Sen. Blackburn Demands Answers as Fort Campbell Crash Exposes Military Crisis

Paul Riverbank, 6/13/2025Fatal helicopter crash at Fort Campbell raises concerns about military aviation safety during training.

I've covered Fort Campbell for years, and the sight of emergency vehicles racing across the Kentucky-Tennessee border around 7 p.m. brought back haunting memories of last year's devastating Black Hawk collision. This time, though, the scale was smaller – but no less tragic for the families involved.

The base, home to the legendary "Screaming Eagles" of the 101st Airborne, has seen its share of triumph and tragedy. Yesterday added another dark chapter. Military brass are keeping details close to the vest – standard procedure until families can be notified. The survivor, thank God, is stable at Blanchfield Army Community Hospital.

Tennessee's Senator Marsha Blackburn didn't mince words when she hit social media: "devastated" was how she described her reaction. Can't blame her. This hits especially hard coming on the heels of January's nightmare scenario near Reagan National, where we lost three servicemembers and 64 civilians when a military chopper collided with an American Airlines jet.

What's particularly gut-wrenching about these incidents is how they happen during training – the very exercises meant to prevent casualties in actual combat. Senator Craig Richardson from Hopkinsville put it perfectly: these men and women are mourned by the entire nation, not just Kentucky.

The base's investigation is ongoing, but here's what keeps nagging at me: How do we balance the absolute necessity of realistic training against the inherent risks? I've watched these crews train countless times, and their professionalism never fails to impress. But when things go wrong at 500 feet up, the margin for error is zero.

Fort Campbell will keep training – it has to. But each incident leaves scars on this tight-knit military community. Tonight, somewhere on base, a family is dealing with the ultimate sacrifice, while another counts their blessings. That's the reality of military service, even in peacetime, and it's something we civilians would do well to remember.

The somber mood at Fort Campbell deepened yesterday evening as word spread of another aviation tragedy at the storied military installation. A training exercise gone wrong claimed one soldier's life and left another fighting for survival in what's becoming an alarming pattern of military helicopter incidents.I've covered Fort Campbell for years, and the sight of emergency vehicles racing across the Kentucky-Tennessee border around 7 p.m. brought back haunting memories of last year's devastating Black Hawk collision. This time, though, the scale was smaller – but no less tragic for the families involved.The base, home to the legendary "Screaming Eagles" of the 101st Airborne, has seen its share of triumph and tragedy. Yesterday added another dark chapter. Military brass are keeping details close to the vest – standard procedure until families can be notified. The survivor, thank God, is stable at Blanchfield Army Community Hospital.Tennessee's Senator Marsha Blackburn didn't mince words when she hit social media: "devastated" was how she described her reaction. Can't blame her. This hits especially hard coming on the heels of January's nightmare scenario near Reagan National, where we lost three servicemembers and 64 civilians when a military chopper collided with an American Airlines jet.What's particularly gut-wrenching about these incidents is how they happen during training – the very exercises meant to prevent casualties in actual combat. Senator Craig Richardson from Hopkinsville put it perfectly: these men and women are mourned by the entire nation, not just Kentucky.The base's investigation is ongoing, but here's what keeps nagging at me: How do we balance the absolute necessity of realistic training against the inherent risks? I've watched these crews train countless times, and their professionalism never fails to impress. But when things go wrong at 500 feet up, the margin for error is zero.Fort Campbell will keep training – it has to. But each incident leaves scars on this tight-knit military community. Tonight, somewhere on base, a family is dealing with the ultimate sacrifice, while another counts their blessings. That's the reality of military service, even in peacetime, and it's something we civilians would do well to remember.