Fort Jackson

Fort Jackson is a sprawling military base east of Columbia, South Carolina. With the impending entry of America into World War I, city fathers recognized the country’s need for military training camps and made a successful proposal to the US Army for construction of a camp near Columbia. Named after Andrew Jackson, the hero of the Battle of New Orleans and the seventh US president, Camp Jackson soon became the home of the famous 81st Wildcat Division and, later, the 5th Infantry Division. Over time, the camp’s prospects waned, but the advent of another world war brought renewed interest in the camp and its eventual designation as Fort Jackson in 1940. Fort Jackson has been instrumental in the mobilization and training of troops for service in the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Global War on Terror. Today, Fort Jackson is the Army’s premier basic training installation, responsible for over 50 percent of Army trainees each year.