NEWS

Fifty-nine-year-old Marine and Army Reserves veteran, Staff Sgt. Monte Gould graduated from Basic Combat Training with the 1st Battalion 34th Infantry Regiment Aug. 27, making him the oldest individual to complete this version of the BCT (but not the oldest to complete BCT ever. In 1999, a 68-year-old entered Basic Training). Not only did Gould complete BCT, but he finished in the top 10% of his training cycle. Gould’s unit cadre said his “candor, leadership expertise and technical proficiency are unmatched.”

Over the past six months, Fort Jackson and our team have overcome seemingly insurmountable odds to continue training, protect our workforce and Families, and provide necessary programs and services for our local community. Consider this: Training over 10,000 Soldiers at any given time, bringing 15 of 20 essential programs and services online without re-closure, reducing backlogs of 300-plus housing work orders below double digits, and without enabling the mass spread of a deadly virus is considered by some, nothing short of miraculous.

The installation provides biweekly updates to the community and the extended Fort Jackson Family through town halls. The information can range from updated COVID protection measures to the latest school information. Jackson reminded viewers that its live streamed events are free of charge.

The new school year 2020-21 began virtually Monday, for students who attend on-post schools on Fort Jackson.

2020 has been a year of firsts on Fort Jackson and a ceremony at Victory Hall added another to that list. In its 103-year history Fort Jackson has never welcomed a new deputy commander with a ceremony.

Soldiers and civilians came to the Solomon Center Aug. 25 to give the gift of life – blood.

Jackson unaccompanied housing is Installation Management Command’s roadmap for success, housing officials said. Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Adelmann, the Fort Jackson Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion Facility Manager since May 2019 remembers the conference call. “IMCOM used Fort Jackson as a road map for others since we got to 100% among the first.”

“Blood is the most precious gift that anyone can give to another person – the gift of life,” said William Sexton, Fort Jackson fire inspector and Fort Jackson’s American Red Cross Blood Drive Leader. “One donation can save up to three lives.”