Fort Campbell, KY – The installation’s rapid response ensured Soldiers and Families received the care and support they needed after a wave of freezing temperatures December 23rd-27th, 2022, led to frozen pipes causing water damage in on-post homes, barracks and facilities.
More than 50 displaced Families were provided temporary housing at on-post and off-post facilities.
The Directorate of Public Works, Fort Campbell Fire and Emergency Services and Campbell Crossing, the installation’s privatized military housing partner, are working to address the damage in the meantime. The goal is for residents to safely return to their homes as soon as possible.
The Fort Campbell workforce gave up time with their families to respond to residents impacted by freezing temperatures and water damage in the midst of the Christmas holiday.
“Our priority is to ensure the safety and well-being of our Soldiers and their Families,” said Col. Andrew Q. Jordan, Fort Campbell garrison commander. “Our garrison staff was prepared and fully engaged to address the needs of our residents and personnel.”
Family housing and barracks buildings were the most widely affected, but DPW also assessed damages in motor pools, storage and maintenance facilities, administrative offices and the Fisher House.
“We’ve seen a significant amount of damage from busted pipes,” said Matt Brackett, DPW director. “The teams have worked diligently throughout the holiday weekend. We will continue to get into facilities this week to mitigate damage caused by the water.”
Jeremy Rains, DPW deputy director, said the directorate’s partnerships with local contractors were essential in mounting a quick response.
Rains said all immediate issues have been addressed, and workers are conducting drying operations and repairing fire suppression systems in more severely damaged buildings.
“We have a limited budget, so the faster we get into these facilities and get our recovery going, the less damage there is and the faster we can get people into them,” he said. “Our priority from the start has been to take care of housing and barracks. There may be other facilities that are primarily used for storage or maintenance that are still a priority to us because they have a mission impact, but we’ve had people who have been displaced.”
All the Soldiers living in water-damaged rooms were relocated within their unit’s footprint, and Campbell Crossing was able to provide temporary housing for displaced Families,” he said.
“At Campbell Crossing, our priority is to put our residents first in everything we do,” said Keith Scruggs, project director, Campbell Crossing. “In the initial onset of the storm and days following, to ensure the safety of residents, Campbell Crossing worked with local IHG Army Hotels and surrounding area hotels to temporarily relocate Families or Campbell Crossing hospitality suites, prioritizing homes with severe damage.”
Scruggs said more than 13% of the homes in Campbell Crossing’s portfolio sustained some level of damage because of the winter storm, and crews continue to schedule and prioritize repairs for those buildings.
“Our top priority remains bringing displaced residents back into their homes safely,” he said.
The barracks were also widely impacted by damage from burst pipes, and Soldiers from the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), were among the first to notice.
Approximately 45-50 rooms in barracks Building 7923 sustained water damage the evening of December 24th, and the 101st CAB’s Army Barracks Management Program, or ABMP, began a damage assessment on Christmas Day before sitting down with DPW representatives to outline their needs. Their goal is to have repairs completed before the Soldiers who live in the building return from a field training exercise in mid-February.
“DPW is making sure that the work they need done gets done,” said Tammy Francis, unaccompanied housing manager, Fort Campbell Army Barracks Management Program. “They’re doing demolition because water is in the walls, so they’re pumping it out.”
Contractors have also set up hundreds of fans to air out the building and save as much drywall from demolition as possible, while the Soldiers are working with DPW to move furniture from 23 affected rooms into a protective storage space.
“When Soldiers see Fort Campbell throwing resources at a building that had damages, they can see that things are getting better and the installation is doing things for them,” said Sgt. Ryan Brandman, ABMP noncommissioned officer in charge, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 101st CAB. “Everyone driving through ice storms to get the ball rolling speaks volumes.”
Because of the unpredictable nature of winter weather, residents are encouraged to stay informed of preventative measures they can take, especially when leaving home for extended periods. These measures include, setting your home’s internal thermostat to 68 degrees, closing external windows and doors, setting a faucet to drip, and leaving cabinet doors open. Visit https://home.army.mil/campbell/index.php/severe-weather-faq for more severe weather information.
How to place a Work Order
As Soldiers, Families and civilian employees return from holiday leave, the installation is expecting additional reports of water damage caused by a wave of freezing temperatures in December.
Community members are encouraged to report any issues so they can be addressed as quickly as possible, and there are several ways they can do so.
- To report a barracks or facility issue: Call 270.798.1200 or use the Army Maintenance Application, or ArMA. ArMA is available through the Digital Garrison App, which can be installed from the App Store or Google Play.
- To report an on-post housing issue: Call Campbell Crossing’s maintenance department at 931.431.3996, submit a work order through the RentCafe resident app or visit the resident portal at www.campbellcrossingllc.com
- For additional assistance: Call the Fort Campbell Housing Services Office at 270.798.3808.
