DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY HEADQUARTERS, 3° BATTALION, 24” INFANTRY REGIMENT “11950 GOLDEN ARROW ROAD FORT JACKSON, SC 29207-5200 Dear Parents, Guardian or Spouse: 17 June 2016 Welcome to the Amy Strong Family! Our goal is to provide the best training experience possible for all of our Soldiers. Their decision to serve our great nation demonstrates their strength of character and sefflessness. You must be extremely proud. Basic Combat Training is the first step toward a challenging and rewarding experience in the United States Army. The primary purpose of Basic Combat Training (BCT) is to transform Civilians into Soldiers. This process includes learning discipline, self-confidence, Amy standards, and teamwork. We challenge Soldiers to reach their maximum potential to become ‘Army Strong’ through military instruction, marching, physical training, rifle marksmanship, and survival craft. Most importantly, we impart ‘Amy Values and principles that makes all of us in uniform proud to serve our country. is our objective to instill discipline, motivate, and challenge each Soldier to the fullest extent possible in order to maximize their potential. We want to assure you that all of our Soldiers are well cared for in terms of their nutrition, health, living conditions, spiritual welfare, and training. Our Drill Sergeants are the personnel responsible for training your future Soldier. These men and women are carefully selected, highly trained professional Noncommissioned Officers, who are dedicated to producing disciplined and physically fit Soldiers. Drill Sergeants are the one person they will never forget. In the weeks ahead, expect to hear stories from your Soldiers about their Drill Sergeants. The meals that we serve are balanced and designed to support the rigorous physical demands of training. Please do not send food items by mail. Additionally, the use of tobacco products is forbidden during Basic Combat Training. Do not send tobacco products to your Soldier. Basic Combat Training is both a physical and mental challenge. Your loved one will probably seek your counseling for emotional support during BCT. Support of your Soldier is very important. Few Soldiers will say they love it, but BCT is not designed to be fun. Many Soldiers will be thinking out loud about their decision to come into the Army. Your positive encouragement is critical to their success. We recommend that you reinforce the commitment they have made and the benefit of their service to themselves and our country. There are many things to learn during BCT; Soldiers will have very little free time; therefore, there are no visitation privileges for Soldiers until Family Day. If there is a true emergency at home, please contact your local chapter of the American Red Cross. The Red Gross will then contact the Battalion.Time constraints may prevent your loved one from writing to you as often as you would like. Our Soldiers are so busy that days pass before they realize it. Please be understanding and continue to write as many encouraging letters as possible. Due to our schedule and organization, please only use standard U.S. postage. Using Certified or Express mail can actually add up to three days to the delivery time of those letters. On Wednesday, August 24, 2016 at 9:00 a.m., our battalion will host the Family Day Welcome Ceremony on Hilton Field. In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will be held at the Solomon Activity Center (SAC), 6510 Strom Thurmond Bivd. Flyers and posters will offer you details about the scheduled events, parking, and directions if the ceremony is moved to the SAC. Otherwise, follow the blue line to Hilton Field once you enter the Fort Jackson gate. We hope you will join us, in the spirit of patriotism, to express camaraderie with your Soldier and other families and witness the tremendous accomplishment achieved by your Soldier and all the Soldiers of the 3rd Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment. Several exciting and informative events will occur as part of the Family Day Ceremony. Your Soldier may be authorized an on post pass this day, allowing you to spend the day with your Soldier while experiencing the amenities and military life on the installation (see notes 2, 4 & 5). On Wednesday evening, we will host a graduation banquet in your Soldier's honor, at the Officer's Club and the Noncommissioned Officers (NCO) Club. | hope you can join your Soldier at this dinner and meet the company cadre. Be advised that your Soldiers are required to be in a recall formation at 7:45 p.m. in their company area. (See notes 1 & 2). Once your Soldier has been returned to his/her company area, you are invited to join us in the Moon Classroom of the battalion headquarters. Beginning at 8:00 p.m. we will conduct an hour long information session designed to help you and your Soldier better understand the support systems available to them and their dependents. The briefing will feature information on Red Cross, the TRICARE health