I will be traveling to my son's graduation. Has anyone stayed at the La Quinta Inn on Maingate? How is it? Thanks

 

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My family will be traveling to Fort Jackson next week for my sons graduation. Can anyone suggest any good places to eat & places to visit while we are in town?

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Misty C. asks: Hi everyone. We are headed to Fort Jackson. Any and all information is greatly appreciated. I look forward to hearing your opinions and advice :)

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Kathy H. says: So we just found out 2 days ago we are to report to Ft Jackson on the 10th of Feb. Any info helps! We are coming from Grafenwoehr Germany so this is crazy fast!

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Sara B. asks: I'm looking for info on Fort Jackson... best high schools etc... Thanks.

 

Christy R. says: Best HS is Spring Valley but if you live on post you would go to Richland Northeast and its not the best. I love Fort Jackson though and there is a ton to do here.

 

Rebecca E. says: Live in Lexington if you don't mind the drive!

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My husband went to a military school at Fort Jackson in 2010. We loved it there and would go back any time. Unlike most Army bases Ft. Jackson is not in the middle of nowhere and the surrounding city's economy is not completely based on the post's presence. They have a real economy and spouses can easily get a job which is not the case around many other installations. There is so much to do there both on-post and in Columbia/Charleston/nearby cities. You don't have to drive hours to get to a fun place there. It's very easy to get around the Columbia area. We lived 5-8 minutes away from the base in the Forest Acres (which is a very safe and quiet neighborhood). If you have kids you will enjoy Columbia's kid's museum state museum zoo the waterpark on the base and all the other places around the area. The base has great parks with lakes and nice brand new playgrounds. The base is not so big so it's not overcrowded like most installations elsewhere. The base does get crowded for graduation days but believe me most big bases are a lot more crowded even without graduation...it gets very annoying when you feel like a drop in the ocean and it looks like there is no quiet place around. Fort Jackson is not like that! There is a place to avoid though: I would not recommend the Walmart next to the main gate. If you go there once you'll see why I said that. 

South Carolina is beautiful and most people are super nice compared to other places. You only know how much you lose once you lose it and move to another place. I spent the best 10 months of my live at Ft. Jackson and I really miss it here at Fort Hood which is nothing like that. 

Thank you! 

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LB1213 says:
July 9, 2011 at 7:04 pm

I agree with Vanya, the most challanging thing about being stationed at Ft. Jackson is that if your husband is a Drill Sgt then his hours are going to be very, very long and quality family time is hard to come by. Expect him to work 90-100 hrs on a normal week during basic training cycles, always 6 days a week, sometimes 7. When they’re in the middle of the cycle we can usually expect for my husband to get off one Sunday every two weeks. You will be on your own… a lot.

That being said, Columbia itself isn’t all that bad. If you have kids summer can be challenging because it gets very hot and very humid, which really limits outdoor activities. There is decent shopping in the area like the Columbiana Mall and the Village at Sandhill and Walmarts and Targets are plentiful. We live in Northeast Columbia and there are TONS of activities for kids all summer…you just have to be willing to get out there and get involved. We live about 15-20 mins from Ft. Jackson and are really happy with the area.

I will also echo the other ladies sentiments about things on post, like the PX or MWR facilities. Family Day is Wednesday and Graduation Day is Thursday. On Family Day in particular you really want to avoid the PX and/or any of the MWR facilities (bowling alley, water park, etc) because they will be PACKED with the families of graduating soliders and it has been my experience that Ft. Jackson is more concerned with catering to these families (and the money they are willing to spend on post) than to the families who are here living in the community on a daily basis. The privates are not authorized to travel outside of Ft. Jackson on Family Day, so all of the families are trapped on post the entire day…and it can be overwhelming if you are trying to get anything done. I suggest avoiding the PX on Wednesdays and Thursday mornings before Graduation, all together.


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Vanya B says:
December 16, 2010 at 11:32 am

If your spouse is coming to Fort Jackson as a Drill sergeant, you won’t see him much in the next two years… This is the sad truth.

