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ON THE COVER
SPECIAL THANKS
Thanks to the officers, soldiers and staff of Fort Jackson for their help
with this publication. Special thanks to Chris Fletcher, Chief, Command
Information; Pat Jones, U.S. Army Garrison Public Affairs Officer;
Veran Hill, Public Affairs Specialist intern; Lt. Col. Jeremy Peifer,
commander of the 2nd Battalion, 60th Infantry Regiment; Capt. Avron
J. Bloom, 2nd Battalion, 60th Infantry Regiment, Company D; and
Stephanie Sapp VanderKnyff and Henry Howe of the Basic Combat
Training Museum at Fort Jackson. Finally, thanks to the recruits in
Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 60th Infantry Regiment, 193rd Infantry
Brigade and all other soldiers for volunteering to serve their country.
Maj. Gen.
John Pete Johnson
INDEX
THE ROAD TO
BECOMING A SOLDIER
THE HISTORY
OF FORT JACKSON
A CITY WITHIN
FORT JACKSON
FORT JACKSON
& COLUMBIA
Follow a group
of recruits through
basic training
Columbia
visionaries recruited
Fort Jackson
The fort is a
small city within
Columbia
PAGES 4-33
PAGES 34-49
PAGES 50-61
PAGES 62-75
PAGES 77-81
A SOLDIER
BY JEFF WILKINSON
jwilkinson@thestate.com
4 | FORT JACKSON
Recruits line up
during grenade
training in
August.
SEAN RAYFORD
VICTORY | 5
Devon Clarkson, 18, of Eastover, right, stands in line with fellow recruits following a swearing-in ceremony in June.
RECEPTION
The recruits come to
the nations largest basic
training base by airplane,
bus or car. Some recruits
have proud parents in tow
with the festive air of the
first day of college. Some
come alone.
They are star athletes
or street toughs. Some
come from rich families,
others from the depths of
poverty. They represent
every ethnicity and religion, every viewpoint and
perspective. They are men
and women together.
A few have been preparing for boot camp
for months and are ripped
and ready for training.
Others are out of shape,
ill-prepared and scared.
Most are somewhere in
between.
The first few days have
been mundane, filled with
in-processing tasks such as
uniform fittings, physical
exams, shots, haircuts and
reams of forms. It is called
reception.
6 | FORT JACKSON
SEAN RAYFORD
GERRY MELENDEZ
GERRY MELENDEZ
SEAN RAYFORD
Davelle Draper stands at attention during a swearing-in ceremony in June before the start of
basic training.
VICTORY | 7
During the reception phase, recruits are outfitted with boots, uniforms, name tags and other basic materials. At left, Jamie Udet, 18, of Myrtle Beach,
organizes her name tag and patches. Center, recruits line up with their bags as they prepare to receive uniforms and boots. At right, recruits try on
their boots for the first time.
Drill Sgt. Javier Solivan demonstrates the proper parade rest position to recruits during the reception phase.
FORT FACT
Maj. Gen. Robert L. Eichelberger, commanding general of the 77th Infantry Division stationed at Fort Jackson,
addressed his men during the middle of World War II on April 11, 1942. We shall have thorough training and hard work. ...
If you think you are working too hard, remember what our enemies are doing.
SOURCE: A HISTORY OF FORT JACKSON PUBLISHED IN 1967
8 | FORT JACKSON
A recruit meets
a general, fellow
Clemson fan
PHOTOS BY GERRY MELENDEZ
Jamie Udet, middle, joins other recruits as they try on their uniforms for the first time.
Jamie Bowen and other recruits try on their uniforms for the first time.
Recruits are asked to hold a training pose by a drill sergeant during boot fitting in the
reception center.
Fort Jackson recruits have to carry their duffel bags a long distance and then hold them over their heads when arriving at the living quarters. Drill
sergeants have no patience with those who packed too much and cannot complete the task.
RED PHASE
On a morning in early July, the
recruits of Delta Company and the
rest of their battalion are herded onto
buses and taken to their barracks for
the start of the Red Phase of training.
As the buses stop and the recruits exit,
the shark attack begins.
The recruits are immediately and
aggressively confronted by their drill
sergeants, who they are meeting for
the first time. They are screamed at.
