Kentucky and Tennessee lawmakers joined U.S. Army officers at Fort Campbell on Tuesday as they opened the first in a series of renovated barracks originally built more than 40 years ago at the military base.
Senators Mitch McConnell and Marsha Blackburn and Congressmen James Comer and Mark Green spoke at the ceremony alongside Maj. Gen. Brett Sylvia.
Originally built in the late 1970s and the early 1980s for the Volunteer Army, the barracks came into use as the U.S. was transitioning away from using a drafted, or conscripted, army.
U.S. Senate Majority Leader McConnell, of Kentucky, called these “extremely important and dangerous times” for the United States and said it’s important for the nation to have the best military and facilities in the world.
“I’m proud to say that these new and improved barracks meet the mark,” McConnell said. “Indeed, this project and others underway at Fort Campbell are essential to equip the 101st Airborne for its next rendezvous with destiny, one that may prove even more challenging.”
McConnell also spoke on the importance of supporting the U.S. military amid ongoing global conflicts and concerns. This comes just under a week after he told a Kentucky State Fair crowd that deterring America’s adversaries should be “front and center” for its next president.
Blackburn, who represents Tennessee in the U.S. Senate, spoke about the upcoming projects at Fort Campbell included in the National Defense Authorization Act. It includes funding to support a multipurpose training range, the planning and design of a new air traffic control tower and funds for CH-47 Block II Chinook Helicopters flown at the base, among other projects.
Green, who represents Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, recalled his service with the U.S. Army and what he’s learned about the military budget during his U.S. House tenure.
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“I promise you I will do everything I can within my power for the rest of my time in office, as I have since being in office, as these leaders have done since they’ve been in office, to communicate the value that you – each of you – are to us and to your country,” Green said. “And we will work hard to get these kinds of things addressed so that you can go out and kick our nation’s enemies’ ass.”
Comer, who represents Kentucky’s 1st Congressional District, also underlined the importance of a strong military during his remarks.
“We have threats in countries that we never would have thought would be a threat, much less attain the military capabilities that they have attained,” Comer said. “But I have confidence that our military, led by Fort Campbell, is in a position to be successful and continue to ensure the safety of our great nation and ensure that our nation continues to live on for many generations to come because of our great United States military.”
Sylvia, the commanding general of the 101st Airborne Division and Fort Campbell, noted that new barracks typically cost more than $500,000 per bed space and can take between three and five years to build. He said the decision to renovate, instead of building new, is expected to save the military more than $26 million in military expenditures while also allowing them to bring the barracks up to current safety and energy standards and improve quality of life for soldiers stationed at Fort Campbell.
Additional barracks at the base will receive similar renovations in the coming years before being reopened to house service members.
This story is republished with permission from WKMS. Read the original.
Lily Burris is a features reporter for WKMS. She has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Western Kentucky University. She has written for the College Heights Herald at WKU, interned with Louisville Public Media, served as a tornado recovery reporter with WKMS and most recently worked as a journalist with the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting.
