Fort Jackson

Fort Jackson is next to Columbia, South Carolina, and is a major Army Initial Entry Training installation. Training activity is central to the post’s identity and the surrounding military community.

Travelers flying into Columbia Airport can reach the installation by taking I-26 East toward Charleston, then I-77 North, exiting at Exit 12 onto Strom Thurmond Boulevard.

Fort Jackson operates multiple gates, with access hours varying by gate.

IHG Army Hotel Fort Jackson, located at Building 7550 Benning Road near the intersection of Marion Avenue, is the installation's on-post lodging provider and operates around the clock.

Reservations are strongly advised well ahead of arrival, since on-post lodging fills quickly during PCS season, and stay lengths are capped depending on your status—30 days for those PCSing in, 10 days PCSing out, and five to seven days for retirees or Space-A travelers, space permitting.

On-post family housing is managed through Fort Jackson Family Homes, and the Army Housing Service Office at 4514 8th Div Rd. serves as the first point of contact regardless of whether a family lives on or off post.

Single soldiers E1 through E5 without dependents are generally required to live in the Freddie Stowers Single Soldiers Complex, with E1-E4 sharing a kitchenette and bath and E5s assigned a full suite; E6 and above are authorized to live off post in apartments, townhomes, or houses.

Off post, Columbia neighborhoods like Earlewood, Elmwood Park, and Cottontown offer renovated historic homes, while Eau Claire in the northern part of the city mixes 1920s bungalows with proximity to several colleges.

Fort Jackson's Army School Liaison, based at 3392 Century Div Ave, is the installation's point of contact for families navigating local school enrollment and coordinates during weekday business hours. Because school district assignment depends on your specific home address rather than proximity to the installation, families should confirm their zoned schools with the school liaison or local district once they know where they'll be living.

Parent Central Services, also located at the Joe E. Mann Center on Century Div Avenue, is the installation's contact point for child and youth program information and referrals, operating Monday through Friday.

Moncrief Army Health Clinic, a 12-story facility at 4500 8th Division Rd., is Fort Jackson's main medical facility and logs more than 400,000 outpatient visits a year, providing primary and specialty care to active-duty soldiers and TRICARE Prime enrollees under 65.

Moncrief does not operate an emergency room; the clinic directs patients to one of three hospital emergency rooms within about 15 minutes of the installation for urgent needs.

Dental care is split across three clinics by population served: Caldwell Dental Clinic treats trainees, Hagen Dental Clinic at Building 5330 Moseby St. serves other populations, and Oliver Dental Clinic at Building 4323 handles permanent party soldiers and mobilization/demobilization needs.

General delivery mail is handled through the Administrative Service Division's Official Mail and Distribution Center for permanent change of station arrivals, though it is intended as a temporary arrangement—those settling off post or into military housing are asked to provide a permanent mailing address within 45 days of checking in, or mail will be returned to sender.

A personal mailbox can also be arranged in advance through the UPS Store located at the PX, offering an alternative for those who want a fixed address sooner than the general delivery timeline allows.

Because Moncrief's Main and PX Refill pharmacies close on weekends, federal holidays, and after 1 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month for training, it's worth timing prescription refills around that schedule rather than waiting until the last minute.

If you're bringing a pet and hoping to stay in on-post lodging, call the IHG Army Hotel directly rather than the toll-free reservation line, since pet-friendly units are limited and many off-post hotels in the area do not accept pets at all.

Anyone planning to buy or rent off post should visit the property in person before signing anything; the Housing Service Office explicitly cautions against signing a lease sight unseen and maintains a list of complexes that are off-limits to service members.