XVIII Airborne Corps
II Armored Corps XVIII Corps XVIII Airborne Corps | ||
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Active | 1942–1945 1951–present | |
Country | United States | |
Branch | United States Army | |
Type | Corps | |
Part of | U.S. Army Forces Command | |
Garrison/HQ | Fort Liberty, North Carolina, U.S. | |
Motto(s) | Sky Dragons | |
Color of Beret | Maroon | |
Engagements | World War II
Persian Gulf War
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Website | home | |
Commanders | ||
Current commander | Combat service identification badge | |
Distinctive unit insignia | ||
Flag | ||
Beret flash | ||
Background trimming |
U.S. Corps (1939–present) | ||||
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The XVIII Airborne Corps is a
Leadership
Its command group includes:
- Commanding General: Lieutenant General Christopher T. Donahue[3]
- Deputy Commanding General: Brigadier General Colin P. Tuley
- Deputy Commanding General (Operations): Brigadier General Robert Pierre "Pete" Huet, Canadian Army[3]
- Chief of Staff: ColonelAdam Cobb
- Command Sergeant Major: Command Sergeant Major Bryan D. Barker
History
World War II
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II Armored Corps
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XVIII Corps
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XVIII Airborne Corps
The corps was first activated on 17 January 1942, five weeks after the entry of the
XVIII Corps deployed to Europe on 17 August 1944 and became the XVIII Airborne Corps on 25 August 1944 at
Major General Matthew Bunker Ridgway, a highly experienced airborne commander who had led the 82nd Airborne Division in Sicily, Italy and Normandy, was chosen to command the corps, which then consisted of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions and was part of the newly created First Allied Airborne Army.
The corps headquarters did not see service in Operation Market Garden, with the British I Airborne Corps being chosen instead to exercise operational command of all Allied airborne forces in the operation, including the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions.
Following the Battle of the Bulge, in which the corps played a significant part (and which, during the early stages of the battle, the corps was commanded by Major General James M. Gavin of the 82nd Airborne), all American airborne units on the Western Front fell under command of the corps. XVIII Airborne Corps planned and executed Operation Varsity, the airborne component of Operation Plunder, the crossing of the River Rhine into Germany. It was one of the largest airborne operations of the war, with the British 6th and U.S. 17th Airborne Divisions under command.[6]
After taking part in the Western Allied invasion of Germany, the XVIII Airborne Corps, still under Ridgway, returned to the United States in June 1945 and was initially to take part in the invasion of Japan, codenamed Operation Downfall. However, the Japanese surrendered just weeks later and XVIII Airborne Corps was inactivated on 15 October 1945 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.[6]
World War II units
- 1st Infantry Division — 26 January 1945 – 12 February 1945.
- 4th Infantry Division
- 8th Infantry Division — 26 January 1945 – 10 July 1945.
- 17th Airborne Division — 12 August 1944 – 1 January 1945; 15 February 1945 – 24 March 1945.
- 29th Infantry Division
- 30th Infantry Division — 21 December 1944 – 3 February 1945.
- 34th Infantry Division
- 75th Infantry Division— 29 December 1944 – 2 January 1945; 7 January 1945.
- 78th Infantry Division — 3 February 1945 – 12 February 1945.
- 82nd Airborne Division — 12 August 1944 – 17 September 1944; 19 December 1944 – 14 February 1945; 30 April 1945 – 3 January 1946.
- 84th Infantry Division — 20 December 1944 – 21 December 1944.
- 86th Infantry Division — 5 April 1945 – 22 April 1945.
- 89th Infantry Division
- 97th Infantry Division — 10 April 1945 – 22 April 1945.
- 101st Airborne Division — 12 August 1944 – 21 September 1944; 28 February 1945 – 1 April 1945.
- 106th Infantry Division — 20 December 1944 – 6 February 1945.
- 3rd Armored Division — 19 December 1944 – 23 December 1944.
- 5th Armored Division — 4 May 1945 – 10 October 1945.
- 7th Armored Division — 20 December 1944 – 29 January 1945; 30 April 1945 – 9 October 1945.
- 13th Armored Division — 10 April 1945 – 22 April 1945.
