The Campbell Strong Defense Alliance is working to improve community involvement with Fort Campbell and its soldiers, while also advocating on the installation’s behalf at all levels of government.
President and CEO Kelli Pendleton spoke with Christian Fiscal Court recently and says the Alliance is focused on working with those who share a unified vision to support Fort Campbell while strengthening regional economy and serving the military population in Kentucky and Tennessee. She says they have seen some success in their endeavors, especially their work with Future Vertical Lift.
That program focuses on making sure Fort Campbell receives the aviation support they need, and with the recent approval of $2.5 million to plan and design a new Air Traffic Control Tower.
The National Defense Authorization Bill also earmarked $38 million for a multipurpose training range at Fort Campbell, and Pendleton says they’ll soon be awarding contracts to make sure all barracks are properly updated.
A point of priority for the Alliance heading into the future will be retention of service members who leave the military, keeping them in the community, and that will involve talks about taxes and housing.
The Defense Bill also includes a 5.2 percent pay raise for service members, the highest pay raise in 22 years.