Blanchfield Army Community Hospital, Northeast Middle School recognized for Education Partnership

Clarksville, TN – Blanchfield Army Community Hospital (BACH) received the 2022 Partners in Education Boots on the Ground Award from the Clarksville-Montgomery County Education Foundation and the Clarksville, Tennessee Chamber of Commerce during a ceremony, on August 30th, 2022 at Liberty Park.

The foundation presents the annual Boots on the Ground award to the top military unit or veteran group participating in the program, which matches local businesses and organizations with schools in the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System (CMCSS).

Volunteer groups partner with a school to enhance the learning environment through their expertise, time, financial or material resources.

“The impact that it has in the classroom is very beneficial to students because it gives them an experience that they wouldn’t get any other way,” said Principal Evan Stinson, from BACH’s education partner, Northeast Middle School.
 
There are more than 40 formal partnerships between local schools and units on Fort Campbell, according to the installation’s School Liaison Officer, which keeps a record of unit partnerships.
 
“These partnerships are important because it bridges the relationship between the civilian and military communities. Fort Campbell units are partnered with schools across post and the surrounding communities on both the Tennessee and Kentucky sides of the post.” said BACH’s former Partner in Education coordinator, Sgt. 1st Class Jamie Hendzel, who recently transferred to a line unit with 101st Airborne Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team.
 
Hendzel was able to attend the breakfast and join BACH’s new PIE coordinator, Staff Sgt. Sierra Brown, and NEMS Principal in accepting the award.

“Currently, Fort Campbell has units training outside the local area for months at a time and when Soldier-volunteers come into the school, I’d like to think it’s like having a piece of their parent and is a welcome sight. Giving back and doing what we can in the schools is just a small gesture that Fort Campbell units can do that really has a big impact,” Hendzel added.

The hospital’s partnership with Northeast dates back at least eight years. BACH has supported students in both academic and extracurricular activities. This year the team has already volunteered at back-to-school night and resumed one-to-one tutoring sessions in the library. As the new coordinator, Brown praised Hendzel for building the hospital’s PIE program and getting staff involved.

“This award is based on all the hard work [Sgt. 1st Class] Hendzel and our BACH participants did last year and we’re are excited to follow in those footsteps and keep this tradition going,” said Brown. “We want to continue to show we are a part of the Northeast team.”