Fort Campbell
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fort Campbell is a United States Army installation located between Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and Clarksville, Tennessee, and is home to the 101st Airborne Division.
The fort is named in honor of BG William Bowen Campbell, the last Whig Governor of Tennessee.
History
The site for Camp Campbell was selected on July 16, 1941,and the Title I Survey was completed November 15, 1941, coincidentally the same time the Japanese Imperial Fleet was leaving Japan home waters for Pearl Harbor, with construction beginning January 12, 1942. Within a year, the reservation designated as Camp Campbell was developed to accommodate one armored division and various support troops, with a total size of 102,414 acres (414 km˛), and billets for 2,422 officers and 45,198 enlisted personnel. Due to its close proximity to Clarksville, Tennessee, the War Department on March 6, 1942, designated Tennessee as the official address of the new camp. This caused a great deal of confusion, since the Headquarters was in Tennessee and the post office was in Kentucky. After many months of mail delivery problems, Col Guy W.Chipman requested that the address be changed to Camp Campbell, Kentucky. The War Department officially changed the address on September 23, 1942.
Early in the summer of 1942, the post's initial cadre, one officer and 19 enlisted men, arrived from Fort Knox, Kentucky. From that time until the end of World War II, Camp Campbell was the training ground for the 12th, 14th and 20th Armored divisions, Headquarters IV Armored Corps and the 26th Infantry Division.
In the spring of 1949, the 11th Airborne Division arrived at Campbell following occupation duty in Japan. The 11th was in residence there until early 1956.
By April 1950, the post had evolved from a wartime training camp to a permanent installation and was renamed Fort Campbell.
On September 21, 1956, Secretary of the Army Wilbur M. Bruckner and the Army Chief of Staff, GEN. Maxwell D. Taylor, presented the colors of the 101st Airborne Division to MG T.L. Sherbourne, the first commander of the new ROTAD airborne division. This was the official ceremony reactivating the famed "Screaming Eagles" of World War II.
On May 2, 1966, Third Army General Order 161 directed the activation of a Basic Combat Training Center at Fort Campbell. On July 6, barely two months after its activation, Fort Campbell's Army Training Center received its first 220 newly inducted soldiers. Basic Combat Training began on schedule July 11 with a full complement of 1,100 trainees. The Training Center operated until April 15, 1972, when it was deactivated
The 1st Brigade was sent for duty in Vietnam in July 1965. Soon thereafter, upon the escalation of hostilities in Southeast Asia, the rest of the division arrived. Also in response to the military buildup, the 6th Infantry Division was reactivated at Fort Campbell on November 24, 1966, and inactivated July 25, 1968.
In September of 1971 the 173rd Airborne Brigade returned to Fort Campbell and conducted its official homecoming ceremonies, which were presided over by Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird. The 173rd was then redesignated as the 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile). On April 6, 1972, the 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile) was officially welcomed back to its home station after the cessation of hostilities in Vietnam. The ceremonies were attended by Vice President Spiro T. Agnew and General William C. Westmoreland, Army Chief of Staff.
On October 13, 2005, Fort Campbell made international headlines when Private Nicholas Mikel opened fire on a group of soldiers training at the base. Private Mikel was arrested soon thereafter and charged with 32 counts of attempted murder.
Current operations at Fort Campbell
Changes to the 101st Airborne are intended to make the Army more capable to deal with today's threats. The post is expecting another 2,000 troops, with the addition of another brigade, bringing the total active-duty population of Fort Campbell to around 28,000.
The Sabalauski Air Assault School, named after Command Sergeant Major Walter James Sabalauski is located here. Courses taught include Air Assault, Pathfinder, Pre-Ranger, Basic Airborne, Jumpmaster Refresher, and Rappel Master. FRIES/SPIES Master courses are also taught. The school is also home to the Division’s Parachute Demonstration Team.
The commanding general of both Fort Campbell and 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) is currently Major General Jeffrey J. Schloesser. The post's current garrison commander is Colonel Fredrick Swope.
See also
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