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8888893.jpgMaj. Gen. Daryl O. Hood, Army Training Center and Fort Jackson commander, speaks to a group of Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets during speed mentoring session during the Lt. Gen. Stephen M. Twitty LPD Leadership Symposium, Feb. 21, 2025.

Maj. Gen. Hood reflects on time as Jackson commander

By Robert Timmons, Fort Jackson Public Affairs

Maj. Gen. Daryl O. Hood, who became the Army Training Center and Fort Jackson commanding general in August 2024 will complete his time as commanding general in a ceremony at Victory Field, Sept. 25, 2026.

Hood, a native of San Antonio, Texas, attended the University of Georgia and graduated in December 1991 with a commission as a chemical officer. He will retire with over 37 years of active federal service and over 41 years of total service (with ROTC Cadet and U.S. Army Reserve Simultaneous Membership Program) in the Army.

He recently sat down to talk about his experiences leading the post dedicated to making American Soldiers where he credits the people of Fort Jackson and the Midlands as being reasons his tenure here was a success.

Q. What’s going to be your fondest memory of your time at Fort Jackson?

A. Fort Jackson is unique for many reasons and like most places it starts with the people.

I believe that Fort Jackson is the best two-star position in the Army. There is no bad assignment because of the people, but when I look at all the other places I’ve been, the community plays a role. Fort Jackson, because much of our installation is inside the city limits of Columbia, and when you look at scale, Columbia and the Midlands, they really are awesome at supporting its military. Whether you’re active, guard, reserve, retired, veteran, it’s just something different (here). A lot of people don’t quite understand Southern hospitality until they experience it, and Fort Jackson kind of reminds me of that too.

Q. How would you say your time here at Fort Jackson rates in compared to some of the other assignments that you’ve had during your career?

A. I would say once again, Fort Jackson stands alone. Fort Jackson is different based on the different levels of war and the type of organizations that that you serve in. When I look at my time in the institutional domain, whether that was at Fort Leonard Wood multiple times, whether that was here, I’d say this is the best institutional assignment. Additionally, I was stationed at U.S. Central Command down in Florida. I’ve been stationed at the Pentagon. I had three assignments there. There’s more to do in larger cities, but geographically in South Carolina you can be in the mountains in a few hours. You can be in the beaches a couple hours later. Therefore, I rank Fort Jackson very high on my list of duty assignments and locations.

Q. What made your time here at Fort Jackson a success?

A. It goes back to the people. You think about being a commanding general, senior commander and there’s a vision. I’m representing the Army at large, strategically, at echelon, but it’s the people that have to execute.

Considering the challenges that come along with restructuring, reorganizing, hard decisions have to be made, and a reduction in people. You have less people, but you still have your priorities. You still have your responsibilities, your actions.

So, we had less people, but we didn’t necessarily have a reduced workload. It’s the people that remind me every day why we do this.

You know, we talk about making American Soldiers here at Fort Jackson, doing our part to generate readiness, and doing our part to make Fort Jackson about excellence.

Whether it’s focused on Basic Combat Training, whether it’s the Adjutant General, or the Finance, or the Chaplains schools, or the U.S. Drill Sergeant Academy or, Installation Management Command on the AMC side with the Logistics Readiness Center, it didn’t matter what, no matter where you look, no matter where you go, even our partners like the Naval Detachment, or when we look at some of the other agencies that are on Fort Jackson, it always comes down to the people.

We have the phrase “mission first, but people always.” The people that serve; you can tell their commitment. They’re passionate about what they do. If it was about money, I would dare say many would probably pursue something else in life.

But no, I really think again, Fort Jackson is successful because of the people.

Q. How would you like your time to be remembered?

A. Making a difference with people, caring for people.

You’ve heard me in many different forums talking about four tasks: lead, care, train, maintain. Care is the one action verb of the four tasks; that if you get it right, chances are you will lead right, you will train right, and you will maintain the various resources needed to accomplish your mission or be successful.

Whether we’re looking at our lines of effort: train and develop leaders, strengthen the profession, ensure quality of life, and engage the community. What’s critical? Those same four tasks: lead, care, train, and maintain, and care. Most people that have known me throughout my career, that’s been something I’ve carried with me ever since I was in the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, and I think it holds true today.

If people can remember that – it’s simple. Four tasks: lead, care, train, and maintain.

That’s a good memory because he truly cared about the people, whether they were in military service uniform or dressed in civilian attire - Family members, contractors, people. His audio and video matched.

Q. Where will your career take you next?

A. So we have a house in Florida. We knew at some point we were going to come to the end of military service, so we decided that Florida was going to be our home base. And I can tell you though, if we didn’t have our home in Florida, this would have been the location. Whether it would have been in Columbia proper or within the Midlands, there’s just so much to offer here in the state of South Carolina. One day we may find ourselves back in this area. But, for right now, Florida is home and South Carolina is our home away from home.

Q. Is there anything that you would like to say to the Fort Jackson community and to the Midlands community at large?

A. I believe simplicity matters, and there’s a word gratitude. Another way of saying it is thank you, and you’ve been very supportive, very responsive to myself, to my Family, and so we greatly appreciate that.

We have been and hope to continue to be part of the team. We won’t be in this position again, but at least we consider ourselves as part of the family, and we might be a little more extended just because of the geographical distance from here to Florida.

If there’s anything I can do to help, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Don’t be a stranger. With your Rolodex, with automation, there are so many ways to keep in touch. Again, if I can help, then I certainly would like to be considered how to partner, how to go forward, and still make a difference. So, again, thank you.

I really appreciate the opportunity to serve here, to get to know so many different people, and whether it was fellowship, friendship, in some cases, faith, just within the community, the church that we were part of, I could not have asked for a better to serve.

 
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