Army automatic weapon. The training – which occurred in September – might be useful now that she has deployed to a NATO forward base hospital in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

The rich history of Fort Jackson

Submitted by bhilferty on Wed, 11/11/2015 - 17:15
AP President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1941 visited troops, including some of those called up for one year’s compulsory training stationed at Fort Jackson.
Fort Jackson was created in 1917 as Camp Jackson as the U.S. entered World War I. The site was announced by Douglas MacArthur, who was then a major but became one of the most famous generals in American history. The Columbia Chamber of Commerce raised $50,000 to purchase former Hampton Estate. Residents donated 1,192 acres. And the federal government purchased 19,700 acres and leased thousands more for the facility. Read more of Jeff Wilkinson's article at The State newspaper's website http://www.thestate.com/news/special-reports/state-125/