One of Fort Jackson Commanding General, Brig. Gen. Jason E. Kelly’s top priorities is making the installation a destination of choice for Soldiers and civilians.
As a part of the quality of life program, housing is a key component.
Kelly, along with garrison leadership and Fort Jackson Family Homes, conducted a walking town hall Nov. 16, to hear from residents firsthand about their experiences.
This was Kelly’s first walking town hall and he expected to hear comments about maintenance. He expected to hear about the delays and quality of the maintenance being done.
What he was surprised to hear was “a desire to do more in terms of activities within the community.”
“I heard some satisfaction with maintenance and satisfaction with housing,” Kelly said. “And a few things they’d like to see to make our community better.”
Suggestions ranged from increasing the amount of parking in housing to extending shopping hours at AAFES facilities.
Some improvements can be worked on immediately, Kelly said. He assured residents that their concerns were heard and would be addressed.
Residents also had the opportunity to speak directly with Fort Jackson Family Homes officials as they made the rounds.
Some issues raised were new to the maintenance workers and they were able to fix some issues on the spot.
Other issues raised were recorded so the Fort Jackson Housing Office and Fort Jackson Family Homes could track them and ensure residents receive an answer or get their issue resolved.
One of Kelly’s key messages throughout the town hall was communication.
Kelly said managing expectations is one way housing officials could help alleviate some of the residents’ concerns.
Fort Jackson Family Homes told Kelly and residents they are hiring a manager to help oversee vendors and contractors used for maintenance.
They said this should help with the backlog of maintenance requests and help residents.
“What I’d like to see is more open and transparent communication,” Kelly said.
Kelly asked some residents if they read The Leader to see what is happening on post. Many of the residents were not aware of the post newspaper which is delivered to multiple areas on post including the Exchange and Commissary.
Some other ways the installation uses to communicate events and other items of interest to the community are the Digital Garrison App, which is available for both Android and Apple devices, the Fort Jackson website, and multiple social media platforms.
Leadership also conducts housing town halls throughout the year. The next in-person housing town hall is scheduled for Jan. 13, 2023, from 6-7:30 p.m. at the NCO Club.
To find out more information about Fort Jackson and what is coming up, visit the Fort Jackson website at https://home.army.mil/jackson/index.php.
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