Hurried. Harassed. Forced to line up.
Forced to lift their heavy duffel bags repeatedly above their heads to the point
of exhaustion.
Their cellphones are confiscated.
Their belongings are rifled through
for contraband.
Then they are hustled off to Victory
Tower, where they are forced to climb
a maze of ropes and nets and to rappel
down a 40-foot wall. Its their first
training exercise, intended to build
their confidence, and for some, it is the
most difficult obstacle they will face.
No is not an option. Welcome to
the Army.
10 | FORT JACKSON
Fort Jackson recruits have to give up their cellphones while in basic training. They get one quick call home to say they have arrived safely.
Fort Jackson recruits meet their drill sergeants for the first time during the Red Phase. Here,
Staff Sgt. Alfonzo Branch gives orders to the recruits.
ARMY
PHRASES
ON THE TRAIL
The time a soldier
spends as a drill
sergeant.
JACKED UP
Screwed up,
messy soldier.
SQUARED AWAY
A sharp, neat,
physically fit soldier.
ON POINT
A soldier in complete
control of himself
or herself and the
situation around
them.
ARE YOU
TRACKING ME?
Do you understand
what Im saying?
ROGER THAT
I totally understand.
HOOAH
An affirmative call
and response.
A recruit rappels
down Victory
Tower.
TIM DOMINICK
12 | FORT JACKSON
At the start of basic training, recruits face their fears at Victory Tower. This section of the obstacle course is called the Commando Crawl.
Xavier Ruffin, 18, of Bamberg, and other recruits leave the gas chamber after removing their
masks and experiencing a nontoxic, but irritating, gas.
VICTORY | 13
WHITE PHASE
A soldier is nothing without his or
her rifle. And in White Phase also
known as the rifleman phase recruits
are taught how to use their weapons,
engage the enemy, protect their fellow
soldiers and live to fight another day.
The drill sergeants teach the new
soldiers how to move, communicate
and shoot. The training becomes more
difficult as it unfolds. Not only do the
privates learn to fire their rifles, they
also use heavy machine guns as well
as rocket-propelled grenades and hand
grenades.
During White Phase they are beginning to become soldiers. The disdain
of the drill sergeants exhibited in Red
Phase begins to dissipate.
The recruits are transitioning into
privates in the United States Army, but
they still have a lot to learn.
After White Phase, most recruits
who struggled have been held back
for another cycle or washed out. Some
might have to work a little harder on
some aspect of their training mostly
physical to graduate.
14 | FORT JACKSON
SEAN RAYFORD
Above: An instructor demonstrates proper technique during grenade training. Top: Fort Jackson
privates listen to instructions during buddy movement training.
FORT FACT
Corp. Freddie Stowers, who trained at Fort
Jackson, is the only African-American to be
awarded the Medal of Honor for service
during World War I.
A native of Sandy Springs in Anderson
County, Stowers joined the First Provisional
Infantry Regiment for
African-American
soldiers on Oct. 4, 1917.
He was part of the first
military draft of World
War I.
Stowers was killed by
machine gun fire on Sept.
28, 1918, while leading an infantry charge on
German trenches.
His Medal of Honor citation says Stowers
went above and beyond the call of duty
when his company led the attack at Hill 188,
Champagne Marne Sector, France.
TIM DOMINICK
SEAN RAYFORD
VICTORY | 15
TIM DOMINICK
Above:
Recruit
Devon
Clarkson
goes through
buddy
movement
training.
Right:
Jamie Udet
and Allicia
Wiggs, 18,
of Beaufort,
hoist
Jamie
Bowen
up a wall.
TRACY GLANTZ
TRACY GLANTZ
16 | FORT JACKSON
Devon Clarkson helps Jamie Bowen up a wall during the confidence course.
TRACY GLANTZ
TRACY GLANTZ
GERRY MELENDEZ
Above: Allicia Wiggs looks at the 40-foot tall obstacle she and
other recruits will climb during the confidence course.
Left: Recruits with D Company, 2nd Battalion, 60th Infantry
Regiment, 193rd Infantry Brigade go through weapons training
at the Bastogne range.
VICTORY | 17
Xavier Ruffin
goes through
weapons
training at the
Bastogne range.
