Stuff the bus! 6,000 Fort Jackson soldiers leave for holiday

Some 6,000 Army soldiers from Fort Jackson began heading home for the holidays on Friday.

In an annual tradition at the Army’s largest training installation, soldiers start to leave in the early morning hours Friday and continue leaving in groups.

Fort Jackson spokesman Pat Jones says it takes organizers months to arrange the massive transport by bus, trains, planes and private cars.

Senior enlisted officers are pre-positioned at airports in Columbia and Charlotte to assist soldiers making airline connections.

Jones says the soldiers are in 10 weeks of basic combat training or in courses involving advanced types of training. They are all given about two weeks off and must return by midnight Jan. 4.

Associated Press