Cold War
The Corps was reactivated at Fort Bragg on 21 May 1951 under the command of
In 1958 the XVIII Airborne Corps was given the additional mission of becoming the
The Corps deployed forces to the
The Corps deployed forces to the Vietnam War, including the entire 101st Airborne Division and the 3rd Brigade of the 82nd Airborne division.
In 1967 elements of the Corps were deployed to Detroit to suppress riots, and also to The Congo to support the government there and to rescue civilian hostages as part of Operation Dragon Rouge.
In 1982 the Corps first rotated elements to the Sinai Peninsula as part of the Multinational Force and Observers (UN) to guarantee the Camp David Peace Accords. [9]
In 1983 elements of the Corps were deployed to the island of Grenada as part of Operation Urgent Fury, with the stated goal of reestablishing the democratically elected government.
In 1989 XVIII Airborne Corps, commanded by then LTG
Structure in 1989
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At the end of the Cold War in 1989 the corps consisted of the following formations and units:
- XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, North Carolina[10]
- Headquarters & Headquarters Company
- 18th Personnel Group
- 18th Finance Group[11]
- 1st Battalion, 2nd Air Defense Artillery, Fort Stewart[12]
- 10th Mountain Division (Light), Fort Drum, New York[10]
- 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized), Fort Stewart, Georgia[10]
- Fort Bragg, North Carolina[10]
- 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky[10]
- XVIII Airborne Corps Artillery, Fort Bragg
- Fort Bragg
- Headquarters & Headquarters Company
- 1st Battalion, 58th Aviation (Air Traffic Control)[20]
- 1st Battalion, 159th Aviation (General Support)
- 2nd Battalion, 159th Aviation (Medium Lift)[21][22]
- 3rd Battalion, 159th Aviation (Attack)[23]
- 2nd Battalion, 101st Aviation)[24]
- Fort Bragg
- 503rd Military Police Battalion (Airborne)[32]
-
- 25th Signal Battalion (Corps Area)[34][33][35]
- 50th Signal Battalion (Corps Command Operations) (Airborne)[34][33][36]
- 327th Signal Battalion (Corps Radio)[34][33][37]
- 426th Signal Battalion (Corps Area)[34][33]
- Fort Bragg
- 224th Military Intelligence Battalion (Aerial Exploitation), Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia[38][39]
- 319th Military Intelligence Battalion (Operations)[40]
- 519th Military Intelligence Battalion (Tactical Exploitation) (Airborne)[41]
- Fort Bragg[10]
- subordination formations and units
Desert Storm
In 1991, XVIII Airborne Corps participated in the
During Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, XVIII Airborne Corps Artillery consisted of the 3d Battalion, 8th Field Artillery; 5th Battalion, 8th Field Artillery; and the 1st Battalion (Airborne), 39th Field Artillery. The living quarters for these three units were situated between the
The 5th Battalion, 8th Field Artillery also served in a major support role for 82d and French troops during the Gulf War. It consisted of three individual batteries. Batteries A and B were Airborne-qualified, while Battery C was air assault. Batteries A and B were assigned to Fort Bragg, North Carolina and Battery C was assigned to Fort Campbell, Kentucky. All of the battalions were subsequently re-flagged during the years following the Gulf War.
Task Force 118 had flown the
Major formations, 1950–2006
The 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions have served with the corps since the 1950s. The 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized) was 'reflagged' as the 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized) in April 1996.[43]
- 7th Infantry Division (Light)
- 10th Mountain Division(Light Infantry)
- XVIII Airborne Corps Artillery
- 18th Field Artillery Brigade
- 1st Sustainment Command (Theater)
- 35th Signal Brigade
- 18th Aviation Brigade(no longer active)
- 20th Engineer Brigade
- 525th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade
- 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade
- 16th Military Police Brigade
- 44th Medical Command
- 163rd Ordnance
- additional smaller, National Guard, and Reserve units
21st century
The Corps headquarters was deployed to Afghanistan from May 2002 – 2003, and became Combined Joint Task Force 180 for the deployment.
XVIII Airborne Corps was deployed from January 2005 to January 2006 to Baghdad, Iraq, where it served as the Multi-National Corps – Iraq. Following its return, XVIII Airborne Corps and its subordinate units began the process of modernization and reorganization.
