Why Is the Army Reactivating the 11th?
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- Опубліковано 12 чер 2022
- Two major units previously under US Army Alaska became the 11th Airborne Division in early June as part of a new strategic plan to focus on Arctic dominance. The move was made to prepare for future conflicts in cold-weather environments. The 11th’s paratroopers will join the 82nd Airborne Division and 173rd Airborne Brigade as large-scale, rapidly deployable airborne light-infantry units. Other troops in the 11th will eventually transition to focus on air assault tactics, much like the 101st Airborne Division.
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Since it's a division specifically trained for cold weather environments, you just know they'll be the first ones to go next time something kicks off in the Middle East🙂
It gets cold in Ukraine though...
That’s the Army way!
@@Seedy446 Like sending 7th SF Group to Afghanistan. I'm sure there must be SOMEONE there who speaks Spanish, right?
@@jeffreygunn3530 Exactly! Remember that Ranger school used to have a desert phase. We won’t need desert training for anything. Let’s cut that out of the curriculum.
@@Seedy446 what? The next war we’re in will most likely be the same way , desert and mountain terrain
If I had to guess, the U.S army seems to be preparing for Finland's and Sweden's joining of Nato. Since it's pretty cold here in Finland sometimes.
This has been a change long in the making. The US Army released its Arctic Strategy last year that included this change, well before they applied to NATO. But it’s good timing nonetheless
@@NA-gf1zy exactly what I was going to say. We have training exercises all over in Norway , Estonia , Lithuania etc Royal Marines control that region not the Americans
@@NA-gf1zy Oh alright, didn't know that. Although I didn't mean to imply that US is solely responsible for "protection" of the nordics, what I assumed is that US is preparing for Finns and Swedes joining Nato, since there's been a number of joint exercises in the nordic regions already, and if I'm not mistaken, Finland and Sweden has good relations to the US and consider each other allies.
@@EdwardXD11 When shit hits, the US will still be relied on to pull more of the heavy weight. So yes they are most likely preparing for any eventuality in a cold environment. Is it coincidence they are doing it now that Russia is being a brut bully, forcing the hands of Finland and Sweden to join NATO? Maybe. Peace through strength!
@@gbedumallam I agree with you. Perhaps they were planning it for a long while, but were now incentivised due to the Russia - Ukraine conflict
Dad was in the 11th in WWII. He made two of their three combat jumps and was part of the amphibious component in the Los Banos rescue. He passed away in 2014 I think he'd be proud to see his old division back on active duty.
Your dad was a hero. Los Banos is a legendary jump
🇺🇸❤
My father, 93, made both combat jumps in Korea with the 187th RCT, 11th Airborne Division.
Brave Fine Men
@garyschwab8802
I’m not in the military, but after I graduate I plan on joining the army airborne like my great grandfather did in WWII. He served in the 2-509 in N Africa the 505th in Sicily, and the 101st in Normandy, Holland, Bastogne, Hagenau, and Western Germany. know I’d be proud to see my old division reactivated again.
I was wondering when this would happen. The Army kind of treats their paratroopers like the Navy treats the Seabees; a tether yoyo: "we need them now, now NOW!" or the opposite: "we certainly do not need them anymore!"
Same as the marine’s tank units brain dead bean counters cutting costs so the senate can have new car’s at the cost of Americas finest deaths because of lack of equipment
@KNO BODY that’s what I’m saying
@KNO BODY the 11th will be jumping. It's the 101st that arent real paratroopers.
As a navy seabee veteren you are absolutely right my so is also a seabee veteren and it is the same now that's why my two youngest chose to be active duty marines also more chance for advancement go navy marines
My dad was airborne in Nam and he actually loved the military just didn't like circumstances RIP DAD🙏🙏🙏💔💔💔💔🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲
Trivia time: one of the paratroopers who served in the 11th Airborne in WW2 was Rod Serling.
WOW, thats a good Twilight Zone episode.
Yup, a Twilight zone episode of a WW2 soldier of the 11th fast-forwarding to 2022 would be neat.
“Picture a man, going on a journey - 🎶mission top secret, destination unknown!” 🎶😂
Makes sense.
@@AMylander“doesn’t even know if he’ll be going home 🏠 👽🦿
We been doing cold weather training already. Nothing has changed for the training we do here in Alaska. You got one side right. But the main reason was so that Soldiers here can have a purpose and identity. And they claimed Alaskan Soldiers didn’t know their purpose here in Alaska. That’s why there is so many suicides up here. Which is just a bandaid fix by the secretary of the Army. To give us a new patch and old history. Didn’t change a thing. Oh I’m feeling depressed right now. Oh wait. Let me look over my left shoulder and see my new patch.
Exactly what I was going to type. Boy, you can tell this country and military is in deep doo-doo when the basis for altering army structure and converting non-ABN people into ABN basically a benign psy-ops plan to hold down suicides and help establish identity.
I had to read it twice when I read that.
Once again the Army, in it's infinite wisdom, re-invents the wheel. Almost 60 years ago, the Army had two Separate Infantry Brigades stationed in Alaska. The 171st and the 172d. They were both arctic and mountain trained fighting forces. The 171st was deactivated in Alaska in 1972. The 172d lasted until it was replaced with the 6th Infantry Division (Light) in the mid 80's. The 6th ID(L) configuration didn't last long and they reactivated the 172d. Then the 6th ID went away, the 172d was shipped to Germany, and Alaska got 25th ID BCT's. Now we've come full circle with the 11th to establish an arctic fighting force.
