“Victory Starts Here.”
Fort Jackson, the 53,000-acre US Army Training Center in Columbia, is the largest + most active
Entry Training Center into the US Army in the nation. It trains ~45,000 basic training Soldiers annually, making up almost 50% of the Army’s basic combat trainees
and about 60% of all females entering the Army.
Not only has Fort Jackson had a significant impact across the nation through its Soldiers, but also on Columbia’s economy. According to research from UofSC’s Darla Moore School of Business , military operations around SC represent 8.4% of the state’s economy, with $2.2 billion of that coming directly from Fort Jackson. In 2019, that number was estimated to have risen to $2.4 billion.
Two months ago, WLTX reported that $273 million federal dollars would go to military bases around SC. Fort Jackson received $21 million and allocated the money for constructing reception barracks to keep the facilities updated for those on base.
But how did we get here? Let’s take a step back in time to see the history of Fort Jackson before it was a huge economic + national base.
The training center was named after the seventh President of the United States, Andrew Jackson. It was established in 1917, about a month after the US declared war on Germany during WWI and Congress authorized the President to expand the military. In doing so, Columbia was chosen as the site for a new Army divisional training camp.
Click the link below to read how Fort Jackson was used during the World Wars, when it became appointed as a US Army Training Center, and five fast facts about the base today.
The War Department of the US closed Fort Jackson on April 25, 1922 , but reactivated the site when WWII started to train and equip more soldiers. During that time, it also served as a training area for the SC National Guard between 1925-1940. In 1940, it became a permanent base, losing the name “Camp Jackson” and officially became Fort Jackson . During the first and second World Wars, the local training base was responsible for 50-80% of all Basic Combat Training for the US Army.
It was appointed as a US Army Training Center in 1973 , and has since grown into a staple for the US Army.
Five fast Fort Jackson facts
:
- 11,000+ families call Fort Jackson home
- It produces 36,000 graduates a year
- 41 graduation ceremonies are held each year
- It has an on-site 10,000 sqft water park
- Fort Jackson Golf Club opened in 1949 and is home to two championship golf courses