GERRY MELENDEZ
18 | FORT JACKSON
SEAN RAYFORD
Above: Recruits practice during grenade training. Below: A recruit dives for cover
during grenade training.
TIM DOMINICK
SEAN RAYFORD
VICTORY | 19
FORT FACT
Hilton Field, where nearly all basic training graduation ceremonies
ammunition for their rifles, Hilton continued attacking with just his
pistol. He killed six enemy soldiers and captured 10. His arm was
He is buried in Camden.
20 | FORT JACKSON
MY FORT STORY:
RONALD W. VAUGHN
A bloody
encounter
with a
sergeant
GERRY MELENDEZ
Above: Jamie Udet, left, eats an M.R.E. during the Victory Forge training exercise. Victory Forge is the culminating basic combat training exercise
where recruits spend four days and three nights putting their skills to test with little time to rest. It concludes with a 10-mile march.
Below: Privates in D Company shout a cadence on their way to lunch.
BLUE PHASE
In Blue Phase, recruits learn to
work as a team in combat situations,
how to cover each other when moving
forward and how to negotiate a night
infiltration course. They take long,
challenging marches. Leaders emerge.
By the time Blue Phase arrives, the
privates begin taking more individual initiatives in their training. They
learn to live for long periods in remote
surroundings, digging foxholes and
latrines and sustaining themselves
with Meals Ready to Eat.
Physical training is honed to the
highest level. Milestones are reached.
Blue Phase is the culmination
of all the new soldiers training.
When they have passed all of the
tests, the privates congregate for Rite
of Passage and receive their black
berets with their distinctive blue
patches.
22 | FORT JACKSON
FORT FACT
President George W. Bush
spoke at a basic training
graduation at Fort Jackson
on Nov. 2,
2007.
Over the
last century,
Fort Jackson
has prepared
countless
young Americans to defend
our country, Bush said
at Hilton Field. Soldiers
marched from these fields to
battle fascists, and dictators,
and terrorists. Those soldiers
brought freedom to millions
of people they never knew.
Because of their efforts,
America is stronger, America
Test grader Daniel Hoyson, left, watches Anthony Garcia during his final Army Physical Fitness Test in basic
training.
Devon Clarkson digs a foxhole during the Victory Forge training exercise.
Above: Quentin Wright digs a foxhole during the Victory Forge training exercise.
Left: Brian Cabico provides security during Victory Forge training.
24 | FORT JACKSON
Allicia
Wiggs
provides
security
during
Victory
Forge.
SEAN RAYFORD
VICTORY | 25
Above:
Marichung
Duncan grimaces
while removing
her boots after
the final march of
Victory Forge.
Right:
A private in
D Company,
2nd Battalion,
60th Infantry
Regiment, 193rd
Infantry Brigade
shows
his feet to a
drill sergeant
following the
march concluding
Victory Forge.
PHOTOS BY SEAN
RAYFORD
26 | FORT JACKSON
Above: A private looks through photos in his locker during downtime at Fort Jackson on a Sunday
in August. Left: Jamie Udet, of D Company, 2nd
Battalion, 60th Infantry Regiment, 193rd Infantry
Brigade, laces up a pair of boots.
VICTORY | 27
Privates react after a two-mile run during their final physical fitness test in basic training.
FORT FACTS
An estimated 500,000
American soldiers were
trained at Fort Jackson during
World War II.
SOURCE: A HISTORY OF FORT JACKSON
PUBLISHED IN 1967
AP
28 | FORT JACKSON
Staff Sgt. Tiffany Brown watches a private during her final physical fitness test of basic training.
Xavier Ruffin and fellow soldiers in D Company, 2nd Battalion, 60th Infantry Regiment, 193rd Infantry Brigade participate in a drill and ceremonies
competition following their Rite of Passage ceremony at the end of basic training.
VICTORY | 29
Above: Americas newest soldiers emerge from behind a smokescreen to greet relatives and friends for the first time in 10 weeks. Below left:
Private Katrina Trujillo, left, shares photos with Xavier Vasque at the Officers Club during Family Day. Below right: Private Jemik Davis holds his son
Kimej Davis during Family Day.
