Looking for quality rental neighborhoods in Columbia

[Matthew Schneider]

My wife and I recently found out we will be stationed at Shaw AFB in Sumter South Carolina this fall. We decided we'd like to live in Columbia and make the relatively short commute into Sumter everyday. We'd like to buy a home that we can live in for our duration there (approximately three years) and then easily rent out after we move. Neither of us are familiar with the area and are looking for advice on what neighborhoods, ideally on the east/southeast side, would be a good option for us. Any advice would be helpful, thanks.