Under the previous Army Chief of Staff's future restructure of the Army, the corps headquarters of the XVIII Airborne Corps will lose its airborne (specifically parachute) certification as a cost-cutting measure—the same will occur to the divisional headquarters of the 82nd Airborne Division. This plan is designed to follow the U.S. Army's restructuring plan to go from being division-based to brigade-based. This will mean that the largest units that will be airborne – specifically parachute certified – will be at the brigade level. Even so, for traditional and historical reasons, the formation will continue to be called the XVIII Airborne Corps.
The divisions that fall under the XVIII Airborne Corps (as well as the other two corps in the Army) are in a period of transition, shifting from corps control to fall directly under
In August 2006, XVIII Airborne Corps traveled to South Korea to participate in Ulchi Focus Lens, a joint training exercise between the Republic of Korea Army and coalition forces stationed there.[44]
In mid-April, 2007, the Department of the Army confirmed the next OIF deployment schedule, with XVIII Airborne Corps deploying to relieve III Corps as the MNC-I at Camp Victory, Baghdad, Iraq. XVIII Airborne Corps is scheduled to replace III Corps in November, 2007. The corps will deploy along with 1st Armored Division and 4th Infantry Division, as well as 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, and 1st BCT, 82nd Airborne Division.[45]
On 21 December 2016, Stars and Stripes reported that in August the XVIII Airborne Corps deployed to Iraq for
A Canadian Army General has served with the XVIII Corps since 2007.[47]
XVIII Airborne Corps returned to Fort Liberty in October 2022 after a nine month deployment to Germany, in support of NATO and European Allies and partners.
Current structure
- 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart
- 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum
- 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Liberty
- 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell
- 3rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), Fort Liberty
- 7th Transportation Brigade, Fort Eustis
- 16th Military Police Brigade, Fort Liberty
- 18th Field Artillery Brigade, Fort Liberty
- 20th Engineer Brigade, Fort Liberty
- 35th Signal Brigade, Fort Liberty
- 44th Medical Brigade, Fort Liberty
- 525th Expeditionary Military Intelligence Brigade, Fort Liberty
Other supporting units:
- 52nd Ordnance Group (EOD), Fort Campbell and Fort Liberty, part of 20th CBRNE Command
- 32nd Army Air & Missile Defense Command
- 18th Air Support Operations Group, Pope Field (United States Air Force unit responsible for coordinating corps tactical air support)
Operations
The corps has participated in a number of operations since then:
- Operation Power Pack – Dominican Republic, 1965
- Operation Urgent Fury – Grenada, 1983
- Operation Golden Pheasant – Honduras, 1988
- Operation Nimrod Dancer – Panama, 1989
- U.S. Virgin Islands, 1989
- Operation Just Cause – Panama, 1989
- Operation Desert Shield – Saudi Arabia, 1990–1991
- , 1991
- Operation GTMO – Cuba, 1991
- Operation Hurricane Andrew – Florida, 1992
- Operation Restore Hope – Somalia, 1992
- Operation Uphold/Maintain Democracy – Haiti, 1994
- Operation Vigilant Warrior – Kuwait, 1994
- Bosnia, 1998
- Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan, 2002, 2014
- Operation Iraqi Freedom– Iraq, 2005
- Operation Iraqi Freedom– Iraq, 2008
- Operation Unified Response – Haiti, 2010
- Operation New Dawn – Iraq, 2011
