FORT CAMPBELL, KY. – (CLARKSVILLENOW) The Secretary of the Army, Honorable Mark T. Esper, paid a visit to the soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), military family members and civilians at Fort Campbell Tuesday.
Esper is no stranger to Fort Campbell, having been a part of the 101st as his first unit of assignment and serving in Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1990-1991. He was sworn in as the 23rd Secretary of the U.S. Army in November of 2017.
The tour included an early morning physical training exercise with soldiers, a visit to the Sabalauski Air Assault School, a round-table with junior spouses, flight by helicopter to a training facility, a meeting with brigade commanders, and a town hall meeting.
Esper said he believes the community support for Fort Campbell he remembered years ago hasn’t changed.
“It means a lot to the soldiers and the families to know that their civilian counterparts out there appreciate what they do,” Esper said.
Esper talked about the 101st and its contribution to the Army’s readiness.
“The 101st provides a unique capability. It’s the Army’s premier air assault division. I think it’s a unique capability, one we need to maintain, build and grow. It will remain critical in any of our national defense scenarios,” he said.
The Secretary’s recently published “Army Vision” lays out key objectives and priorities for the Army in the next ten years. During Tuesday’s visit, he said the Army is deployed at a very high rate at this time.
“I’m told that the 101st is maybe the most deployed division. What I’m aiming to do is to increase the size of the Army and look at some of the deployments we’re currently doing to reach a better equilibrium,” Esper said.
When it comes to growth and recruitment, Esper said the Army is looking at new ideas like putting more recruiters out into the communities, sending soldiers back home to visit their hometowns, and an overhaul of the marketing program in Washington to support recruiters.
“It’s important to appeal more broadly to the American public and provide those opportunities that young people are looking for, whether it’s educational opportunities or the chance to grow as leaders and individuals, we need to tell that Army story,” he said.