Fort Jackson, as the U.S. Army’s main production center for Basic Combat Training, trains 50 percent of the Army’s Basic Combat Training load and 60 percent of the women entering the Army each year. Providing the Army with trained, disciplined, motivated and physically fit warriors who espouse the Army's core values and are focused on teamwork is the post's primary mission. Accomplishing that mission means training in excess of 36,000 basic training and 8,000 advanced individual training Soldiers every year.

The post has other missions as well. Fort Jackson is home to the U.S. Army Soldier Support Institute, the Armed Forces Army Chaplaincy Center and School and the National Center for Credibility Assessment (formerly the Department of Defense Polygraph Institute). It also is home to the Army’s Drill Sergeant School, which trains all active and Reserve instructors.

The fort includes more than 52,000 acres, with more than 100 ranges and field training sites and 1,160 buildings. Soldiers, civilians, retirees and family members make up the Fort Jackson community. More than 3,500 active duty Soldiers and their 12,000 family members are assigned to the installation and make this area their home. About one third of those Soldiers and families live in on-post housing.

Fort Jackson employs almost 3,500 civilians and provides services for more than 46,000 retirees and their family members. An additional 10,000 students attend courses at the Soldier Support Institute, Armed Forces Chaplaincy Center, National Center for Credibility Assessment and Drill Sergeant School annually.

Recent facilities completed or currently in progress include a Basic Combat Training star base, Army Drill Sergeant School, dual dining facility, Family Life and Resiliency Center and the 81st Regional Reserve Command.

Another exciting change is in family housing with the Residential Communities Initiative. Balfour-Beatty, a private contractor, is currently demolishing old quarters and building new homes. The end result will be 640 new and 210 renovated homes for Army families.

Since 1917, when fighting men were needed for World War I, Fort Jackson has a proud history of supporting our Army in times of war. That tradition continues today as the fort willingly accepts new challenges related to the War on Terrorism and stands ready to accept any additional mission in support of our nation’s defense.