- Operation Inherent Resolve – Iraq and Syria, 2015–2016
Commanders
Individuals who have commanded XVIII Airborne Corps include:[51][52][53][54][55]
- LTG Matthew B. Ridgway, 1944 – 1945
- Division inactive, 1945 – 1952
- LTG John W. Leonard, 1952
- MG Thomas F. Hickey, 1952 – 1953
- MG Joseph P. Cleland, 1953 – 1955
- MG Ridgely Gaither, 1955
- LTG Paul D. Adams, 1955 – 1957
- LTG Robert F. Sink, 1957 – 1960
- MG Dwight E. Beach (acting), 1960
- LTG Thomas J. H. Trapnell, 1960 – 1961
- LTG Hamilton H. Howze, 1961 – 1962
- LTG William C. Westmoreland, 1963 – 1964
- MG Harry H. Critz (acting), 1964
- LTG John W. Bowen, 1964 – 1965
- BG John A. Seitz (acting), 1965
- BG Roderick Wetherill (acting), 1965
- MG Joe S. Lawrie (acting), 1965
- LTG Bruce Palmer Jr., 1965 – 1967
- MG Joe S. Lawrie (acting), 1967
- LTG John L. Throckmorton, 1967
- LTG Robert H. York, 1967 – 1968
- LTG John J. Tolson, 1968 – 1971
- LTG John H. Hay, 1971 – 1973
- LTG Richard J. Seitz, 1973 – 1975
- LTG Henry E. Emerson, 1975 – 1977
- LTG Volney F. Warner, 1977 – 1979
- LTG Thomas H. Tackaberry, 1979 – 1981
- LTG Jack V. Mackmull, 1981 – 1984
- LTG James J. Lindsay, 1984 – 1986
- LTG John W. Foss, 1986 – 1988
- LTG Carl W. Stiner, 1988 – 1990
- LTG Gary E. Luck, 1990
- MG William A. Roosma (acting), 1990
- LTG Gary E. Luck, 1990 – 1993
- LTG Henry H. Shelton, 1993 – 1996
- LTG John M. Keane, 1996 – 1998
- LTG William F. Kernan, 1998 – 2000
- LTG Dan K. McNeill, 2000 – 2003
- LTG John R. Vines, 2003 – 2006
- LTG Lloyd Austin III, 2006 – 2009
- LTG Frank Helmick, 2009 – 2012
- LTG Daniel B. Allyn, 2012 – 2013
- LTG Joseph Anderson, 2013 – 2015
- LTG Stephen J. Townsend, 2015 – 2018
- LTG Paul LaCamera, 2018 – 2019
- LTG Michael Kurilla, 2019 – 2022
- LTG Chris Donahue, 2022 – present
Notable members
- Judge Advocate Generalof the U.S. Army.
- Chief of Staff.
- Michael C. Flowers, BG – Commander, Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command.
- ISAFCommander.
- Charles D. Gemar, LTC – US Astronaut.
- Teresa King, SGM – First female Commandant of the U.S. Army Drill Sergeant Academy.
- ISAFCommander.
- Raymond T. Odierno, GEN – 38th Army Chief of Staff.
- Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
- ISAF Commander and Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
- FORSCOM.
- Arthur D. Simons, COL – Led the Son Tay raid during the Vietnam War.
- Michael Tomczyk, CPT – Computer entrepreneur and joint developer of the VIC-20.
- Thomas R. Turner II, LTG – Commanding General of United States Army North.
- James C. Yarbrough, BG – Commander, Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk.
- Wayne Eyre, GEN – Commander of the Canadian Army and Chief of Defence Staff.[56]
References
- ^ "Lieutenant General Christopher T. Donahue (USA)". General Officer Management Office. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
- ^ "XVIII Airborne Corps :: Fort Bragg". Home.army.mil. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- ^ a b "Leadership". Retrieved 8 October 2019.
- ^ "History of the XVIII Airborne Corps | Sky Dragons". www.militaryvetshop.com. Archived from the original on 12 March 2011. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
- ^ "VII Corps in WWII". www.vii-corps.org. Archived from the original on 27 August 2008. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
- ^ a b "The XVIII Airborne Corps During WW II - Overview".
- ^ "XVIII Airborne Corps".
- ^ Olinger, Mark A. (May–June 2005). "Airlift Operations During the Lebanon Crisis". Army Logistician. 37 (3): 30. Archived from the original on 3 March 2012.
