Fort Campbell showcases modern military life ahead of D-Day film

FORT CAMPBELL, Kentucky — As the morning got underway, a bus full of influencers and reporters rolled through the gates of one of America’s most storied military installations for a behind-the-scenes look at military life ahead of the 82nd anniversary of D-Day.

The USO immersion event at Fort Campbell, held in anticipation of the release of Focus Features’ upcoming World War II drama “Pressure,” was complete with military working dog demonstrations, a Chinook helicopter tour, boxing matches, lunch with service members and even rappel training.

It was a rare opportunity for guests to get a closer look at the culture and operational rhythm of the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, home of the famed “Screaming Eagles.”

The Focus Features film, “Pressure,” stars Andrew Scott, Brendan Fraser, Kerry Condon, Chris Messina and Damian Lewis and centers on the agonizing 72 hours leading up to D-Day on June 6, 1944, when Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower and meteorologist Captain James Stagg wrestled with whether to launch the largest amphibious invasion in military history.

And at Fort Campbell, which straddles the Kentucky-Tennessee state border, pride in the United States and service was front and center, woven into the culture and daily work of the soldiers stationed there.

“We are the 101st Airborne Division Air Assault, and we have a rendezvous with destiny,” Brig. Gen. Travis McIntosh said at a command briefing, referencing the division’s famed motto before outlining the modern realities of warfare: drone swarms, AI-assisted combat analysis and rapid-response deployments capable of moving thousands of soldiers overnight.

But earlier in the day, the immersion began with military working dogs. At the kennel facilities, attendees watched as handlers demonstrated obedience drills, agility exercises and controlled apprehension scenarios with their canines. The furry creatures launched over barriers, obeyed commands instantly and, within seconds, transformed from playful companions into disciplined tactical assets.

“We are the experts when it comes to dog training and handling,” Sgt. First Class Dustin Johnson told the group. “It’s the only [Military Occupational Specialty] in the military where the dog is our job. Everything revolves around the dog for us.”

Johnson explained that the Army currently has just over 600 dog handlers and that every military working dog receives a tattoo number in its left ear for accountability. The dogs are trained at Lackland Air Force Base and typically serve nine to 10 years before being adopted into civilian homes.

“The Army is unique,” Johnson said. “Our handlers stay dog handlers their entire careers.”

“This is one of the foundational tasks that we do with the dog every single day,” Johnson explained as a young handler nearby worked his dog through daily obedience exercises designed to reinforce trust and discipline. “It demonstrates both the relationship between the handler and the dog and the basic control of the dog.”

After briefly meeting the military canines, the group moved to Campbell Army Airfield, where a hulking CH-47 Chinook helicopter sat waiting on the tarmac beneath the morning heat.

Inside the aircraft, Sgt. First Class Nathan Duperry Jr. described the sheer logistical power of the twin-rotor helicopter, which can transport up to 30,000 pounds of cargo into combat zones, disaster areas and rescue operations.

“This is the real deal,” Duperry said, standing inside the aircraft’s cavernous cargo bay. “They move a lot of cargo, a lot of people, get people in and out of hazardous, dangerous areas. The amount of work it takes to maintain these aircraft and keep them actually in flight, it’s taxing. But the most rewarding part is definitely flying.”

A 14-year Army veteran who previously served in special operations, Duperry reflected on the things Americans often take for granted, primarily “accessibility,” adding, “Wi-Fi, cell phones, grocery stores, drive-through restaurants. You don’t realize it until you leave and then come back.”

Capt. Andrew Lightsey IV, an aviation officer commissioned in 2016, echoed that sentiment while reflecting on deployments to Afghanistan and disaster-relief missions closer to home.

“I think just being able to help your own community,” said Lightsey, who participated in relief efforts following Hurricane Helene. “When we get to go back and help people where we grew up, I think that’s the most rewarding part. … I have two little girls, so they keep me going. You just take it one day at a time.”

From there, the group moved to Lozada Physical Fitness Center to watch a live boxing tournament held as part of Fort Campbell’s annual “Week of the Eagles,” a celebration of division pride.

Soldiers packed into bleachers and around the boxing ring cheered loudly for fellow service members as fighters traded punches.

“There’s a lot of camaraderie between us,” one particularly effusive soldier told The Christian Post.

Later, at the USO center, guests shared Mission BBQ brisket and pulled pork with soldiers while swapping stories about deployments, families and life on base.

The lunch, sponsored by “Pressure,” created a bridge between Hollywood’s depiction of military sacrifice and the realities of service in 2026. And following a rappel demonstration at The Sabalauski Air Assault School, where some guests strapped into harnesses and descended the towering rappel structure themselves, Brig. Gen. McIntosh took it a step further, giving an extensive briefing on Fort Campbell’s evolving role in global operations.

The 101st Airborne Division, activated in 1942, famously parachuted into Normandy on D-Day and defended Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. In the decades since, the division has fought in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan while expanding into one of the military’s most sophisticated air assault forces.

This year also marks the 35th anniversary of Operation Desert Storm, during which the 101st conducted the largest helicopter air assault in military history.

“Those air assaults laid the doctrinal foundation for what we do today,” McIntosh said.

The general described how Fort Campbell’s aviation assets enabled rapid response during Hurricane Helene, deploying helicopters and soldiers into devastated regions of North Carolina within hours.

“Nowhere else could respond like that,” he said.

McIntosh also offered a glimpse into the Army’s future, emphasizing the accelerating role of artificial intelligence and drones in warfare.

“We’re going to have 10,000 drones here at Fort Campbell by the end of the year,” he said. “To not think about AI in warfighting is probably night one.”

Still, amid discussions of advanced combat technology and global threats, McIntosh repeatedly returned to the reality that soldiers are people first, with the same dreams and goals as civilians.

“We have families, spouses, children,” he said. “The same goals the rest of America has, we have those too.”

At one point, he reflected on moving 14 times during 24 years of marriage and raising two sons across multiple countries and states.

“If the Army ended tomorrow,” he said, “my number one goal doesn’t change: be a good dad, be a good husband.”

By late afternoon, the group toured the newly renovated Wings of Liberty Museum, tracing the lineage of the 101st from World War II through more recent conflicts. Exhibits chronicled the division’s role in Normandy, Vietnam, Desert Storm and the Global War on Terror, reinforcing the historical throughline connecting “Pressure” to today’s military culture.

At the closing USO reception, attendees sampled military MREs and participated in a “Letters Home” activity, writing messages reflecting on the experience.

Throughout the immersion, two key messages emerged repeatedly from service members across ranks and specialties: tremendous pride in their work and the reality that the military is a vibrant community of ordinary people carrying extraordinary responsibilities.

“You’ll feel it in the museum,” McIntosh said, reflecting on the service men and women’s legacy of sacrifice and service throughout the decades until today. “The soldier hasn’t changed.”

“Pressure” hits theaters May 29.