Otherwise, we really like it here. It might be because we are getting ready to leave but I think about these two and a half years in Columbia SC as a good time in our life. I must admit, however, that the first year was awful. My husband was barely three weeks back from deployment when we got the orders to come to Fort Jackson. Then his working schedule was crazy and I was alone at home knowing nobody. For whatever reason, the FRGs are not very active here. Many of the drill sergeants don’t want to socialize with people they work with. The PX is always overcrowded with privates and the base does not offer much activities for the families.

We live off post and step by step I started meeting new people and many civilians. University of South Carolina is in Columbia and there are many activities connected with it. You have to see the campus, it’s absolutely gorgeous! I like Vista and Five Points for dinning and going out. The Swan Lake in Sumter is a very romantic place, Congaree National Park is an absolute must-see, Charleston is just great. Gallery 80808, IF Gallery and 701 Center for Contemporary Art have good exhibitions and they also are great place to meet new people. I love the Sunday brunch at Cafe Strudel. If you do yoga – go to City Yoga. They are so nice people and helped me a lot through my hard times.

If you want to know what is going on in the community, Free Times is a good newspaper. It’s for free and you can find the new edition every Wednesday. If you are open-minded, Columbia has to offer a lot. Just keep in mind that you will do most of the activities alone because your husband is always on the field with privates.


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Ms.Tamara says:
July 22, 2010 at 8:06 am

I agree about the PX. I was told when we got here to avoid going on thursday and friday.


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a concerned Army wife says:
July 20, 2010 at 3:22 pm

PX here is not worth visiting most days. You have to fight with privates and civilians every day of the week. They don’t carry very much of anything inside. Their selection is ridiculous. Shaw Air Force Base members come to shop at our px as well.

The commissary here on post is okay, it’s smaller than Fort Campbell or Fort Drum. I believe Fort Gordon’s was bigger.

Im not saying that Fort Jackson is horrible but if you come here and you expect that privates and their families are numero uno you will be in much better position.

Just remember that Fort Jackson is an Open Gate community which means EVERYONE is allowed to cross those gates.


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Ms.Tamara says:
July 15, 2010 at 2:11 pm

My husband is an AIT Platton SGT here at Fort Jackson.Hours may be crazy but we are making the best of our new duty station.

The post PX is pretty big. It has a GNC, GameStop, UPS store, Optometry Clinic,Optical Shop, Barber & beauty shop, Simply Perfect Nail Salon, Manchu Wok, Buger King Express, Charley, Taco bell, Anthony’s Pizza, Cinnabon/Seattle’s Best Coffee and more. I would say the best days o stay away from the PX would be Thrusday & Friday and sometimes the weekend.

The comissary here on post is okay, It’s pretty big. They are closed on Mondays.

There is also a mini mall which has, Class Six/ MCSS/ Furniture Store/ Admin Office/ Food Court/ dry cleaning. Flower Shop, Baber, and more. http://odin.aafes.com/conus_ser/ft_jackson/info.htm

For Fun things to do off post check out: http://www.columbiacvb.com/listings/index.cfm

For fun things on post check out the Local FMWR. http://www.fortjacksonmwr.com/. lots of things to do ranging from the outdoor waterpark, bowling and more.


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Melynda Bosch says:
July 14, 2010 at 5:05 am

“Fort Jackson is the largest and most active Initial Entry Training Center in the U.S. Army, training 50 percent of all Soldiers and 80 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.” http://www.jackson.army.mil/!2009_pages/about/index.html

This is not the only thing about Fort Jackson though. Fort Jackson has multiple schools here for soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen. Recruiting school, chaplain school, and many others. Fort Jackson is also home to many different MOS staff’s.

Fort Jackson is located in the capital of South Carolina….Columbia. Columbia offers many different things to do for the young and old at heart. You have museums, a zoo, nightlife, restaurants, colleges, ( which means college games Gamecocks and Clemson are both right nearby) within a few hours trip you have Myrtle Beach, Charleston, Savannah, Augusta, Asheville just to name a few.

My husband is a Drill Sgt here and we have been here a year so far. I have made it my mission to NOT be confined to inside the gates of Fort Jackson so if you are coming here and want more info Please contact me :)

Melynda Bosch
Sales Consultant
Shumaker Realty
Melyndajbosch@gmail.com
803-391-6003


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