- ^ "Fort Bragg". Archived from the original on 16 March 2016. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Army - The Magazine of Landpower - October 1989 (1989). "Command and Staff". Association of the US Army. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "18th Financial Management Support Center Lineage". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
- ^ "1st Battalion, 2nd Air Defense Artillery Lineage". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
- ^ a b c d e "Field Artillery - February 1990". US Army Field Artillery School. 1990. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
- ^ a b c d e "Field Artillery - February 1987". US Army Field Artillery School. 1987. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
- ^ a b c d e "Field Artillery - December 1989". US Army Field Artillery School. 1988. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
- ^ a b c d McKenney, Janice E. "Field Artillery - Army Lineage Series - Part 2" (PDF). US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
- ^ "3rd Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Lineage". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ a b "About 18th FA BDE". US Army. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
- ^ McKenney, Janice E. "Field Artillery - Army Lineage Series - Part 2" (PDF). US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
- ^ "1st Battalion, 58th Aviation Lineage". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ Organ, David (15 December 2009). "The Logistics of the 101st Airborne Division in the First Gulf War". Retrieved 17 June 2020.
- ^ "2nd Battalion, 159th Aviation Lineage". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ "3rd Battalion, 159th Aviation Lineage". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ "Fielding of the Apache". United States Army Aviation Digest - January 1988. 1988. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
- ^ "20th Engineer Brigade Lineage". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ a b c d "20th Engineer Brigade History". 20th Engineer Brigade Staff. Archived from the original on 3 January 2008. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
- ^ "27th Engineer Battalion Lineage". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ "37th Engineer Battalion Lineage". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ "175th Engineer Company Lineage". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ "264th Engineer Company Lineage". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ "362nd Engineer Company Lineage". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ "503rd Military Police Battalion Lineage". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
- ^ a b c d e "35th Signal Brigade - Unit History". Army Communicator - Voice of the Signal Corps - Fall 1987. 1987. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
- ^ a b c d e Raines, Rebecca Robbins. "Signal Corps" (PDF). US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
- ^ "25th Signal Battalion Lineage". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ "50th Signal Battalion Lineage". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ "327th Signal Battalion Lineage". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ "224th Military Intelligence Battalion". US Army. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
- ^ "224th Military Intelligence Battalion Lineage". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ "319th Military Intelligence Battalion Lineage". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ "519th Military Intelligence Battalion Lineage". US Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ Dinackus 2000, pp. 4–24.
- ^ Dinackus 2000, pp. 15–17.
- ^ "XVIII ABC participates in UFL". Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 20 April 2007.
- ^ "DA announces next OIF rotation". Archived from the original on 6 June 2008. Retrieved 19 April 2007.
- ^ "'We're a significant presence:' General updates Fort Bragg troops on Islamic State fight". military.com. 21 December 2016. Archived from the original on 28 December 2016.
- ^ Brooks, Drew. "Canadian general ending two-year tour at Fort Bragg". The Fayetteville Observer.
- ^ Sgt. Maj. Alex Licea (31 October 2022) XVIII Airborne Corps Headquarters returns from Europe
- ^ Sgt. Jameson Harris (1 November 2022) Secretary Austin welcomes XVIII Airborne Corps Soldiers home
- ^ XVIII AIRBORNE CORPS, U.S. ARMY FORT BRAGG, home.army.mil, last accessed 31 December 2020
- ^ "XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg Commanders, 1944 – 2006". Bragg.Army.mil. Fort Bragg, NC: XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg. 6 December 2006. Archived from the original on 20 February 2010.
- ^ Rogers, Reginald (21 January 2011). "Helmick to Fort Bragg: 'Be proud of your community'". Army.mil. Washington, DC.
- ^ Holston, Paul (2 July 2013). "Anderson takes over reins of 'America's Contingency Corps' (Image 2 of 2)". Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS). Atlanta, GA.
- ISBN 978-0-3747-1445-1 – via Google Books.
- ^ Dickstein, Corey (22 February 2022). "Senate confirms Kurilla to lead US Central Command". Stars and Stripes. Washington, DC.
- ^ From: Government of Canada (25 November 2021). "Prime Minister announces the appointment of the Chief of the Defence Staff". Government of Canada. Canada.ca. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
- Dinackus, Thomas D. (2000). Order of Battle: Allied Ground Forces of Operation Desert Storm. ISBN 1-55571-493-5.
External links
- Official website
- Global Security: XVIII Airborne Corps
- XVIII Airborne Corps Desert Storm/Desert Shield Photographs US Army Heritage and Education Center, Carlisle, Pennsylvania