FORT JACKSON, S.C. -- During Essie Smith's 30 years working for the Fort Jackson Clothing Initial Issue Point, almost 1 million Soldiers have been outfitted by the facility.
Smith started out as a supply clerk and has worked her way up to become the clothing fitter supervisor. Throughout that time, the uniforms have changed, but the process of fitting new Soldiers remains essentially the same, Smith said.
"They come through first to get their Army Combat Uniforms, and five to six weeks later they come back and get their dress uniform," she said.
Lt. Col. Michael Bineham, commander of the 120th Adjutant General Battalion (Reception), said that issuing a new Soldier his or her first uniform is an important step in his or her career.
"CIIP is vital to ensuring our Soldiers are successful in Basic Combat Training," Bineham said. "One of the most critical functions the CIIP staff performs is ensuring the Soldier is properly sized for three pairs of boots. More often than not wearing boots is a new experience for many of today's Soldiers. Improperly fitted boots can result in an injury within hours or days and could jeopardize them completing Basic Combat Training."
In addition to providing uniform items to Soldiers in BCT, the 83 employees of the CIIP also exchange items for Soldiers in Advanced Individual Training and issue items to Soldiers who attend other training courses on Fort Jackson.
"Everybody is totally dedicated to serving these Soldiers," said Linda "Tiny" Shine, supervisor of the Phase 1 line at CIIP. "The employees have a high standard of getting the Soldiers fitted. They also try to make them feel relaxed as they go down the line."
Smith and Bineham agreed that the employees are the force behind the success of the organization.
"The key to CIIP's success - as with all service providers at the 120th - are the civilian employees who continually strive to provide quality customer support to our Soldiers and leave them with a great first impression of the U.S. Army," Bineham said.
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