Some ex-Fort Jackson commanders settle in Midlands after service

Editor’s note: Fort Jackson is in the middle of a yearlong Centennial celebration that will culminate in June. For this Veterans Day weekend, The State is providing special coverage of the fort and its impact on the Midlands. Look for more coverage on thestate.com on Sunday, when we report on plans for a Centennial park on the base.

Several former commanding generals at Fort Jackson either return to the Midlands or stay here after the military careers are over, becoming civilians active in active in civic causes and championing fort’s training mission.

Their leadership skills and public service experience make them “tremendous assets for our community,” former Columbia Mayor Bob Coble said.

For some former commanders, retiring here was a good fit personally.

Retired Maj. Gen. Steve Siegfried decided quickly after taking charge at the fort in the early 1990s that the Midlands offered the lifestyle he wanted when his career ended. Siegfried was commanding general from December 1991 until March 1994.

The attractions included moderate winters, proximity to beaches and mountains, University of South Carolina games within the Southeastern Conference, and access to military health care, he said. So he purchased a site on Lake Murray in the Chapin area that that had been a vacation getaway.

“It’s an absolute blessing to be here,” said Siegfried, 78.

He stays busy as a lay Episcopal minister, distributing bread at a food pantry, and helping to lead the Honor Flight group’s efforts to transport retired veterans to monuments to Washington.

With his wife, Maggie, he spearheaded the creation of a garden at Chapin Town Hall that is an oasis for parents who, like them, are coping with the death of a child.

Those roles developed after he served as state homeland security director in the early 2000s.

Siegfried’s civic service follows the footsteps of former commanders Robert Solomon and John Renner, who were active leading and raising money for a variety of local organizations until their deaths.

Solomon and Renner are among a handful of former commanders to have facilities at the fort named for them.

For others, retiring here combines a new job with a return to family.

Former Maj. Gen. Abraham Turner is a leadership consultant for businesses and organizations as well as a mentor for youngsters. He developed those roles after leading the state’s Department of Employment and Workforce.

The Midlands is a short drive to his Lowcountry birthplace, allowing him to visit his 92-year-old mother and sail regularly. “I always had a yearning to come back,” said Turner, 61.

Neither Siegfried nor Turner dreamed of being in charge at a fort at which they both had trained.

Siegfried took leadership courses there a decade before taking command while Turner was there as an ROTC cadet while a student at then-South Carolina State College in Orangeburg in the 1970s.

The two also salute the Midlands’ enduring appreciation for the military. Siegfried describes the support as “steady as a rock.” Both remain advocates for the fort.

They take part in periodic briefings on conditions with their successors, offering advice when asked and supporting efforts to prevent reduction in its services. “We still represent Fort Jackson,” said Turner, who was its commander for 18 month ending in mid-2005. “Once you’re in the family, you’re always part of it.”

This story was originally published November 12, 2016 at 3:00 PM with the headline "Some ex-Fort Jackson commanders settle in Midlands after service."