Summarized by the Alliance for Fort Gordon
Published January 1, 2026
It isn’t every day that you see a drill sergeant remove their campaign hat and engage in conversation with Soldier-trainees. But the odds of it happening increase significantly during Holiday Block Leave (HBL).
While thousands of Fort Gordon Soldiers traveled home for the holidays, roughly 200 Soldier-trainees chose to stay behind, making it the largest known number to date. And regardless of their reason for staying, Fort Gordon cadre are doing what they can to ensure that no Soldier feels left behind despite their decision.
“The intent is to bring together the Soldiers who did not travel home during Holiday Block Leave … to make them feel a sense of family and camaraderie together while they’re here for the holiday season,” explained Capt. Tiffany Morrow, commander of Foxtrot Company, 369th Signal Battalion.