This past summer there was a change in command at Fort Jackson as Brigadier General Patrick R. Michaelis became the new commanding general. As you might expect, Michaelis has an impressive résumé. He received a Bachelor of Arts in history from Texas A&M University; a Master’s in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and a Masters in Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College, specializing in strategic planning. His tenure in the Army has included stints with Infantry Divisions, Recruiting Brigades, Squadrons, Cavalry Regiments, Rank and Scout Platoons, and so much more!
All of that is amazing, but most Lake Murray residents are interested in the man behind the résumé. Michaelis was kind enough to share his thoughts on everything from Thanksgiving to Veterans Day to his favorite SEC football team.
PERSONAL
Michaelis is a military brat. Most of his youth was spent between living in Europe and the United States. He’s moved 27 times in 50 years! At one point, Texas seemed like home and that’s where he attended college. He’s a die-hard Aggie fan married to an Alabama fan, so Saturdays in the fall are college football day in the Michaelis house. “I’ll pull for USC all day up until they play the Aggies, of course,” proclaims Michaelis. His family – which includes his wife and four children – reports being humbled by the warmth and welcome of South Carolinians. Of course, exploring the 51,285 acres of Fort Jackson has been a priority. With 64 ranges and facilities, 81 training areas, and 1244 buildings, Michaelis has been busy. But exploring the region with his wife has been important, too. Together, they have truly enjoyed a variety of activities, from walks on the beach down in Lowcountry to riding a motorcycle in the mountains of the Upstate.
THANKSGIVING
Military life seems to be synonymous with being scattered. Family can be spread all over the place, but the Michaelis clan definitely tries to come together for key holidays. And in all such occasions, they actively look for Soldiers and civilians who may not be close to family and invite them into the Michaelis home for food, fun, and fellowship. The only rule is no work talk!
Being away from his immediate family on Thanksgiving is tough, but Michaelis usually uses the time to serve others. Fond memories include serving troops on the Zone of Separation in Bosnia, on patrol in Iraq, and specifically visiting every combat outpost in Afghanistan. The minimum expression of thanks is a handshake. The truly rewarding ones involves standing guard with Soldiers as they eat their meal, or actually serving the meal.
Back at Fort Jackson, you’ll find Michaelis in charge of the turkey at his home. After years and years of experimenting with frying, he’s finally discovered the art of smoking a turkey. His favorite side is stuffing. And don’t even think about coming between him and his pumpkin pie piled high with Cool Whip!
This Thanksgiving, Michaelis finds himself thankful to be at Fort Jackson. He says, “The gift of being at Fort Jackson is that I get to witness the transformation from citizen to Soldier every single day.” He finds himself commanding the largest of the four basic installations in the Army. Annually, Fort Jackson trains 45,000 basic combat training soldiers and more than 24,000 soldiers graduate from other Fort Jackson schools and courses, such as the Adjutant General School, Finance School and Noncommissioned Officer Academy. Michaelis is amazed each time he gets to see a young American have the opportunity to become the best version of themselves.
Fort Jackson graduates an average of 1,000 basic combat training soldiers each week. On any
given day, roughly 10,000 people are training on Fort Jackson. So what will Thanksgiving look like for the troops at Fort Jackson this year? Michaelis says that the leaders will be there with the trainees as they are fed a special Thanksgiving meal. He reveals, “It is an Army tradition for the Officers and Senior Non-Commissioned Officers to dress in their Service Uniforms and go serve the troops, as just a small way to say ‘thank you’.”
Veterans Day
Michaelis’ father was an Army officer. And his grandfather was an Army Air Corps pilot from WWII who later transition to the Air Force. Recognizing veterans and their contributions to our country was instilled in him at an early age. This year for Veterans Day, Fort Jackson will be heavily involved in the local communities as they talk about the value of service to the nation. Leaders will visit community groups and schools to share their personal experiences, how they relate to the common defense, and what it means to serve.
As of April 2017, there were an estimated 417,515 military veterans in the state of South Carolina of which 56,969 are military retirees. When trying to find an appropriate way to recognize one of these individuals this Veterans Day, Michaelis says, “Just a simple thank you goes a long way.”
Since being established in June 1917, Fort Jackson has been training Solders, initially for World War I and now for more than half of the Army’s basic combat training soldiers. Throughout it all, commanding generals have led the way. As the 52nd commanding general for Fort Jackson, Michaelis continues a rich tradition of training, service, and economic contributions to our community. We are grateful for his leadership.