Possible Sequester Could Mean Big Cuts for Ft. Jackson

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — For 97 years, Fort Jackson and Columbia, as a whole, have had a benefiting relationship. To date, Fort Jackson is a $2.6 billion asset to our community. “This will hallow out the military,” says U.S. Representative, Joe Wilson, R, South Carolina Wilson is among South Carolinians working to get the word out about a potential sequester’s harmful affect to the base. Under current cutbacks, the army will go to 490,000 active component soldiers, 335,000 Army National Guard soldiers and 195,000 Army Reserve soldiers. Fort Jackson’s Commanding General, Brigadier General Bradley Becker, says while the cuts make risks high the army will still be able to keep up with the national security strategy. However, if a sequester goes into effect in 2016, those cuts would go to 420,000 Active Component soldiers, 315,000 Army National Guard soldiers and 185,000 Army Reserve soldiers. Becker says they would not be able to keep up with the national security strategy. Instead, a strategic reassessment would be needed. Here at home, the loss is big. For the nation’s largest training base 3,100 jobs – 2,400 military and 700 civilian jobs – could be cut, that’s just under half of Fort Jackson’s workforce. For now, Fort Jackson is set to train around the same amount of troops each year, as normal, for the next two years averaging between 43,000 and 44,000. After that, there’s no answer at least not now.