Fort Jackson is best known for being the Army’s training base. It trains 50% of the nation’s new soldiers each year. It covers over 43,000 acres with more than 1,000 buildings. There are over 11,250 active duty Soldiers, civilians, and retirees that call this area home. The majority of these families live in on-post housing. This base is also a hub for education and employment. It houses the Soldier Support Institute, Armed Forces Chaplain Center and School, and Drill Sergeant School.
Located in the city of Columbia, Fort Jackson Army Base is a key part of the local military and economic fabric. It employs a significant number of people and generates a lot of business for local businesses. The base is also home to several museums that preserve military history and culture.
The main purpose of the Fort is to train and prepare new soldiers for their careers. It is the Army’s largest and most active Initial Entry Training (IET) Center. The ten-week Basic Combat Training program transforms civilians into soldiers by teaching them fundamental skills, drills, and ceremonies. It also teaches them about the Army’s core values.
After BCT, new recruits will go through Advanced Individual Training (AIT). This more intensive program will prepare them for their specific military occupational specialty. Approximately 36,000 soldiers graduate from BCT each year and call Fort Jackson home.
In addition to serving as an important military training center, the Fort Jackson Army Base also houses many other key agencies and organizations. These include the Military Personnel Office, or MPO, which handles all personnel-related matters for soldiers and their families. The MPO can help with everything from housing to pay to travel.
The city of Columbia sits next to Fort Jackson and offers a variety of living options, from metropolitan downtown to quiet suburbs. It is also close to several parks and natural areas, including Lake Murray.
What Units Are at Fort Jackson, SC?
12,000 additional advanced training trainees every year. It is also home to the U.S. Army Soldier Support Institute, Armed Forces Chaplain School, National Center for Credibility Assessment, and the Drill Sergeant Academy. It is also the location of the Leonard Nimoy Visitor Center & Museum, which features memorabilia from Star Trek.
The fort’s primary mission is to provide initial entry training, or BCT, to new soldiers in the United States Army. The ten-week program is designed to transform civilians into soldiers by teaching them basic military skills, physical fitness and the Army’s core values. The fort also conducts field training exercises, allowing soldiers to practice their skills in a real world.
In addition to basic training, the fort is home to many other units, including the 165th and 193rd Infantry Brigades. In 2007, the brigades were redesignated and assigned richer military heritage, and a new shoulder sleeve insignia was approved.
Another important unit at Fort Jackson is the Military Personnel Office, or MPO. This unit handles all personnel-related matters for soldiers and their families, such as housing, pay, and travel. The MPO also offers counseling services for those dealing with traumatic events, such as sexual assault and domestic violence. Military personnel and their families can choose to live on or off Fort Jackson in the nearby neighborhoods of Forest Acres, Blythewood, and Elgin.
Is Fort Jackson the Largest Army Base?
Fort Jackson is one of the largest army bases in the United States. It is located in Columbia, South Carolina, and has a large mission of training soldiers for military service. Thousands of soldiers go through basic combat training here each year and are nicknamed “Jackson Recruits.” It is also home to the Army’s Drill Sergeant School. The base’s motto is “Victory Starts Here,” and it trains soldiers to become highly disciplined and motivated for their mission-ready roles.
Fort Jackson is huge, with over 52,000 acres of land and hundreds of buildings. It is the US’s biggest initial entry training center and carries out more than 50 percent of all basic training each year. It is home to Army schools and institutes, including the Army Soldier Support Institute, Armed Forces Army Chaplaincy Center, and Department of Defense Polygraph Institute (now called National Center for Credibility Assessment).
The post offers plenty of on-post housing. There are three neighborhoods managed by Balfour Beatty, with a variety of single and duplex floor plans. Pierce Terrace is for enlisted active duty soldiers and has 2 to 4-bedroom homes, while Mabry Manor and Howie Village are for officers with similar floor plans. Families with children attend on-post elementary schools run by DDESS, and students in grades 7th through 8th go to Dent Middle School or Richland Northeast High School.
Legend
Every Friday, thousands of family members and friends assemble at Fort Jackson to witness the graduation of Basic Combat Training for new soldiers. Those graduating from BCT are then ready to move on to Advanced Individual Training. It’s a tough slog, but the rewards are great.
Many famous people have called Fort Jackson home over the years, including Desmond Doss, who earned a Medal of Honor for his service as a conscientious objector during WWII. Then there’s the Jim Croce Memorial Park on post that honors the singer-songwriter who penned classics like “You Are So Beautiful.” Fans of Star Trek will know that Spock himself, Leonard Nimoy, was stationed at this base in Special Services.