Jackson, city leaders laud post centennial

Many things can happen to an installation like Fort Jackson over the course of 100 years.

A few buildings would sprout out of a swampy forest in order to train Doughboys to go over there; be torn down; be rebuilt on a much grander scale for an even larger war and last years longer than the builders ever expected. Some of the wooden World War II structures would remain standing as the installation trained the five millionth Soldier to pass through the crucible of the civilian-to-Service member transformation.

What the installation may look like in the next century is murky, but one thing is certain "Fort Jackson will remain the premier training post" in the Army, Fort Jackson commander Maj Gen. Pete Johnson said during the final installment of the Centennial Lecture Series titled Looking to the Future.

Johnson and Columbia, South Carolina Mayor Steve Benjamin spoke fondly about how the installation profoundly affects the Midlands and how a partnership between the communities will continue in speeches rounding out a series of lectures that highlighted how the post grew from its humble origins to become the largest Initial Entry Training establishment in the Army, and led the military's racial and gender integration efforts.

"As we began our centennial celebration, our first order of business actually was to invest ourselves back into our history," Johnson said. "The history of Fort Jackson is an enduring legacy for this nation."

Fort Jackson, which started as a World War I training base has "trained over 5 million Soldiers" he said. "Since the installation began as one of 16 cantonments supporting that build up, the post's primary mission has been and remains to transform civilians into Soldiers."

The installation trains as many Soldiers as some nations have in their armies.

"We train the equivalent of the entire Australian Army (in Basic Combat Training) every single year," Johnson said to put into context the amount of Soldiers training at Fort Jackson each year. The number will equal the amount of personnel (trained) in the British Army if you add in finance, chaplain and other various schools around post, he added.

While Johnson highlighted how Fort Jackson will continue to provide the exemplary training for the Army into the future, Benjamin spoke about how the South Carolina capital and Fort Jackson are economically and socially intertwined.

The installation has a "$2.3 billion annual economic impact in South Carolina," Benjamin said.

Fort Jackson's training of 75,000 Soldiers annually indirectly generated 20,021 jobs.

"Approximately 225,000 people visit the Midlands annually," because of Fort Jackson, said the Mayor, who has been in office since 2010. These visitors spend money at the restaurants and hotels across Columbia. "All across the metropolitan area and even out to Lake Murray you see these impacts of Fort Jackson on this community."

If you "want peace in the world, you have to have men and women of Fort Jackson helping," Benjamin added.