FAMILY DAY
At the end of their training cycle, on the
Wednesday before graduation, the new
soldiers are reunited with their families.
It is the first time their loved ones have
seen them in 10 weeks. For many, the transformation is shocking.
The gangly high schooler and overweight
problem child have become the nations
newest soldiers. And their familys pride is
often overwhelming.
30 | FORT JACKSON
VICTORY | 31
GRADUATION
Graduation ceremonies begin with the new soldiers staging at the far end of Hilton Field. They then march in formation to the fields center. Awards are presented. Speeches are
given. The battalion passes in review.
Then the soldiers are released into the custody of their families for one afternoon. Most head out on the town for a meal of
their choosing at the restaurant of their choosing.
Then early the next morning, the soldiers immediately
ship out for their advanced individual training at bases
across the United States.
You arrived at Jackson as individuals but you leave now as
members of the Army Strong team, Lt. Col. Jeremy Peifer,
commander of the 2nd Battalion, 60th Infantry Regiment,
193rd Infantry Brigade, said when D Company graduated on
Sept. 8. We need you to be proud of what you have accomplished over the last 10 weeks. Remember, soldiers: No one
handed this to you. You have earned the privilege and honor
to call yourselves United States Army soldiers.
32 | FORT JACKSON
Above: Soldiers
march during
graduation day
ceremonies Sept. 8.
Left: Jamie Udet
stands at attention
during graduation
ceremonies.
Far left: Private
Devon Clarkson,
right, hugs
his father, Terry
Clarkson, following
graduation day
ceremonies.
PHOTOS BY
SEAN RAYFORD
VICTORY | 33
THE HISTORY
OF FORT JACKSON
BY PAUL OSMUNDSON
posmundson@thestate.com
34 | FORT JACKSON
FORT FACTS
During World War
I, one soldier sent a
postcard to his brother
about the conditions
at Fort Jackson. Yes,
the green grass is a
misprint as there is no
grass here. Weather
is very hot but the
sweating I think it will
do me good in the long
(run) as I have already
dropped from 46 size
(suit) to 37.
SOURCE: COURTESY OF
CARL R. SHIRLEY JR.
In mid-September 1918,
an influenza outbreak
occurred at Fort Jackson. Eventually, 5,000
people at the fort were
treated and 300 died
from the disease.
SOURCE: A HISTORY OF FORT
JACKSON PUBLISHED IN 1967
36 | FORT JACKSON
Above: Hardaway Contracting Company of Columbus, Ga., was selected to build the Army camp in Columbia.
Within six months, the company constructed 1,519 buildings at what was then known as Camp Jackson. The
buildings included a movie theater. Below: A postcard shows soldiers practicing semaphore signaling during
World War I.
Above: The
Camp Jackson
flagpole,
erected in
October 1917,
was located
in front of the
81st Division
headquarters
building. The
Camp Jackson
flagpole was
153 feet tall,
made of two
straight timbers spliced
together.
Left: Inside
Fort Jackson
mess hall
BASIC COMBAT
TRAINING MUSEUM
ARCHIVES
VICTORY | 37
38 | FORT JACKSON
Above: An observation balloon during World War I. Right: Soldiers train on artillery equipment in
1918.
FORT JACKSON
TIMELINE
SEPT. 5, 1917
OCTOBER 1939
VICTORY | 39
Soldiers train on
an M1917 Browning
machine gun mounted
on a truck in 1943.
BASIC COMBAT TRAINING
MUSEUM ARCHIVES
FORT FACT
The first conscientious objector to receive
the Medal of Honor trained at Fort Jackson
during World War II.
40 | FORT JACKSON
President Franklin D. Roosevelt reviews troops stationed at Fort Jackson in 1941. In the presidents car are, left to right, General H.D. Russell,
Commander of the 30th U.S. Division, back to camera, President Roosevelt, Gov. Burnet Maybank, and General W.E. Shedd, commander of the 1st
U.S. Army Corps.
JUNE 8, 1942
Vaughan
42 | FORT JACKSON
EARLY 1943
MAY 8, 1945
JUNE 4, 1945
NOVEMBER 1953
Above: More
than 270,000
soldiers were
trained at
Fort Jackson
from May 1939
through March
1944.
