Following the official end of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history late Wednesday night, new funding is being allocated to Fort Campbell for facility upgrades.
U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell announced that he secured $147 million in federal funding for military construction projects across several Kentucky military facilities, with over 38 percent of that total specifically earmarked for projects at Fort Campbell.
A $45 million project will replace the Campbell Army Airfield’s 1975 air traffic control tower—one of the oldest in the U.S. Army. The new tower will enhance safety and operational efficiency, supporting the critical high-tempo operations of the 101st Airborne Division and 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment at Fort Campbell.
Campbell Army Airfield will also receive $11 million to plan and design a modernized hangar. The new structure is necessary to accommodate the significant increase in CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters, which currently face a hangar space shortage, thereby boosting the 101st Airborne Division’s readiness.
Shannon Lane, Director of the soon-to-be-named South West Kentucky Military Affairs Committee, told Your News Edge he’s glad that federal employees will soon be paid.
Lane said that the funding that Fort Campbell is receiving is among the items they advocated for at the federal level. He added that a new air traffic control tower will be beneficial for the entire region.
Lane shared that while the regional Military Affairs Committee continued to push for both projects, Senator McConnell deserves full credit for securing the funding.
The Kentucky National Guard is receiving $1.5 million for the planning and design phase of a new Readiness Center in Somerset. Further investments include $27 million directed to the Blue Grass Army Depot for the construction of a new military container production facility, and $62.5 million allocated to Fort Knox to support three separate projects. More details here.
