WASHINGTON – A delegation of local elected officials, business and community leaders made a trip to Washington DC to address the issues of cuts at Fort Campbell.
Those making the two day trip Monday and Tuesday included Montgomery County Mayor Jim Durrett, Cal Wray, executive director of the Clarksville-Montgomery County Economic Development Council, Hopkinsville Mayor Carter Hendricks, Katie Gambill, President of The Clarksville-Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce and 5 Star Media, APSU VP Derek van der Merwe, Clarksville City Council members Deanna McLaughlin and Jeff Burkhart, County Commissioner Tommy Vallejos, Melinda Shepard and Yvonne Pickering of the chamber and Charlie Koon of Workforce Essentials.
The group split into subgroups to meet every member of the Tennessee delegation, including Senators Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander and Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn to warn against future troop reductions at Fort Campbell.
Proposed cutbacks under the Budget Control Act could cost the army post about 16,000 soldiers and civilians.
“With the pending Army analysis of costs and having to cut 40,000 soldiers, it’s always good to remind our politicians what’s at stake, why Fort Campbell is strategic, and why it’s unique so that they have this information and have the opportunities to see what’s happening,” EDC Director Cal Wray said. “We need to do everything we can to make sure Fort Campbell stays strong.”
The delegation went armed with plenty of facts provided by Fort Campbell on the strategic importance of the post including Campbell Army Airfield, rail capabilities and its proximity to the Cumberland River for staging barge operations and training.
The primary message to lawmakers was if troop cuts are inevitable, making them at Fort Campbell is the wrong choice.
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