SC native to become new commander at Fort Jackson

Brig. Gen. Milford H. Beagle Jr., a South Carolina native, will become the new commanding general of Fort Jackson.

Beagle will take the reins of the nation's largest basic training post from Maj. Gen. John P. Johnson. Johnson has been named deputy commanding general, U.S. Army Pacific, at Fort Shafter, Hawaii.

Beagle will come to Fort Jackson from Fort Drum, N.Y., where he served as deputy commander for support with the 10th Mountain Division. Beagle is an Enoree native who graduated from Woodruff High School and attended South Carolina State University as a student-athlete in track, according to a profile in the Laurens County Advertiser.

At S.C. State, he joined the Reserve Officers' Training Corps at the urging of two friends. Upon graduating in 1990, he was commissioned as an Army infantry officer, according to Fort Drum public affairs.

He moved to Fort Drum in July 2017. In December, he was promoted to brigadier general.

While serving as a lieutenant at Fort Polk, La., Beagle met and married his wife, Pamela. They have been married 26 years and have two adult sons, according to Fort Drum.

Beagle went on to serve in various commands, including commander of the Fort Jackson's 193rd Infantry Brigade, a basic training unit.

"General Beagle and his wife, Pam, are a dynamite" couple, said Dan Beatty, chairman of the Columbia Chamber's military outreach group.

Beatty was Fort Jackson's chief of staff when Beagle was commander of the 193rd Infantry Brigade. Beatty said he expects Beagle to continue the community outreach efforts of the fort's recent commanding generals.

This story was originally published April 9, 2018 at 3:42 PM with the headline "SC native to become new commander at Fort Jackson."