FORT JACKSON, S.C. (March 5, 2015) -- More than 1,500 area residents showed their support for Fort Jackson during a community listening session Feb. 26 at Shandon Baptist Church. The event, which was hosted by the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce, featured a panel of Army officials who listened to input from politicians, businessmen and residents about possible cuts to the post's workforce. It was the 21st of 30 community listening sessions near Army installations throughout the U.S. to address possible cuts to Army and civilian personnel if sequestration takes effect in October.
Brig. Gen. Roger Cloutier, the director of force management, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-3/5/7, told the audience their opinion is important to Army leadership.
"Your voices matter. I can tell you right now that not a single decision has been made," Cloutier said. "The senior leaders of the Army are waiting for everything to come in, and then we'll go through a pretty formalized process -- present everything to them and then we'll make some decisions."
Fort Jackson currently employs about 7,000 Soldiers and DA civilians. If sequestration-level cuts are enforced, about 3,100 of those positions -- 2,400 military and 700 civilians -- may be cut, according to the Army's recent Supplemental Programmatic Environmental Analysis.
Fort Jackson's economic impact to the region, which is estimated at $2 billion annually, would be severely affected by possible cuts, some of the speakers emphasized.
"Businesses could be forced to close their doors. Hotels and restaurants could downsize their staff. We must do everything in our power to prevent this from occurring," said state Rep. Beth Bernstein. "It is up to us, the people in this community, to send a very clear message -- which I believe we are doing today -- that Fort Jackson should not be forced to suffer reductions because of the spending cuts."
Bobby Hitt, South Carolina secretary of commerce, pointed out that state officials are aware of the military's importance and have taken steps to support Soldiers and their families.
"There's no question that the military and all related industry is critical to South Carolina's economy," Hitt said. "We don't just talk about supporting the military. We act in a way of supporting our military in our communities and throughout our state."
The speakers did not only talk about the economic impact of possible cuts, though. Gov. Nikki Haley said although the economic aspect is important, the state's support of Fort Jackson goes beyond that.
"We want to make sure that you see all sides of the story," Haley said. "It's more than just about the money. It's more than just about the jobs. Those things are important to us. But it's also about our Soldiers. What we're proud to say in South Carolina is that Fort Jackson is part of our family."
Haley, whose husband serves in the National Guard, said the fate of Fort Jackson is also a personal issue to her.
"What I want you to know is: We are your partner," she said. "This isn't a request, a money request or a financial request. For me, this is a personal request. It's a request from someone who is very proud to have Fort Jackson in our state. But it's a request from this community to keep partnering with you, to keep taking care of these Soldiers."
Another aspect speakers highlighted during the session was Fort Jackson's proven proficiency at training Soldiers and its capacity to expand the mission, if needed.
"At Fort Jackson, we have the barracks we need. At Fort Jackson, we have all the ranges we need. At Fort Jackson, we have the post infrastructure and we have the training areas. At Fort Jackson, we have the most military-friendly community in these United States," said retired Maj. Gen. Abraham Turner, a former commander of Fort Jackson.
Columbia's reputation as a military-friendly community was highlighted throughout the four-hour event.
"(Fort Jackson is) not just a part of our community, it's a part of who we are. It has for the last 100 years been part of the DNA of this great community," said Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin.
After the official speakers gave their presentations, community members had the opportunity to voice their opinion. More than 40 people addressed the panel, many of whom told stories about their personal connection to Fort Jackson. Several Gold Star parents spoke about the support the post offered after their children died. Military retirees talked about the importance of the services Fort Jackson provides to them. A Columbia native, who said he has no family ties to the military, told the story of growing up surrounded by people who were connected to the post and the impact those relationships had on his life.
Cloutier said those are the stories the Army officials came to hear.
"Fort Jackson is a long way from the Pentagon. We've got the facts. We've got the figures. We know how many ranges, how many buildings are on Fort Jackson," he said. "What we don't have is the Fort Jackson/Columbia story. We don't have that context. And that's what we're here to do today -- to get the context, to hear your voices and bring that back to the senior leaders."
An announcement about which installations will be expected to cut personnel is expected this summer.
Related Links:
Army.mil: Community shows support for Fort Jackson
Army.mil: Army completes environmental study for possible force reductions
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