Left: Soldiers
present arms
during training
in 1942.
BASIC COMBAT
TRAINING MUSEUM
ARCHIVES
JUNE 1958
Above:
Winston
Churchill,
Britains Prime
Minister, gives
United States
army parachutists the onceover while
visiting Fort
Jackson on
June 24, 1942.
Churchill said
the thousands of
trainees
were just
like money
in the bank.
Right:
Soldiers board
a train to go
home for
Christmas in
1968.
THE STATE ARCHIVES
44 | FORT JACKSON
VICTORY | 45
Armed Forces
Day Parade
in downtown
Columbia
in 1968.
THE STATE
ARCHIVES
FORT FACT
Fort Jackson and the military were at the forefront of racial
integration in the nation and in South Carolina. In September
1950, the fort became one of the Armys first bases to integrate,
following President Harry Trumans executive order two years
earlier that the U.S. armed services become desegregated.
In 1963, Fort Jackson Elementary School later named Hood
Street Elementary School became the first desegregated
public elementary school in South Carolina.
SOURCES: BLACK, WHITE AND OLIVE DRAB: RACIAL INTEGRATION AT FORT JACKSON, SOUTH
CAROLINA, AND THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, BY ANDREW H. MYERS; FORT JACKSONS 50TH
ANNIVERSARY HISTORY TIMELINE
46 | FORT JACKSON
AUGUST 1963
OCTOBER 1968
AUG. 1, 1995
Construction begins on
the U.S. Army Chaplain
Center and School. The
center opens in 1996.
NOV. 2, 2007
NOVEMBER 2008
JANUARY 2010
A soldier
trains in
1966.
THE STATE
ARCHIVES
Above: Soldiers on Fort Jacksons obstacle course in 1991. Right: Staff Sgt. Craig Perrin fires
a 75 mm cannon at Fort Jackson on April 25, 1994, in memory of former President Richard M.
Nixon, who died on April 22, 1994. The cannon was fired once every half hour from 6 a.m. to
5 p.m. on April 25.
48 | FORT JACKSON
FORT JACKSON
BY THE NUMBERS
63,021
53
38,002
23,764
1,255
4,932
Civilian employees
Percentage
of all soldiers
receiving basic
training at Fort
Jackson
476,252
59
2,916
11,686
Family members
of Fort Jackson soldiers
184,000
SEAN RAYFORD
Cars line up at
6 a.m. at the Fort
Jackson main gate
on Forest Drive.
TRACY GLANTZ
50 | FORT JACKSON
A
CITY
WITHIN
FORT JACKSON
BY JEFF WILKINSON
jwilkinson@thestate.com
or many people driving past Fort Jackson on Interstate 77, the Army
post is a bit of a mystery.
It is surrounded by wire and guarded at the entrances by burly guards
with guns. From outside the fence, they can hear the frequent cadences of massed soldiers, the occasional boom of artillery or the rattle of machine-gun fire.
And, of course, there are the regular bugle calls that signal when soldiers
are supposed to rise, eat, assemble and sleep.
VICTORY | 51
TRACY GLANTZ
FORT FACT
The number of
Fort Jackson
military police was
expanded from
150 to 250 in early
1941 because of
vice conditions
aggravated by
camp followers,
according to a Jan.
12, 1941, article in
The State newspaper. The additional
military police
were added as the
number of soldiers
at the fort increased
before the U.S.
entered World
War II.
SEAN RAYFORD
At 11:30 p.m., Fort Jackson gate guard Willie Shaw checks a drivers identification at the Forest Drive entrance.
52 | FORT JACKSON
Just after
midnight, Staff
Sgt. Jeremy
Douglas works at
the front desk in
a living quarters
office on Fort
Jackson.
SEAN RAYFORD
At 7 a.m., Cpl. Jessica Bruha closes off a road near the Forest Drive gate.
TRACY GLANTZ
At 9 a.m., Olin Cramer, from left, Ronald Beattie and Jim Wilson prepare to play a round at the Fort Jackson Golf Club.
TRACY GLANTZ
Members of the Thursday night bowling league practice at 6 p.m. before a tournament at Century Lanes Bowling Center at Fort Jackson.
