Fort Campbell: A World-Class Army Community

While visiting Fort Campbell, Congressman Zach Wamp joined about two dozen soldiers for lunch and talked with them about their service. As ranking member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, which funds military installations around the world, Zach went to Fort Campbell in April to examine the base’s construction needs, observe its missions and hear about some of the challenges the U.S. Army faces during its transformation. 

Built in 1942, Fort Campbell is one of the Army’s premier training and deployment installations and supports the third largest military population in the Army. At 164-square-miles on the Kentucky-Tennessee border, the installation is one of the largest in the world. Fort Campbell is home to the 101st Airborne Screaming Eagles – the only air assault division in the world, the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, the 5th Special Forces Group, the 86th Combat Support Hospital and the U.S. Army Medical Activity Blanchfield Army Hospital.

Fort Campbell is transforming to meet the changing needs of our men and women in uniform and their families at a time when our nation is asking so much of them. Zach saw first hand the investment that is being made to improve the quality of life and work on the base. Upgrading WWII facilities to today’s standards remains a priority for the Army.

In addition to the mission training that takes place at Fort Campbell, supporting the well being of soldiers and their families is a top concern. Army leadership has a renewed emphasis to improve Army family quality of life. Some of the well-being facilities on base include child development centers, recreation facilities, medical clinics, a complete K-12 school system and chapels. Zach had the opportunity to tour the Family Resource Center, which is the base’s one-stop-shop for family members or soldiers in need.