FORT CAMPBELL, KY (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The 101st Airborne Division recently hosted local community and business leaders for a round-trip Chinook flight to the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) at Fort Johnson, Louisiana.
On May 16 and 17, community leaders from Clarksville and Nashville, as well as civilian aides to the Secretary of the Army, were invited on a “Champions of Fort Campbell” educational community tour to witness the intense training exercise that Army units undergo at JRTC to maintain high readiness.
“The purpose of the tour was to strengthen relationships between the divisions and its community partners who consistently provide unwavering support and advice,” Maj. Jonathon Bless, 101st Airborne Division spokesman, told Clarksville Now.
Those on the tour were Nathan Clark, Stephanie Coleman, Jim Durrett, Phil Harpel, Charlie Koon, Traci Koon, Whit McCrary, Kevin Miskimins, Robert Nichols, Ralph Schulz and Kimberly Wiggins.
On Friday, the group boarded a CH-47 Chinook helicopter southbound to JRTC. Upon arrival, they witnessed the 1st Mobile Brigade Combat Team “Bastogne” from the 101st Airborne Division conduct their JRTC rotation, which is a culminating training exercise for many Army units.
Late Friday night and into the early hours of Saturday, the guests donned night vision goggles and watched Bastogne demonstrate their “biggest offensive assault,” Bless said. The next day, the community leaders were treated to an aerial tour of “The Box,” which is over 242,000 acres of land dedicated to military training at Fort Johnson.
“The tour was a great opportunity for our community leaders to see the breadth and scope of training that Army units participate in to maintain a high state of readiness,” Bless said. “It also showcased the unique large-scale, long-range, helicopter-deployable capabilities of our 101st Airborne Division.”
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