Fort Campbell, Kentucky–Tennessee, is closely identified with the 101st Airborne Division, but its history began as a World War II mobilization and training installation. Its later role brought airborne, air assault, and special operations organizations to the same post without combining their separate lineages.
A World War II Training Camp
Construction began in February 1942, and Camp Campbell opened in July 1942. The installation supported the Army's wartime expansion, including armored training. The 12th Armored Division was activated there in September 1942.
Camp Campbell's early story is therefore not exclusively airborne. Tank crews, infantrymen, artillerymen, and other personnel trained there before the post acquired its enduring association with the Screaming Eagles.
From the 11th Airborne to the 101st
The 11th Airborne Division was stationed at Campbell from 1949 to 1956. The installation became a permanent post in 1950. The 101st Airborne Division arrived in 1956, establishing the home-station relationship that continues today.
The 101st's development from parachute infantry to helicopter-borne operations shaped Fort Campbell's identity. The division adopted the Airmobile designation in 1968 and the Air Assault designation in 1974. Those are distinct organizational milestones, not interchangeable names for its entire history.
Air Assault and Special Operations
The installation supports the 101st's air assault mission and training at The Sabalauski Air Assault School. It also hosts organizations with separate command relationships, including 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) and the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne).
For Soldiers and families, Fort Campbell has been both a training base and a home between deployments. AAC's collection recognizes the post's different eras and the distinct units that have served there.
Historical Sources
- World War II history. U.S. Army Garrison Fort Campbell. The 1942 camp and its armored-training beginnings.
- Fort Campbell unit histories. U.S. Army Garrison Fort Campbell. The 11th and 101st Airborne chapters, permanent-post status, and air assault transition.
- 101st Airborne Division. U.S. Army, Fort Campbell. The division at Fort Campbell and its present air assault identity.
- Pathfinder Course. The Sabalauski Air Assault School. A documented example of the installation's specialist air-movement training.
Airborne Apparel Company is proud to offer reproductions and original designs celebrating Fort Campbell and the units that have called it home.