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Gotta come to the Northeast, I guess. I regularly see people in BDUs in the grocery store in the evening and at kids' soccer games, etc. Also a number of cars with foreign license plates, which I assume are military (right?).
ETA: I agree, though, I never see roving bands of 19-year-olds, which I would see, say, in Chicago from Great Lakes Naval Base. Where do they all go?
Fort Jackson is a basic training base so I don't think the recruits get a lot of time off base. You do see military a little bit, but mostly in the areas close to the base.
Most arrive by commercial plane at the airport. They are met there by a drill sgt and a bus right outside of baggage claim. Once they step on the bus, their life, as they know it, is over. Several years ago my wife and I were flying home one night and seated next to us was an 18 year old kid from Iowa. Typical farm boy. Never been too far away from his home or family. First time ever on an airplane. He was very polite but was trying to act confident. I could see below the surface that he was as scared as he ever was. When we were exiting the plane, I shook his hand and wished him well. As we stepped outside, the drill instructer had 4 or 5 of them already up against the wall standing at attention. His eyes were as big as basketballs and he was shaking. I often wonder about that kid and what became of him.
As stated above, the vast majority are in training status and they leave post when they have completed training.
They mostly arrive by plane and proceed straight to Ft Jackson. You will see a bunch of newly minted Soldiers leaving Columbia Airport on Fridays.
Those of us who are assigned to base as "permanent party" live all over the Midlands, from Chapin to Eastover to Blythewood to Lexington. Usually we go home and get out of uniform ASAP. I try to do so but my daughter's post school activities often keep me from going home and you'll see me in uniform as late as 8:00p.
We'll see. I'd like to say Columbia is so huge and booming that sucking $62 million out of Fort Jackson won't be noticed.
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