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McConnell lobbies Hegseth to allow high school football at Fort Campbell and Fort Knox

Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell sent an urgent letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth lobbying him to reconsider the cutoff of the extracurricular activities for schools at military bases, including Fort Campbell and Fort Knox.

High school football games involving Department of Defense Education Activity schools at Kentucky’s two military installations were canceled on Friday as a result of the shutdown of the federal government. McConnell noted that games might have to be forfeited.

McConnell urged Hegseth to reconsider the halt of those activities, as forfeiture would put the teams at a disadvantage compared to other public or private schools in their districts. He added that it could also hinder student-athletes wanting to compete at the college level, and also hurt other students in preparation for moving into the workforce, attending college, or into the military.

His letter to Hegseth praised the Secretary for his emphasis on fitness and quality of life in the service. McConnell said he did not want the children of servicemembers to suffer as a result of Washington’s inability to agree on funding, as many of those young people may choose to serve as well.  

Fort Campbell was scheduled to take on Trigg County, while Fort Knox had a game scheduled with McLean County. Under directives from the Department of Defense, athletics and other activities were not deemed expected activities. Some staff associated with those activities have been furloughed.

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AP file photo
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