Above: At 6 a.m.,
Denise Mashack, left,
and Lisa Edmond
prepare breakfast for
trainees. The fort contracts with a private
company to provide
food services.
Right: At 11 a.m.,
Paul Smith eats
lunch at the Popeyes
Louisiana Kitchen on
Lee Road.
PHOTOS BY
TRACY GLANTZ
FORT FACT
In July 1943, soldiers from the 100th Infantry
Division known as The Century Players
presented the play The Eve of St. Mark
at the Columbia Town Theatre.
SOURCE: A HISTORY OF FORT JACKSON PUBLISHED IN 1967
VICTORY | 55
At 7 a.m., Raja
Kandanada walks
his dog Sandy.
TRACY GLANTZ
SEAN RAYFORD
Recruit thankful
for training
from sergeants
I arrived at Fort Jackson on Dec. 2, 1963,
and departed for Fort Bragg, N.C., the first
week of February 1964 for my medic training. I am from the Hartford, Conn., area,
and it was the first time I had ever been in
South Carolina. Like most people entering
basic training, I was pretty nervous. It started in what was affectionately called zero
week where we rarely got more than two or
three hours of continuous sleep for the entire
time. Then, we were sent to our permanent
company area on Tank Hill and that is where
I started my basic training. The barracks
from WWII were the ones we lived in and
during the cold weather we all had our
turn staying up all night shoveling coal into
the furnace so we could all stay warm. My
memories are not so much about the process
of basic training but the amazing cadre that
trained us.
We were two cycles behind the Cuban
commandos that were involved in the Bay of
Pigs operation. The cadre all stand out in my
mind. My first sergeant was Bert Fowler, who
had a chest full of ribbons and was tough as
nails. My platoon sergeant was Sgt. Santiago,
who could probably run 20 miles without
breaking a sweat. He would take our company on the early morning runs at about 5 a.m.
Then, there was Sgt. Pabon, who was without
question a soldiers soldier who had amazing
leadership skills. He was originally from
Puerto Rico, like Sgt. Santiago. I remember
Sgt. Fischback from Panama, who taught in
the advanced hand-to-hand combat section
and helped run the jungle warfare program
in Panama. He always carried himself with a
swagger and was a great teacher.
Sgt. Ruiz, also from Panama, was a medic
in the 101st Airborne Division and had a
really command presence.
Not until after I arrived at Fort Bragg did
I realize how Sgt. Fowlers toughness was
important to prepare us for the next level. I
turned 75 on July 26, and these memories
are still held close to my heart 53 years later.
Dr. Jeff Magun
Columbia
At 3 p.m., Private Hakem Stewart sorts prescriptions at Moncrief Army Health Clinic.
At 11 a.m., Bryan Lovejoy and his son, Erik, 16, from West Palm Beach, Fla., visit the U.S. Army Basic Combat Training Museum. More than 50,000
people visit the museum each year; the busiest days are Wednesdays, or Family Days, when friends and relatives of those recruits about to graduate
visit the fort.
At about 11 a.m., Liam, Emery and Julia Matthews play at Palmetto Falls Water Park on Fort Jackson. Civilians are eligible to use the park, which features two water slides, a 10,000-square-foot
pool, a Lazy River stretching over 800 feet, and a snack bar.
and Thursday.
Fort officials encourage the public,
particularly those who have never been
inside the installation, to visit.
Were part of the community, Fort
Physical training is required for members of the Fort Jackson Fire Department. Station captain Alex Rivera works out at 5 p.m.
FORT FACT
Evangelist Billy Graham held
a rally at Fort Jackson in
October 1958. The rally was
initially scheduled for the
State House, but was opposed by Gov. George Bell
Timmerman. Timmerman
was a strict segregationist
who wasnt fond of Grahams
integrated rallies. Timmerman claimed that holding
a rally at the State House
violated the separation of
church and state. Up to
60,000 people attended the
Fort Jackson rally, described
at the time as the largest
turnout for a non-sporting
event in state history.
At 5:56 p.m., Curtis Burnett monitors the 911 Emergency Center at Fort Jackson.
At 8 a.m.,
David Lauten
bicycles up
Dixie Road on
Fort Jackson.
