Fort Campbell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fort Campbell |
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| Oak Grove, Kentucky / Clarksville, Tennessee |
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Insignia of military units stationed at Fort Campbell
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| Type | Army post |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by | U.S. Army |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1941 |
| In use | 1942–present |
| Garrison information | |
| Current commander |
MG Brett Sylvia |
| Past commanders |
MG John F. Campbell, 101st ABN |
| Garrison | 101st Airborne Division 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment 5th Special Forces Group 52nd Ordnance Group (EOD) 86th Combat Support Hospital 716th Military Police Battalion 19th Air Support Operations Squadron (USAF) 63rd Chemical Company 1000th MP Battalion (CID) Sabalauski Air Assault School Blanchfield Army Community Hospital NCO Academy |
Fort Campbell is a large U.S. Army base. It sits right on the border between Kentucky and Tennessee. You can find it between the cities of Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and Clarksville, Tennessee.
Fort Campbell is home to two very famous Army groups. These are the 101st Airborne Division and the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. The base is named after William Bowen Campbell. He was a Brigadier General in the Union Army and a former Governor of Tennessee.
Contents
History of Fort Campbell
The Army chose the location for Fort Campbell in September 1941. Building started on January 12, 1942. This was during World War II. The base was built quickly to train a large number of soldiers. It could hold one armored division and many support troops.
At first, the official address was in Tennessee. This caused problems because the post office was in Kentucky. To fix this, the address was officially changed to Camp Campbell, Kentucky, in September 1942.
During World War II, Camp Campbell was a major training center. Several armored divisions trained here. These included the 12th, 14th, and 20th Armored Divisions. The 26th Infantry Division also trained at the camp.
In 1949, the 11th Airborne Division moved to Campbell. They had been serving in Japan. By April 1950, the camp became a permanent base. It was then renamed Fort Campbell.
From 1950 to 1962, Fort Campbell had an Airborne Course. This course trained almost 30,000 soldiers to be paratroopers.
On September 21, 1956, the famous "Screaming Eagles" of the 101st Airborne Division were officially brought back to life here. This division had been very important in World War II.
In 1965, the 1st Brigade of the 101st Airborne went to Vietnam. Later, the rest of the division followed. After the war, in 1972, the 101st Airborne Division returned home.
In 1985, a sad event happened. A plane carrying 246 service members crashed. They were returning from peacekeeping duties in Egypt. A memorial stands at the base to remember them.
In December 2023, a strong tornado hit the area. It caused damage in the nearby town of Clarksville. While some Army families were affected, Fort Campbell itself did not have major damage. No Fort Campbell personnel or their families were killed.
Tornado in 2011
On April 26, 2011, another powerful tornado struck. It hit the Campbell Army Airfield at Fort Campbell. One building was destroyed, and several others were badly damaged. Many heavy vehicles were also damaged, with some even flipped over. This tornado was rated EF3, which means it was very strong.
Helicopter Training Accident in 2023
On March 29, 2023, nine soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division died. This happened during a helicopter training exercise. Two HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters crashed into each other. The pilots were using night vision goggles at the time. The accident occurred west of Fort Campbell.
Training and Special Schools
The Sabalauski Air Assault School is located at Fort Campbell. It is named after Command Sergeant Major Walter James Sabalauski. This school teaches soldiers important skills. These include Air Assault and Pathfinder courses. Soldiers also learn how to be Jumpmasters and Rappel Masters.
Fort Campbell Parachute Team
Fort Campbell has its own parachute demonstration team. It is called the "Screaming Eagles". This team was started in 1958. It was the Army's first team to perform precision freefall jumps.
The "Screaming Eagles" perform more than 60 parachute shows each year. They jump in front of thousands of people. The team members come from different Army jobs. They often have combat experience. They have many years of skydiving experience and thousands of jumps.
Units at Fort Campbell
Fort Campbell is home to many important Army units.
101st Airborne Division
160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment
5th Special Forces Group
52nd Ordnance Group (which handles EOD)- 302nd Intelligence and Electronic Warfare Battalion
- 531st Hospital Center
- 502nd Military Police Battalion
Air Force Units
The Campbell Army Airfield also hosts some USAF units:
19th Air Support Operations Squadron- 18th Weather Squadron, Detachment 4
Other important facilities include Blanchfield Army Community Hospital and the SSG John W. Kreckel NCO Academy.
Education on Base
Children living at Fort Campbell attend schools run by the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA).
There are several elementary schools on base:
- Barsanti Elementary School
- Barkley Elementary School
- Lucas Elementary School
- Marshall Elementary School
For middle school, students attend either Mahaffey Middle School or Wassom Middle School.
All high school students living on Fort Campbell go to Fort Campbell High School. This high school first opened in 1962. The current building was opened in 2018.
See also
In Spanish: Fort Campbell para niños
