FORT KNOX, Ky –
Fifteen service members from Fort Knox and Fort Campbell, Kentucky, joined forces in western Kentucky during the weekend prior to Christmas to assist with relief efforts following a series of tornados that ravaged Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee.
The military personnel traveled to Gilbertsville, Kentucky Dec. 19, 2021, to volunteer through the Fort Knox Sergeant Audie Murphy Club with the American Red Cross’s guidance. Stacy Taylor-Bernard, senior volunteer recruitment specialist for the Red Cross, said the club's efforts proved timely.
"With thousands of homes affected and damage spanning some 250 miles, this response is a team effort,” said Taylor-Bernard. “The American Red Cross is so grateful for partners like the Audie Murphy group, who assisted the Red Cross over the weekend in unloading, sorting, and loading supplies so our Red Cross volunteers could get out in the impacted communities as quickly as possible."
After receiving an urgent call from the Red Cross on Dec. 18, the Fort Knox SAMC coordinated nine volunteers from Fort Knox and six from Fort Campbell; all from five different units. Sergeant 1st Class Nicholas Razzano, a member of SAMC since July 2018 and a Soldier from U.S. Army Recruiting Command, said SAMC members are a natural fit for these types of missions.
"The Soldiers here are volunteers in many ways; they volunteered their time right before the holidays to help others in need, and volunteered to serve our nation in the U.S. Army,” said Razzano. “It's this form of selfless service and servant leadership that the SAMC looks for when we sponsor [noncommissioned officers] for induction into this prestigious club."