Kentucky's Workhorse Battalion Puts Skill to Work for Special Needs Kids in Mississippi

The Kentucky Army National Guard’s 201st Engineer Battalion was charmed by a little girl, nourished by a chef and inspired by the dream that brought them and thousands of other Army, Air Force and Marine guard and reserve to Mississippi to build Camp Kamassa, a 326-acre summer camp for kids and others with special needs.

More than 300 soldiers from Kentucky’s “Workhorse Battalion” spent two weeks at the massive construction site just outside Crystal Springs, Mississippi, building cabins and moving dirt, while gaining valuable experience constructing a complex facility in a remote area.

It’s all part of the pentagon’s innovative readiness training, known as IRT.