Fort Campbell helicopter crash: What to know about the installation, training, more
Update: Fort Campbell officials on Friday afternoon released the names of the nine Fort Campbell soldiers killed Wednesday in a Black Hawk training exercise.
Nine U.S. Army servicemembers from Fort Campbell died after two Black Hawk helicopters crashed during a training exercise in Kentucky Wednesday night.
The HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from the Army's 101st Airborne Division crashed around 10 p.m. Wednesday in Trigg County, Kentucky, to the west of the Army installation Fort Campbell, the division said in a Thursday statement. One helicopter was carrying five, another four, according to officials from the military installation.
The names of the nine who died in the crash were not released as investigators notify next of kin.
We can confirm two aircraft from the 101st were involved in an accident last night resulting in serveral casualties.
Right now the focus is on the Soldiers and their families who were involved. pic.twitter.com/eG5ndWVvbT— 101st Airborne Div. (@101stAASLTDIV) March 30, 2023
Fort Campbell has played a role in communities in both Kentucky and Tennessee for years since the installation that lies between the towns of Hopkinsville, Kentucky and Clarksville, Tennessee. Here's everything you need to know about the post, the community it encompasses and more on the most recent helicopter crash.
Where is Fort Campbell in Kentucky?
Fort Campbell is just over the Tennessee and Kentucky boarder and just 13 miles from downtown Clarksville.
Where was the helicopter crash?
The two Black Hawks crashed in Trigg County, KY, around 30 miles northwest of Fort Campbell.
What we know: US Army Black Hawk helicopters crash in Kentucky leaving nine dead
What Fort Campbell means to Clarksville
The military installation means a lot to Clarksville, with more than 11% of the city’s population being retired veterans.
The military population, both retired and active duty contribute millions to the city in housing and sales tax.
Who is stationed at Fort Campbell?
The Screaming Eagles of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), 5th Special Forces Group and the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment all call Fort Campbell home.
How many people are stationed at Fort Campbell?
Statistics from the Department of Defense and Military OneSource, has that Fort Campbell supports over 250,532 persons as of 2021. Including:
Active Military: 27,057
Family Members: 51,480
Civilians: 6,340
Contract Employees: 1,583
Military Retirees: 71,106
Retiree Family: 92,966
Family Housing: 4,457
Barracks: 10,059
The history of Fort Campbell
The installation is named after former Tennessee Governor and Civil War Union General William Bowen Campbell.
Fort Campbell was originally established in 1942 as a war-time armor training and mobilization camp during WWII and became a permanent installation in 1950, according to Military OneSource. Between 1948 and 1965, Campbell was also home to Clarksville Base, a top-secret nuclear weapons storage and modification facility.
Since then, the U.S. Army installation has been home to multiple airborne, armored and infantry units.
Campbell has served as a training installation since it began and since 2002 its units have been among the most deployed combat units in the Army, according to OneSource.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Black Hawk Crash: What to know about Fort Campbell
