overline: FORT JACKSON

Fort Jackson could become the home for one of two Army divisions the Pentagon wants to move back to the United States from Germany, U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., suggested Monday.

“I know a perfect location for one of those divisions. It’s Fort Jackson, S.C.,” Wilson said after touring the post. “I see that we have the potential to bring more facilities to the fort.”

Wilson, a Republican from Springdale, was at the fort to offer his support to the community effort to ensure the post survives the upcoming round of base closings.

Wilson offered few details about the possible relocation of an Army division. However, he thinks the post and Midlands have enough room and infrastructure to accommodate a large unit.

“By highway, by air, by rail, we have the infrastructure to support a division,” Wilson said.

Fort Jackson is near four major interstates, two Air Force bases and an Air Guard base, and it is about a two-hour drive from the Port of Charleston, local officials noted. That sort of transportation is needed to move a division in times of crisis.

The Pentagon plans to withdraw the 1st Armored Division and the 1st Infantry Division from Germany. They would be replaced there by a smaller Stryker Brigade Combat Team, which can be deployed more quickly than the larger divisions.

No deadline has been given for the possible move, and no decision has been announced about where the units will be moved in the United States.

The withdrawal of forces from Germany is part of the Pentagon’s plans to reposition 70,000 U.S. troops, including 56,000 stationed in Germany.

The 1st Armored and 1st Infantry are much larger than the 4,000-member active-duty force assigned to Fort Jackson. The 1st Armored has about 17,000 soldiers; the 1st Infantry has 13,000 troops.

Locating a division at Fort Jackson would have significant positive impact on the local economy, said Donald “Ike” McLeese, chief executive of the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce.

Fort Jackson’s annual economic impact on the Midlands is about $2.6 billion a year, McLeese said. If a division is added, that could boost the fort’s economic impact by up to three times more, McLeese said.

McLeese added that the 52,000-acre installation, which trains about 40,000 recruits a year, has space.

Columbia Mayor Bob Coble said he believes the community could handle the additional troops. “From the city’s standpoint, the more they (the military) could bring here the better.”

In the wake of previous base closings, Fort Jackson has gained about a half-dozen technical schools that fit within its mission as a training center.

A base’s ability to handle a mix of units and missions — even different branches of the military — could help it survive the next round of base closing, set to be announced later this year.

“If it isn’t capable of multiuse, then it’s less attractive,” said S.C. National Guard Brig. Gen. George Patrick, a member of the task force set up to protect the state’s military bases from closure.

Reach Crumbo at (803) 771-8503 or ccrumbo@thestate.com.