FORT CAMPBELL, KY (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The 101st Airborne Division and Fort Campbell will hold the annual Week of the Eagles May 20-26 at Fort Campbell.

This year, the 101st celebrates 80 years of dedicated service to our nation. The theme for this year’s event is “80 Years of Getting It Done With the 101!”

The 101st Airborne Division was activated on Aug. 16, 1942 at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana. The first commanding general, Maj. Gen. William C. Lee, said that the division had no history, but that it had a “rendezvous with destiny.” He added that the new division would be habitually called into action when the need was “immediate and extreme” and that it would “fall on its enemies like a thunderbolt from the skies.”

The first Week of the Eagles was held in May 1973 hosted by Maj. Gen. J.H. Cushman, one year after the 101st returned home from Vietnam. The week was planned as a celebration of the division’s combat readiness and featured displays, tours, reviews, and unit-on-unit military skills competitions. Week of the Eagles honors the legacy and heritage of the 101st and involves both veterans and current soldiers of the division. Key events are indicated below. Information about each event may be found at https://home.army.mil/campbell/index.php/week-of-the-eagles.

Key events

May 20, 6:30 a.m. – Division Run. The 101st will conduct a large-scale run as a division. The run route encompasses several roads on the installation. Please note that early arrival will be required to cover this event due to earlier-than-normal road closures, which are necessary to safely accommodate the route.

May 20, 3 p.m. – Boot Display Opening Ceremony at the 101st headquarters. Fallen service members since 9/11 are represented by nearly 8,000 boots lining the division headquarters’ front lawn. Senior leaders will make remarks during this event.

May 21, 1:30 p.m. – Air Assault Demonstration and Static Displays. This event features a live demonstration of air assault tactics involving both aircraft and Soldiers. It will be held at The Sabalauski Air Assault School.

May 21, 6 p.m. – 10 p.m. – Outdoor Festival & Concert. Singer-songwriter Cassadee Pope is set to be the very special guest for the Lynyrd Skynyrd concert at the Division Parade Field on Fort Campbell. The event is open only to DOD ID cardholders and authorized guests.

May 23, 10 a.m. 11 a.m. – Soldier Recovery Unit Eagle Warrior Memorial Garden Rededication Ceremony. A memorial plaque with names of those lost since the last rededication ceremony will be rededicated and unveiled during the ceremony at the SRU Garden, 2311 Kentucky Avenue, Fort Campbell.

May 23 – 24, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. – Culinary Competition. Soldiers from across the Division will compete in a live cooking competition featuring required ingredients, judging, and elimination rounds. The competition begins 9 a.m. with the final winner awarded 5 p.m. This event will take place at the Fort Campbell Culinary Training Center at 7095 Entrance Road, Fort Campbell.

May 24, 9:30 a.m. – Gold Star Families Memorial Dedication Ceremony. A memorial ceremony will be conducted to honor the families of our fallen Soldiers. The ceremony will take place across from the Dreyer Field House at 2699 Kentucky Avenue, Fort Campbell.

May 25, 1:30 p.m. – 101st Mass Reenlistment Ceremony. Maj. Gen. JP McGee, commanding general of the 101st will reenlist more than 100 Soldiers at The Sabalauski Air Assault School.

May 25 (multiple times throughout the day) – Boxing Competition Finals and Combatives Finals. This event involves both boxing and Army combatives, which is similar to mixed martial arts. Final bouts will be fought this day.

May 26, 9:30 a.m. 11:30 a.m. – Division Review. The 101st will conduct a review ceremony involving a large number of Soldiers at the division parade field. During this event, the winners of the division’s Best Air Assault Competition and Commander’s Cup will be announced.

May 26, 2 p.m. – Honorary Air Assault Award Ceremony. The 101st will present Vietnam veterans then-assigned to the division with an honorarium award recognizing their service. The ceremony will be held at The Sabalauski Air Assault School.

Vehicles entering Fort Campbell are required to have either an adult authorized ID cardholder in the vehicle or an authorized visitor pass. To obtain a pass, the vehicle operator must process at the Gate 4 or Gate 7 visitor control center (VCC) and present the following: valid vehicle registration, proof of current vehicle insurance, and valid driver’s license. Each individual age 18 and over in the vehicle must also obtain a visitor’s pass.