The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment held a dedication ceremony recently at Fort Campbell for a new Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) training site in remembrance of two fallen Night Stalkers.
FORT CAMPBELL, KY (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment held a dedication ceremony recently at Fort Campbell for a new Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) training site in remembrance of two fallen Night Stalkers.
The training site honors Night Stalkers Staff Sgt. Vincent P. Marketta and Sgt. Tyler M. Shelton, who perished in a training accident on Aug. 27, 2020, in California. The facility is named the Marketta-Shelton MOUT Site and is part of the Fort Campbell range complex.
Marketta-Shelton Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) training site at Fort Campbell, KY. Named in honor of fallen 160th SOAR Night Stalkers, Staff Sergeant Vincent P. Marketta and Sergeant Tyler M. Shelton on, Aug 26, 2022 (Lee Erwin)
Staff Sgt. Vincent P. Marketta and Sgt. Tyler M. Shelton
Marketta-Shelton Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) training site at Fort Campbell, KY. Named in honor of fallen 160th SOAR Night Stalkers, Staff Sergeant Vincent P. Marketta and Sergeant Tyler M. Shelton on, Aug 26, 2022 (Lee Erwin)
Colonel Roger Waleski speaking at the Marketta-Shelton Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) training site at Fort Campbell, KY. Named in honor of fallen 160th SOAR Night Stalkers, Staff Sergeant Vincent P. Marketta and Sergeant Tyler M. Shelton on, Aug 26, 2022 (Lee Erwin)
Marketta-Shelton Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) training site at Fort Campbell, KY. Named in honor of fallen 160th SOAR Night Stalkers, Staff Sergeant Vincent P. Marketta and Sergeant Tyler M. Shelton on, Aug 26, 2022 (Lee Erwin)
Marketta-Shelton Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) training site at Fort Campbell, KY. Named in honor of fallen 160th SOAR Night Stalkers, Staff Sergeant Vincent P. Marketta and Sergeant Tyler M. Shelton on, Aug 26, 2022 (Lee Erwin)
A plaque for Sergeant Tyler M. Shelton at the dedication of the Marketta-Shelton Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) training site at Fort Campbell, KY. Named in honor of fallen 160th SOAR Night Stalkers, Staff Sergeant Vincent P. Marketta and Sergeant Tyler M. Shelton on, Aug 26, 2022 (Lee Erwin)
A plaque for Staff Sergeant Vincent P. Marketta at the dedication of the Marketta-Shelton Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) training site at Fort Campbell, KY. Named in honor of fallen 160th SOAR Night Stalkers, Staff Sergeant Vincent P. Marketta and Sergeant Tyler M. Shelton on, Aug 26, 2022 (Lee Erwin)
Marketta-Shelton Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) training site at Fort Campbell, KY. Named in honor of fallen 160th SOAR Night Stalkers, Staff Sergeant Vincent P. Marketta and Sergeant Tyler M. Shelton on, Aug 26, 2022 (Lee Erwin)
Family members, friends and comrades of the two heroes attended the dedication ceremony. On display were bronze plaques that will be placed at the training site.
According to Major Chris Lancia, 160th Regiment Public Affairs Officer, The combination of a Military Operations in Urban Terrain site (MOUT) with an aerial gunnery range allows ground force customers to simulate real-world mission requirements of calling in close air support while conducting operations on the ground.
That reduces the cost of conducting such training, increases safety for personnel and the public, and provides a realism that is difficult to replicate. The site includes simulated power lines which are always a concern for aircrews, flat roofs for tactical insertion, multi-story buildings with moveable interiors and allows for explosive breaching on interior and exterior doors.
After the ceremony, Sgt. 1st Class Reed Knudson, who knew the men, talked about what the dedication of the facility would mean to the soldiers who train at the site.
“I believe it’s going to echo through time, through the many crews that go through there, to be able to know that these two dedicated Night Stalkers gave their lives to hone their craft and become the best crew chiefs they could possibly be to provide for America,” Knudson said.
Work on the new training facility began around two years ago, and training at the site has been going on since spring of 2022. The Marketta-Shelton MOUT Site is slated to be complete by the end of fiscal year 2023 at an overall cost of $9.9 million.