TRACY GLANTZ
At 2:30 p.m., military technician Brandon Mosley works on an engine at the 81st Regional Support Command shop.
SEAN RAYFORD
SEAN RAYFORD
TRACY GLANTZ
Left: Shortly before 9 a.m., a soldier leads the 282nd Army Band during graduation day ceremonies at Fort Jackson army base. Right: At 11 a.m., Eric
Johnson shops for bargains at the Post Exchange at Fort Jackson.
VICTORY | 61
62 | FORT JACKSON
BEYOND
THE BASICS
OTHER MISSIONS AT THE FORT
BY JEFF WILKINSON
jwilkinson@thestate.com
VICTORY | 63
64 | FORT JACKSON
GERRY MELENDEZ
Sgt. Jeaunnesse Caceres, of Puerto Rico, gives her best drill sergeant face to Drill Sergeant Leader Elizabeth
Weaver. In 2015, 1,223 soldiers graduated from the Drill Sergeant Academy.
Staff Sgt. Ceasar Cortez, top, and Sgt. In Chul Park, both drill sergeant candidates, work on hand-to-hand combat techniques as they go through
combatives training. Park is from South Korea.
FORT FACT
David Brinkley was
briefly stationed at Fort
Jackson
in the
1940s.
Brinkley
became
AP
a television
journalist, co-hosting
The Huntley-Brinkley
Report on NBC and
also appearing on NBC
Nightly News.
Drill sergeant candidates test their masks inside the NBC (nuclear/biological/chemical) chamber.
66 | FORT JACKSON
MY FORT STORY:
JOHN L. DERHAMMER
In the 1950s,
barracks
were WWII
holdovers
PHOTOS BY GERRY MELENDEZ
Sgt. Robert Miller and Staff Sgt. Erick Martinez, middle, get fitted for their drill sergeant hats
as graduation from the U.S. Army Drill Sergeant Academy approaches. The design of the drill
sergeant hat is based on the Armys 1883 campaign hat.
Staff Sgt. Michael Turner leaves with his daughter Veronica after taking part in his graduation
ceremony from Drill Sergeant Academy.
Sgt. 1st Class Baden Meyer, right, rehearses graduation ceremonies with soldiers at the Armed Forces Chaplaincy Center at Fort Jackson. The center
trains all of the Armys chaplains and chaplain assistants. In 2015, 1,137 soldiers graduated from the U.S. Army Chaplain Center and School at the fort.
Above: 2nd Lts. Driant Hoti, of the Kosovo military, and Miguel Chapa
prepare for a graduation ceremony at the chaplaincy center in September. Right: Soon to be Chaplain Assistant Dylan Mize shouts with fellow
soldiers during a graduation rehearsal.
68 | FORT JACKSON
Soon to be Chaplain Assistant Dylan Mize, center, sings with fellow soldiers during a graduation rehearsal.
FORT FACT
VICTORY | 69
Navy sailors learn convoy procedures and are trained to assist injured citizens during Task Force Marshall training.
On the eastern edge of the post is Camp McCrady. It is a training facility owned and operated by
the South Carolina Army National Guard.
But in addition to training Guard members,
Camp McCrady is used to train U.S. Navy sailors,
mostly medical personnel and military police,
who are going into combat zones in the Middle
East and Afghanistan. The sailors, who augment
Army troops on the ground, are taught basics such
as firing an automatic weapon and manning a
convoy.
While not all of the missions at Fort Jackson
involve training the headquarters for all of the
Army Reserve troops in the Southeast is housed
there, for example its no coincidence that most
of the missions have a focus on training.
Everything has to be somewhere, Fort
Jackson spokesman Pat Jones said. Army leaders
try to find places that are a good fit for whatever
entity they want to find a home for. Fort Jackson is
a cost-effective area, there is space for other missions and its in a training environment.
70 | FORT JACKSON
Task Force Marshall trains thousands of Navy shore patrols and others on keeping
the peace on land as police officers. The sailors come from bases all over the world to
train.
Navy sailors learn the proper way to handle and fire M240 machine guns at Fort Jackson during training at Camp McCrady.