system, Army Community Service, and the unit chaplain. Our goal is ensure that you leave with a better understanding of your Soldier's entitlements, how they will move from duty station to duty station and how they will be able to successfully balance their careers and personal life. At the conclusion of the session, we will answer all questions that you may have concerning the briefing. The Graduation Ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, August 25, 2016 at 9:00 a.m. on Hilton Field. We expect to graduate more than 1,000 Soldiers from this Battalion. In case of bad weather, the ceremony will be held at the SAC. See the attached schedule. Following graduation, Soldiers may be granted a pass to visit the surrounding Columbia area (see notes 3, 4 & 5). Soldiers attending Advanced Individual Training (AIT) at select locations (must be east of the Mississippi) may be allowed to travel by privately ‘owned vehicles driven by an immediate family member and may depart from Hilton Field immediately after graduation. {f not driving your Soldier to AIT, then he/she willreceive an off post pass, but must retum no later than 7:45 pm. Everyone should take notice that with the number of graduating Soldiers, traffic will be a significant issue. Ensure you take into account the time necessary to get through the Fort Jackson Gates. Arriving at the gate at least 1.6 or 2 hours before both Family Day and the Graduation ceremony should ensure you arrive on time to Hilton Field. All visitors must enter Fort Jackson through Gate #4 (I-77, exit 15). Gate #4 will be the only gate open to the public when entering Fort Jackson. Once you enter the gate, follow the blue line on the road to guide you directly to Hilton Field. Note that Gate 4 closes at 6:00 P.M. and you may need to exit through the main gate. As stated earlier, your Soldier is scheduled to graduate on Thursday, August 25, 2016. We request you stop sending mail to your Soldier two weeks prior to graduation. Fort Jackson is the largest training facility in the Armed Forces and we process countless pieces of mail daily. If mail is sent after the two week deadline, we will be unable to guarantee delivery before graduation. In order to access Fort Jackson, you will need to go to the link below and request a pass. Once your pass is approved, you are encouraged to print this pass; the QR code at the top right of the page will be used to confirm your pass before you are granted access. If you own a smart phone and elect not to print the pass, the QR code may be scanned from your phone at the gate. Without the proper pass with your name on it, you may be denied access to Fort Jackson or asked to go through additional screening to enter Fort Jackson. If you plan to bring multiple vehicles, each vehicle will need its own pass. The occupants of each vehicle must be registered on that pass. Link to register for pass: http:/bit.\y/3-34pass Upon arrival at Fort Jackson, you will need to show a valid driver's license, vehicle registration (or rental car agreement), and proof of insurance to the security guard on duty. All visitors 18 years or older must present a state/government issued photo identification card at the gate. Refer to the enclosure for additional entry requirements for visitors with driver's licenses from Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, and Washington. It is extremely important for you to continue confirming your Soldier's progression through Basic Combat Training. Occasionally, a Soldier's graduation date is delayed due to an injury, illness, or training requirement. Your Soldier will be given the opportunity to inform you as to whether or not they have met all graduation requirements and/or if their schedule has changed before you travel to Fort Jackson. Our Battalion Naturalization Ceremony will be held in conjunction with our Family Day ceremony at 9:00 a.m. on August 24, 2016. If you have a Soldier who will be receiving their citizenship, you will be notified prior to arriving at Fort Jackson so that you will be able to attend. The ceremony will be held at Hilton Field and will be part of the formal ceremony. We will ensure that non-citizen Soldiers are entered into thisprogram, thereby ensuring the quality of life for those non-citizens who have stepped up to serve their country. Non-citizen Soldiers, who successfully meet BCT requirements and will graduate, will have their swear-in ceremony done during the Battalion Naturalization Ceremony. For more information, please visit us on our Facebook page: httos:/Avmw facebook.com/3rdbattalion34thinfantry, where you may ask questions and find updated information on such topics as your Soldier's training events and travel to Fort Jackson. For travel information, you may also visit: http: /jackson.armymwr.com/us/iackson/programs/victory-travel-center or call (803) 751- 5812. There you will find travel and lodging information near Fort Jackson, including the Fort Jackson Inn which is located less than a mile from Hilton Field. We hope