Fort Jackson held its quarterly Community Information Exchange, June 13 to update the post community on events going on around post.
“There is a lot happening on Fort Jackson,” said Col. Timothy Hickman, garrison commander, at the exchange. “A lot of good things and we want to make sure people have that information to find those good things.”
To quote Col. (Scott) White, 193rd (Infantry Brigade) commander …, ‘You just assume that people know the information, they may not.’ So, this forum is just another means for us to put information out.”
The post provides updates to the community on a routine basis through social media, the Fort Jackson website and the Leader online newspaper.
Hickman provided updates on past on-post happenings and highlighted the events on the horizon before passing the microphone off to representatives from directorates and Partners in Excellence.
“Our major event coming up in July is the Fourth of July celebration …,” he added. “It is the show in town for fireworks that night. We are going to have multiple entertainers come; the troops training here will get to participate, and we will have lots of vendors there.”
The event is headlined by the Reggie Sullivan Band, while local artists Hijacked and Jazzy Trinity also perform.
“It will be hot, but it will be fun,” Hickman added.
The directorates and PiEs who briefed at the exchange included the Commissary, Fort Jackson Schools, the Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation; the Garrison Housing Office; Fort Jackson Family Homes and Moncrief Army Health Clinic.
“I am going to start where I am going to end with a sincere ‘thank you,’” said Col. Chris Pase, the admitted new guy. Pase, MAHC commander, spoke at the event one day after taking command of the unit. “Many of the partners in this room and agencies I have already been using and personally used. “
“Partnerships like these are so, so valuable,” Pase said. “I am here with … Command Sgt. Maj. Kimberly Nieves and our goal is what I call a 10-point relationship with our community partners. We are hand-in-hand.”
Pase reiterated the clinic’s goals of providing safe and quality health care.
Hickman and the representatives also fielded questions from the audience and those watching online. The CIE was livestreamed on the Fort Jackson Garrison Facebook page.
The questions included inquiries into the status of old building in housing; cost to swim at Legion Pool; and extending the hours for Gate 5 heading on to Leesburg Road.
Legion Pool
Gary Fulham, Family and MWR director, said it costs $6 to use Legion Pool because the Class B facility “has to generate some level of revenue. It doesn’t generate enough to be self-sustaining."
Government funding helps pay labor costs and maintenance, but its not enough to cover equipment and upkeep so “it has to be covered by user fees,” he said.
Abandoned homes
Hickman addressed questions about safety and energy concerns of abandoned homes in on-post housing areas.
“A lot of those home are included in the demolition plan for new homes,” he said referring to areas that representatives of Fort Jackson Family Homes briefed on previously. Nineteen homes are scheduled to be demolished and replaced by 19 new ones.
“There are fences up to keep little ones out,” he said. “If you see lights on in abandoned buildings, please let us and housing know. Sometimes we are making the conscious decision to keep the power on.”
Gate hours
Hickman said he was glad the gate hours question came up.
“I think the larger question is why did they change, will they change again and what was the rationale for the change,” he said.
The Army resources Fort Jackson to operate two access control points: gates 2 and 4.
“There is a cost to running the post,” he said. “They resource the 24 hour gate … and a gate to facilitate large transportation trucks type of delivery … That is what the Army says should be sufficient for all of Fort Jackson.”
“If (post) wants more gates to operate, they have to fund it,” he added.
Gates 1 and 5 are operated at the expense or the convenience of the installation, and its up to the post to figure out how it is resourced.
Those gates “we are manning out of hide more or less,” he said.
Gate guards scan identification cards for every passenger over 18 in a car in an effort to prove to the Army there are more people entering the post.
The entire CIE livestream can be viewed at
https://www.facebook.com/USArmyGarrisonFortJackson/videos/864971515670206
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