Latest news with #TravisMcIntosh
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Medal of Honor wall unveiled at Governor's Square Mall
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Governor's Square Mall in Clarksville unveiled a Medal of Honor memorial wall in observance of National Medal of Honor Day. The Medal of Honor is the highest award of valor that can be earned by a member of the U.S. military. Recipients are commonly called the bravest of the brave. Every person on the memorial wall has, at some point, called Clarksville home. READ MORE | Latest headlines from Clarksville and Montgomery County The keynote speaker at Tuesday morning's unveiling was Colonel (P) Travis McIntosh, who spoke about the significance of the award. McIntosh also mentioned how many military families live in Clarksville, honoring their commitment to sacrifice for our country. When you walk in and look at the Medal of Honor wall, you'll see the photos and biographies of 46 members of the 101st Airborne Division and the 5th Special Forces Group. McIntosh said often, recipients risk or sacrifice their lives. ⏩ 'It is an eternal dedication to their sacrifice and their courage. The bravest of the brave are represented by the Medal of Honor,' McIntosh said. 'What we're reminded here today with the citizens of Clarksville and Montgomery County and their tribute is that America is worth it.' You can see the brand new Medal of Honor wall for yourself — it's located at the mall's entrance closest to Old Navy. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
101st Airborne tests new battalions designed for large-scale battles
During a recent home station training exercise, the 101st Airborne Division put three of its newly created division-focused battalions to the test in a large-scale air assault. In the months leading up to the Army's Operation Lethal Eagle, the division formed the 302nd Division Intelligence Battalion, 21st Division Signal Battalion and 326th Division Engineer Battalion to help push mass into the fight as the Army prepares for a division-level fight. The Army's new chief has a plan and it's all about warfighting The units, still considered in their initial operational capability phase, were used extensively throughout the exercise at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, Col. Travis McIntosh, the division deputy commander, told Army Times. The three battalions worked their respective assets — intelligence, signals and engineers — as assets for the larger division during this year's exercise, which featured large-scale movements and maneuvers with force-on-force fighting drills down to the squad level and company live-fire ranges, McIntosh said. 'That 21-day division-level exercise gave us the opportunity to take a little more than 7,000 of our soldiers into the field,' McIntosh said. This year's Operation Lethal Eagle, held from Feb. 19 to March 10, included 82nd Airborne Division soldiers and assets from joint forces such as the Marine Corps and Air Force. The exercise saw 1,100 soldiers attack by three separate air assaults using 34 helicopters, McIntosh said. The 'Geronimo,' or opposition force that the soldiers faced, used their own drones and technology to mimic what observers are seeing in the Russia-Ukraine war, McIntosh said. That turned part of the exercise into a hide-and-seek mission for each side's command post — the first spotted was usually the first targeted and likely destroyed. But the work wasn't limited to standard training, according to McIntosh. Troops integrated 65 new pieces of technology, a move inspired by the service's larger Transformation in Contact effort to modernize and ready its troops while keeping units in the deployment cycle. Transformation in Contact, or TIC, efforts previously focused on three separate brigades, one each with the 101st, 10th Mountain Division and 25th Infantry Division, respectively. But the Army has pushed the experimentation up the chain to the division level, in what Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Randy George has called 'TIC 2.0.' Soldiers participating in this year's Operation Lethal Eagle got a taste of what their 10th Mountain counterparts experienced during a recent rotation of their TIC brigade and associated units to Germany: freezing weather. And then some. Over the three-week exercise, McIntosh said soldiers endured weather ranging from minus-6 degrees and five inches of snow to 60 degrees with flooding and 40- to 50-knot winds. To haul the gear they needed alongside the 1,100 air assault troops and their accompanying units, the 101st called on the Air Force's 61st Airlift Squadron out of Little Rock, Arkansas, McIntosh said. That's because, much like a real-world event, the 101st will rely on joint and partner forces and is likely going to need to resupply and reinforce by air only, the colonel said. Beyond the big platforms, the division started 3D printing and experimenting with new drones ahead of the event, ultimately building and flying 105 unit-made drones during the exercise. Those flights, however, weren't without their hiccups. The colonel estimated that eight to 12 of the drones crashed at some point but were operational and back in the fight within 24 hours, after some quick maintenance. Soldiers are using lessons learned from the drone printing and employment to build a better, 2.0 version of their 'Eagle' drone for the next exercise, McIntosh said. That work will focus on the division's 1st Brigade, which is set for a Joint Readiness Training Center rotation at Fort Johnson, Louisiana, in May, according to McIntosh.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Fort Campbell leaders working together to reduce motorcycle crashes
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (WKRN) — Fort Campbell leaders met at a Motorcycle Risk Reduction Workshop Thursday to address growing concerns around motorcycle safety in the community. Local officials, law enforcement and safety advocates met to address the issue, with breakout groups focusing on: Analyzing data, hearing firsthand accounts and discussing real-world scenarios to collectively understand the risk with motorcycle crashes and fully understand the factors contributing to crashes Collaborative efforts between military officials, area law enforcement agencies and safety organizations to fully understand strategies for crash prevention Developing long-term solutions for generating action items and implementing proactive measures to reduce motorcycle crash-related injuries and deaths FEBRUARY 2024: Tennessee Highway Patrol talks plan to lower motorcycle fatalities Reports from the Clarksville Police Department, the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office and the 101st Airborne Division Safety Office indicated upward trends in crashes since 2023, according o a press release from the 101st Airborne Division. Fort Campbell safety leaders reported a 35% increase in motorcycle 'mishaps' since 2023, the release added. However, as of Thursday's meeting, there had been no reported motorcycle-related deaths in 101 days. 'Reaching 101 fatality-free days is a significant achievement, reflecting the commitment andvigilance of our team and service members. While we acknowledge this milestone as a positivestep, it does not signal a time to ease our efforts,' deputy safety director to the 101st Airborne Division, Rayna Green, said. 'Our focus remains on continuous improvement, and we are always analyzing trends and identifying new strategies to mitigate risks. Our goal is to see 202, 303, and beyond — every day without a fatality is a victory, but we must remain proactive.' Colonel Travis McIntosh, deputy commanding officer-support for the 101st Airborne Division, said unification among area leaders would send a clear message that these upward trends are unacceptable. RELATED: Why are deadly motorcycle crashes climbing in Tennessee? 'We all know that motorcycles provide freedom, excitement, and, for many, an essential meansof transportation,' McIntosh said. 'But we also know that they come with inherent risks thatwe can mitigate through smart policy, improved training, and stronger community awareness.' Clarksville mayor Joe Pitts said he was 'keenly interested' in working with Fort Campbell leadership to bring down motorcycle crashes and related deaths. 'I do know it is not a passive approach that will win the day but more of a deliberate, personal approach about motorcycle safety that will make the difference,' Pitts added. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
