Fort Jackson ‘holdover’ soldiers have big fun during the holidays

Pvt. Ashley McCullough sat at a table at the Plex in Irmo, her leg in a cast and her crutches by her side as other Fort Jackson soldiers tried their skills at ice skating and arcade games.

The 19-year-old from San Diego broke her tibia and ankle last week while navigating an obstacle course, which the Army calls a “confidence” course.

“I guess I didn’t have enough confidence,” she said, laughing.

McCullough is one of about 200 Fort Jackson soldiers-in-training who stayed at the post for the two-week Christmas break rather than return home to their families durign what the Army calls Victory Block Leave.

McCullough is staying because her injury would make a cross-country flight very uncomfortable and difficult. Others stay for various reasons: Saving the two weeks of leave to use after they have completed basic training; saving money by not having to pay travel expenses; or, not wanting to break the routine of their training or be exposed to the temptations available back home.

But while this may seem like a sad Christmas story, it’s not. While here, the “holdover” soldiers are showered with special events, parties, catered meals, unlimited cellphone and Wifi use and base-wide privileges unheard of during basic training.

The events range from a rock concert and steak dinner held Tuesday night at Icehouse Amphitheater in Lexington, organized by the USO and catered by Texas Roadhouse, to a cookout, outdoor games and flag football tilt (followed by the movie “Elf”) held Thursday at Camp McCrady, the South Carolina National Guard training base on Fort Jackson.

For McCullough, her run-in with the confidence course came with an unexpected windfall. The soldiers were treated to free tickets to the University of South Carolina–Clemson University basketball game Wednesday night.

“I’m a huge Clemson fan” despite her California roots, McCullough said. “My uncle went to Clemson. They’re my favorite football team. And my favorite color is orange.”

For the record, Clemson won. Merry Christmas, Ashley.

“Bake cookies’

Katie Kennedy, the Columbia USO’s operations and programs manager, plans many of the events.

“It’s the most fun job in the world,” she said. “We have our tough days, like welcoming home our fallen heroes and helping families in distress. But these soldiers are dedicated to their mission and serving our country. And the events are a way to show the soldiers we are behind them even during the holiday season.”

The entire program is overseen by Brent Bookman, Fort Jackson’s outdoor recreation director, who was having a blast watching the soldiers take to the ice at the Plex on Wednesday.

“Some of them have never skated before,” he said. “But they’re trying.”

Verizon is the major sponsor for the two weeks of events hosted by the USO. Others sponsors include Dominion Gas Transmission, USAA, Palmetto State Utility Services, Johnson Food Services, Starbucks and Columbia Metropolitan Airport.

But not all of the events have big fancy corporate sponsors.

Each year for nine years, about 30 ladies (and the occasional man) bake about 320 dozen cookies to be delivered to the soldiers’ “day room” on post, where they are allowed to play videos, watch movies and just relax when they are not attending organized events. The loosely organized group of bakers live in the Chapin area and call themselves Cookies for Soldiers.

“We all do 10 dozen apiece, although we have some overachievers who do 12 to 15,” said Frances Bisset, who delivers the cookies at the start of the holiday break. “They literally fill up my Honda Accord.”

Both Bisset’s husband, David, and son, Mark, were in the Army. She learned about the holdovers from a Fort Jackson chaplain a decade ago who thought homemade cookies would be a nice thing.

“It’s just a good thing to do,” Bisset said. “A lot of people want to do something for the holdovers, but don’t know what. I say ‘bake cookies.’”

Army family

But fun and games, steaks and cookies, cell phones and video games aren’t the only benefits of staying on post during the holidays, some soldiers said. Some reasons are more serious.

Marcus Solomon, a specialist from Rock Wall, Texas, wanted to continue the ritual of basic training: Regular lights-out in the evenings; a voluntary 5 a.m. wake up call; regular morning physical training; and, standard meal times.

“I want to keep my edge,” the former Allegheny College (Penn.) football player said. “This is the life I chose. I love my country, and I want to be the best-trained soldier I can be to protect my friends back home.”

Staff Sgt. Wonder Surgeon, a drill sergeant assigned to the holdovers for the first week of the break, said she wished more soldiers would stay on post during the holidays, especially if they are in the early phase of the 10-week training cycle.

“You start to get them in shape and they go home for two weeks,” she said. “Then you have to reel them in and start over.”

Pvt. Max Emens, 20, of Memphis, Tenn., agreed.

“I’d eat too much at home,” he said, sipping water from a Camelbak and forgoing the sodas, hot pretzels, and other snack bar fare available at the sprawling Plex. “I didn’t trust myself to stay fit.”

Emens added that being away during the holidays was a new and strange experience; but he planned to stay connected with social media.

“This is my first Christmas without my real family,” he said. “But it’s my first Christmas with my Army family. And that’s exciting.”

This story was originally published December 23, 2016 at 5:08 PM.