Photo By Sgt. Andrea Notter | Col. Vincent Myers, commander of Blanchfield Army Community Hospital (BACH), speaks at...... read more read more
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FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. – Soldiers in-processing to Fort Campbell now have a new building to check in when first arriving on post.
The 1LT J. Robert Kalsu Replacement Company cut the ribbon on its new location Jan. 27 during a ceremony held in front of the reception center at 2443 Kentucky Ave., on the corner of 20th St.
The company moved Jan. 6 from its previous home and now shares the footprint with the Soldier Recovery Unit (SRU).
“Today marks a new beginning for Soldier reception and integration in this storied division,” said Col. Jared Bordwell, chief of staff for the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). “The Kalsu Replacement Company will be the beacon that embodies our philosophy and vision as we send our most treasured asset into our formations.”
Cutting the ribbon at the ceremony were Col. Vincent Myers, commander of Blanchfield Army Community Hospital (BACH), Col. Jared Bordwell, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) chief of staff, Col. Andrew Jordan, Fort Campbell garrison commander and Capt. Andrew Bordelon, commander of 1LT J. Robert Kalsu Replacement Company.
Known also as the 20th Replacement Company, Kalsu in-processes 7,000 – 10,000 Soldiers annually and was attached to the 101st in 1989. It deployed in 2002 and operated at an airport in Mosul, Iraq, until its redeployment, integrating over 11,000 Soldiers during its time there. It was memorialized as the 1LT J. Robert Kalsu Replacement Company on Aug. 9, 2002, and stayed at its location on Desert Storm Ave. until its relocation.
1st Lt. James Robert Kalsu was a professional football player for the University of Oklahoma and later the Buffalo Bills. Following the 1968 season, he began fulfilling his Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) obligation and left for A Shau Valley, Vietnam, in Nov. 1969 as part of Battery C, 2nd Battalion, 11th Artillery, 101st Airborne Division. Kalsu was killed in action July 1, 1970, during a 23-day siege from the North Vietnamese Army while helping rebuild Fire Support Base Ripcord, and was the only active professional football player who lost his life in the Vietnam War. He is survived by his wife Jan, daughter Jill and son Rob. Jr.
“Lt. Kalsu’s legacy remains a perfect example for our new Soldiers, inspiring selfless service in their first steps on Fort Campbell and wherever their Rendezvous with Destiny leads them,” said Bordelon.
Bordelon expressed his gratitude as well to the SRU Battalion and Headquarters Detachment leadership for welcoming the Kalsu team as they moved into the shared footprint.
“Our teams’ purposes converge as we prepare Soldiers to take their next steps into whatever challenges lie ahead of them,” he said. “Our company looks forward to continuing to build upon the foundation of this new relationship.”
Col. Vincent Myers, looks forward to how the new facility will support both incoming Soldiers and those assigned to SRU.
“We will continue to work together to provide an excellent welcoming to all incoming Soldiers while offering well-maintained barracks and headquarters space for all Soldiers coming to Fort Campbell,” said Myers. “This complex is a great first impression to incoming and SRU-assigned Soldiers, which is only deserving for the sacrifices and service they make to support our nation.”
| Date Taken: | 01.27.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 01.30.2023 12:21 |
| Story ID: | 437452 |
| Location: | FORT CAMPBELL, KENTUCKY, US |
| Web Views: | 650 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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