TIM DOMINICK
A tour group
goes through a
set of simulated
combat scenarios
as they check out
Fort Jacksons
engagement
skills trainer. The
simulation trains
soldiers on how
to respond to
encounters with
the enemy and
with friendly
citizens.
PHOTOS BY GERRY
MELENDEZ
72 | FORT JACKSON
Recruit is not
swayed by the
Columbia Queens
PHOTOS BY SEAN RAYFORD
Above: George Becker leads members of the Richland County Sheriffs Department SWAT team through an office building in a training exercise at Fort
Jackson. Below: Bob Landrum, left, and Rick Ellis played the roles of active
shooters in a training exercise with the Richland County Sheriffs Department
SWAT team at the 81st Regional Support Command at Fort Jackson. The
scenario involved dozens of people killed or injured. Bottom: Participants
prepare for the training.
74 | FORT JACKSON
Above: Jayden Davis, 4, helps Master Sgt. Helen Davis plant flags to
honor those buried at Fort Jackson National Cemetery in May 2015.
Left: Members of the Fort Jackson Honor Platoon carry the casket of
the Rev. Daniel Simmons Sr. during a burial at Fort Jackson National
Cemetery on July 2, 2015.
VICTORY | 75
COLUMBIA
BY JEFF WILKINSON
jwilkinson@thestate.com
VICTORY | 77
TRACY GLANTZ
Soldiers from Fort Jackson and members of the Richland County Sheriffs Department drive through neighborhoods doing walfare checks after
widespread flooding in the Columbia area in October 2015.
FORT FACTS
Singer and songwriter Jim
Croce, who went through basic
training at Fort Jackson, said
a sergeant at the fort helped
inspire his song, Bad, bad
Leroy Brown. His song Operator was said to be inspired
by listening to another soldier
trying to make a phone call to
his estranged girlfriend.
SOURCE: I GOT A NAME: THE JIM CROCE STORY
BY INGRID CROCE AND JIMMY ROCK
TIM DOMINICK
Fort Jackson tested its ability to respond to multiple incidents in April 2016 with a comprehensive exercise
that included security personnel and emergency responders from Fort Jackson and the local community.
Above: Every year, Fort Jackson celebrates our nations independence with
Torchlight Tattoo. Besides a massive fireworks display, the event honors every
U.S. state and territory with a cannon salute. The event draws thousands of
local residents each year. Below: Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Welch warms up to
perform with the 282nd Army Band during the Torchlight Tattoo.
Jones
VICTORY | 79
Fort Jackson soldiers salute from the stands at Spirit Communications Park as the Columbia Fireflies honored Fort Jacksons Centennial in August.
Columbia bills itself as the nations most military-friendly community.
Above: Omar Bahamundi, from left, Dustin Barnett and Ian Bowen enjoy their first ice cream
in 10 weeks while watching the Fireflies play at Spirit Communications Park. The privates, who
had just completed basic training, were awaiting graduation. Left: Fort Jacksons commanding general, Maj. Gen. John Pete Johnson, throws out the first pitch before the Columbia
Fireflies minor league baseball game in August. Johnson is Fort Jacksons 49th commanding
general.
80 | FORT JACKSON
Above: The
Saluda River
Academy for the
Arts Choral Group
performs a song
in support of Fort
Jackson during an
Army Community
listening session
in February 2015
at Shandon Baptist Church.
Left: Christina
Bickley, right,
signs a poster of
support for Fort
Jackson.
PHOTOS BY GERRY
MELENDEZ
VICTORY
Fort Jackson celebrates 100 years of preparing soldiers for
Proudly Sponsored By
82 | FORT JACKSON
VICTORY | 83
THE SOLDIERS
CREED
I am an American Soldier.
I am a warrior
and a member of a team.
I serve the people
of the United States,
and live the Army Values.
I will always place
the mission first.
I will never accept defeat.
I will never quit.
I will never leave
a fallen comrade.
I am disciplined,
physically and mentally
tough, trained and
proficient in my warrior
tasks and drills.
I always maintain
my arms, my equipment
and myself.
I am an expert
and I am a professional.
I stand ready to deploy,
engage, and destroy,
the enemies of the
United States of America
in close combat.
I am a guardian
of freedom and the American way of life.
I am an American Soldier.