to see you at our graduation events and share your pride in the accomplishments of our Soldiers. Our battalion motto is "Rock Force!” - And you Will hear your Soldiers sound off with this distinct motto. We look forward to your attendance at the graduation ceremony! Rock Force! Eat — leg DAVID R. BOONE ROBERT S. PERRY CSM, USA LTC, IN Command Sergeant Major Commanding Enclosures: 3-34th Infantry General Information 3-34TH INFANTRY REGIMENT GENERAL INFORMATION Location: Fort Jackson is located in Columbia, South Carolina, just southeast of the Interstate 77 and Interstate 20 intersection. You must enter Fort Jackson through Gate 4, Take exit 15 on Interstate Highway 77 and follow the signs that say Fort Jackson.Once entering the Fort Jackson Gates follow the blue lines painted on the road to guide you directly to Hilton Field, Use Boyden Arbor Road in your GPS. Hotel Information: Lodging near Fort Jackson is limited, so make your reservations as soon as possible. Call the Solomon Activity Center, 1-800-221-3503 for hotel referrals or contact the Intercontinental Hotel Group (IHG) on Fort Jackson at (803) 782-9802. ATTENTION: Inclement Weather: In the event of inclement weather, the Graduation Ceremony will take place in the Solomon Activity Center (SAC). The guards at the gates and signs will guide you to the proper location in the event of bad weather. The following is a schedule for the Graduation Ceremony on August 25, 2016, We will allow your Soldier to call you if the Graduation Ceremony is changed to the inclement weather plan. Itis imperative that they have a good phone number to contact you. Additional information may be posted on the battalion Facebook page. Graduation on Hilton Field 25 August 2016 3" Battalion 34" Infantry Regiment 9:00 A.M. = 10:00 A.M. Contact Phone # (803) 751-9224 Graduation Inclement Weather SAC 25 August 2016 3" Battalion 34" Infantry Regiment 9:00 A.M. ~ 1:00 P.M. Contact Phone # (803) 751-9224 Note 1: The Graduation Banquet is a dinner with your Soldier at the Officers Club on ‘Semmes Road or the NCO Club located on Lee Road. The banquet will take place on Wednesday evening, August 24, 2016 and the time varies by company. Banquet costs are: Officers Club: Seafood Buffet - ages 12 and over - $13.95; Children 5 to 11 - $6.95; 4 and under - free NCO Club: All American Buffet - ages 12 and over - $9.00; Children 5 to 11 - $4.50; 4 and under - free A and B Co 3-34" Infantry Regiment 4:00 P.M. — C Co 3-34" Infantry Regiment 5:00 P.M. — Dand E Co 3-34" Infantry Regiment 6:00 P.M. — :00 P.M. Officer's Club or NCO Club :00 P.M. Officer's Club or NCO Club :00 P.M. Officer's Club or NCO Club Note 2: Family Day Passes: Following the Family Day Welcome Ceremony briefings, Soldiers may be granted a pass to visit any on-post facility. The approval authority for these passes is the Soldier's chain of command. Please confirm if your Soldier is authorized a pass. These facilities include the Officer's Club, the Solomon Activity Center (SAC), the Post Exchange (PX), the Museum, and other common areas. Soldiers will not be authorized to depart the post for any reason. The Weston Lake Recreational Area is available due to the fact that itis part of the military reservationHowever, to reach it, you must depart post, Prior approval by the company chain of ‘command must be received for a Soldier to travel to Weston Lake. Travel to Weston Lake must be direct, with no stops. All Soldiers must retum to their barracks no later than 7:45 p.m. Note 3: Graduation Day: As a reminder, graduation is scheduled for Thursday, August 25, 2016 at 9:00 a.m. on Hilton Field. Following Graduation, Soldiers accompanied by immediate Family may be granted a pass to visit the surrounding Columbia area. Please confirm if your Soldier is authorized a pass. All Soldiers on pass must return to the barracks no later than 7:45 p.m. Note 4: Safety: In the interest of safety, we ask that during your time here, you do not visit ranges, training areas, bivouac sites, training facilities or any other site posted as a restricted area Note 5: Pass Policy: Soldiers on pass must NOT: Wear civilian clothes, consume alcohol, drive a vehicle, smoke, wear head phones or ear plugs in uniform, or do anything to delay their shipment to Advanced Individual Training (AIT). Violating these restrictions may subject the Soldier to punishment under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Note 6: Soldier and Baggage Pickup: f you are transporting your Soldier home or to ‘Advanced Individual Training (AIT), you should allocate time between 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. on Family Day, to pick up your Soldier's personal baggage from their assigned company. All Families who are unable to secure their Soldier's belongings until after the graduation ceremony may pick up their Soldier and baggage at Hilton Field. Note 7: Useful websites: Fort Jackson Home Page: http://iackson.armylive dodlive.mill 3-34 Facebook page: hitps://www facebook.com/3rdbattalionsathinfantry