101st Airborne Division
The 20,000 Screaming Eagles of the 101st Airborne Division were once again deploying to the Middle East in 2007, with part of the division headed to Iraq and part to Afghanistan. But fighting for freedom is nothing new for the 101st — the only air assault division in the Army. The unit has proven since World War II that it is one of the Army's most powerful divisions.
The division has undergone an Armywide change that added a fourth brigade and about 2,000 more soldiers. The structure of the brigades, although smaller, makes the division more self-sufficient because everything
needed to complete a mission is in the "Unit of Action." So, for example, instead of the infantry having to call upon military intelligence and mechanics, the specially trained troops are already there for support of the
mission. The two aviation brigades — the 101st and 159th — will still be called upon as needed for air assault operations. There's also the 101st Sustainment Brigade to provide support to the modular units.
About the 101st
When President Bush called for buildups in the Middle East to oust Saddam Hussein from Iraq, the 101st was ready. On March 20, 2003, the war in Iraq officially started, and the division's soldiers did everything from
house-to-house search and seizures to supporting logistics and crucial medical services. The division went back to Iraq in 2005, and three brigades of the 101st are leaving again late this summer for another mission.
In addition to wartime efforts, 101st soldiers have been on the front lines of peacekeeping and humanitarian missions in Kosovo, Bosnia, Rwanda, Somalia and Haiti.
But the only way the division troops can accomplish these complicated missions is through training. If the soldiers
aren't playing war games in the post's back yard, you can find them at the Joint Readiness Training Center at
Fort Polk, La., or the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif. The leadership motto is "fight as you train and
train as you fight."
The division developed the concept of air mobility by using helicopters to move troops and equipment around
the battlefield. The 101st is the only air assault division in the world and has a fully equipped international
airport for quick deployments. Troops are ready for deployment anywhere in the world within 36 hours.
The division flies the CH-47D Chinook and the new CH-47F, the UH-60L Black Hawk, the AH-64 Apache as well
as its Longbow sister, and the OH-58D Kiowa.
The Black Hawk replaced the Vietnam-era UH-1 Huey and is the workhorse of the division, which has about 75
of these helicopters. A squadron of Black Hawks can move an entire brigade (more than 2,000 soldiers) 150
miles in one day.
History
The Screaming Eagles were the first Americans to land in France as part of the D-Day invasion of Europe
by Allied forces. They continued to make a name for themselves during World War II at Bastogne and during
Operation Market Garden.
The division's 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, part of the Rakkasan Brigade, is the only airborne or
air assault infantry battalion to have fought in the five major wars of the past 50 years: World War II, the
Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War and the war in Iraq.
The Gulf War was the first time the whole division was deployed since Vietnam. The 101st played an important
roll in operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
Leadership
Maj. Gen. Jeffrey J. Schloesser, commander of the 101st Airborne Division and Fort Campbell. He came from
his previous job as deputy director for the Strategic Operational Planning of the National Counterterrorism
Center in Washington, D.C.
Brig. Gen. James C. McConville is deputy commanding general for support.
Col. Mark A. Milley has taken over as deputy commander of operations.
Col. Thomas D. Vail, chief of staff.
Col. Frederick W. Swope, garrison commander.
Command Sgt. Maj. Frank Grippe, division command sergeant major, left his post July 23 for his new position as command sergeant major for I Corps at Fort Lewis.
5th Group Special Forces
About 2,500 soldiers are assigned to 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), headquartered at Fort Bragg, N.C.
The 5th Group has called Fort Campbell home since 1988.
These special operations troops are assigned to areas in the Middle East, Southwest and Central Asia, and
Africa and continue to play a major part in the war in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The 5th Group's motto is "to liberate the oppressed," and it derives its lineage from the unit of World War II
fame — the First Special Service Forces.
Over the past three years, teams have trained in more than 14 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Pakistan,
Jordan, Egypt and Somalia. Col. Christopher Conner is the 5th Group commander.
160th Special Operations
The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) is the only aviation unit in the military that
specifically flies for special operation missions. It falls under the U.S. Army Special Operations Command,
Fort Bragg, N.C.
The 160th goes by the motto "Night Stalkers Don't Quit," and began in the early 1980s. The unit was formed
from the best Army helicopter pilots to fly covert missions, especially at night.
The 160th has become known as the Night Stalkers because of its capability to strike undetected during
darkness and its distinguished performance around the world. The unit is commanded by Col. Kevin Mangum.
Other tenant units
U.S. Air Force units 19th Air Support Operation Squadron and Operating Location.
621st Air Mobility Operations Group.
716th Military Police Battalion.
Fort Campbell