Tagged: Fort Campbell

Fort Campbell Army leaders are learning how to take a backseat role when they return to Afghanistan this fall to serve as military advisers. About 1,900 troops from the 1st Brigade Combat Team in the 101st Airborne Division, will serve as a Security Force Assistance Brigade with a mission to prepare the Afghan security forces for the coming withdrawal of NATO troops.

In the early 70s, only 2.5 percent of the United States Armed Forces were women. But these days women are a common part of the military. For the last couple decades, women have made up close to one-sixth of soldiers. Until recently, they’ve served in support roles, and haven’t been on many front lines. With changing roles, more female soldiers are training for situations that put them in harm’s way. But military bases recognized a problem: body armor was designed to fit men, not women. Equipment designers began work to change that in 2009 with a new generation of female body armor.

2,800 1st Brigade Combat Team soldiers from Fort Campbell’s 101st Airborne Division will deploy to Afghanistan this winter. 

Fort Campbell soldiers preparing for upcoming deployments to Afghanistan will be learning about the Islamic holiday Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the month of Ramadan. Thousands of troops from the post are slated to return to Afghanistan this year.  Defense Language Institute instructors will work with U.S. personnel to teach them about the holiday. They will have the traditional meal, along with dancing and rugby. 

An organization trying to raise money to build a new museum at Fort Campbell says it has scaled back plans for the project.  Fort Campbell Historical Foundation Executive Director Robert Nichols says changes in the design will cut the cost for the Wings of Liberty project in half. Originally, the organization had planned a two-floor, 80,000 square-foot structure at a cost of about $40 million.