That is Big Army for you. It makes me almost almost want to pound my head against the door or their heads for that matter.
Also, Putin threatened to take back Alaska from the US. They are dead serious about it too.
@@davisluong2060 we really should just make the battalions have the insertion methods not the division. I would imagine it's much simpler to stand up a new Airborne, AA, or mech battalion than it would entire divisions and brigades.
It takes a lot for of money to keep a arctic unit in Alaska. During the Cold War it makes sense, during GWOT not so much. Now with tensions in Ukraine it makes sense again.
Who cares.
I went to a local Lowes last week and the older gentleman working had on a camo vest and 11th Airborne hat. I asked him about that and learned he retired from the army in 1974 after several tours in Vietnam & also served with the 82nd. Just so happened the week I learned the 11th was back. 🇺🇸
My 68w airborne is part of this now. She's an amazing soldier. The training is intense. Cold weather warfare isn't for the weak.
That’s us. Previously a stryker unit, we’re now 11th ABN. Cool and all but now I’m apart of a 3 month long stryker cleaning detail 🙃
I was a paratrooper with the 173rd, loved it. Never understood the decommissioning of airborne divisions of anything we need more of them as they are a super fast and light fighting force who can deploy and support itself for days. It takes a certain state of mind to be airborne infantry not just anyone can do it many pretend they can
The Herd!!!
Now correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't that mean you were stationed in Italy? It's to my understanding that's where they're at.
Hooah. 2nd 504 here
@Jason Walter
1 in Iraq for the 173rd.
1 in Afghanistan for the 75th.
That’s from what I understand.
@@shanewuzizname2434 Strike Hold
Whats so special about it?
My dad was in the 11th during WWII and serve in the Philippines, New Guinea, Solomons and after in Japan for the occupation. He did not participate in the Los Banos raid. He attended at least one reunion I think in the late 80’s. He would be proud of learning his division was being resurrected. Happy Fathers Days Dad.
I knew your dad. He was not very intelligent and a terrible soldier.
@@baatinunseen5732 That means your dead…..good.
God bless your Dad!
@@baatinunseen5732 what a weak and cowardly thing to say.
@@baatinunseen5732 Who even are you?
I was always told that the key future strategic theatre would be the Arctic and the Pacific, in that order. As tech and changing weather open up global trade lanes across the Arctic, Alaska will be one of the most strategic locations on Earth (the shortest distance between Asia and Europe will be through the Bering Strait and along the coast of Greenland), and Russia has a head start attempting to claim arctic waters.
We needed a unit like this yesterday. There are certain environments in Afghanistan where an elite Airborne division with cold weather training could've really helped.
I agree that the Artic is increasingly important on the Grand Strategic level (as you noted, the melting ice caps are a huge part of that). However, I think the Pacific is a greater challenge because we have a more capable rival and a smaller number of capable allies in the region. (I would not have said that first part prior to the invasion of the Ukraine. In the decade that just ended, Russia certainly caused us more problems than China probably could've. However, Putin's Russia has shown considerable weakness both economically and militarily as of late).
@@jeffbenton6183 I don’t think It’s wise to make any assumptions of Russia. Even with our weaponry, Russia hasn’t had any issues really. A few hiccups maybe. But they are achieving their goals with little resistance in the grand scheme. And Putin is an extremely intelligent tactician. When he says to them it’s a special operation, I’m inclined to believe it. He’s stone cold evil, but u have to give a rival the respect necessary to contest him.
If this is only 20-50% of their real force, and we assume this is the total package, we essentially underestimate a capable opponent
Tsun tsu -when u are strong, appear weak
When weak, appear stron
Who looks weak, and who projects strength.
If I was at the pentagon, I’d be doing some secret military improvements, and fast.
@@d540vamartin9 is this cope or are you just misinformed? Russia has lost most of its modern tanks, its Ratnik modernization program hasn't upgraded any significant numbers of unit and its advanced production capabilities are shut down from sanctions. Putin is no master tactician, he's a decrepit old fool looking for glory and fighting enemies from a past age.
The Pacific has been a domain of the Navy and Marines. The Artic is new because there is and will continue to be increased shipping and traffic through the once frozen North. With that in mind, all of the Artic bordering nations and rushing to make sure they that have the ability to dominate that space. It requires its own set of tactics and equipment. That is the purpose of reactivating the 11th.
Bingo
I got to go through a condensed version of arctic survival school near Fairbanks, AK. The 11th is going to have some fun! Thanks for sharing.
Did that. I didnt have and fun at all. It sucked. Every bit of it!
Lol that's where I'm stationed at right now. Good ol -60 Wainwright
By new techniques they mean copying from Canada & the Nordic Countries
@@coreyconlon3589 Just showed up myself
A battalions worth of parachute infantry with a divisions worth of general officers.
Well said.
Two brigades. One Airborne, the other will loose the Strykers to become Air Assault. It’s just a rebranding. No increase in higher HQ
Could it be, because they turned the 101st into Air Assault. Because it was easer to take an existing airborne division and turn them into air assault than to train up a new air assault division. The Army in its infinite wisdom.
Makes great sense, both the Air assault 101, and the new Airborne 11 division is needed, chaging the 101st would just deprive the capability of it.
Oh wow, I didn't even think about that. Not to mention airborne units do sling loads and air assault missions all the time. They don't repel, but that's rarely needed. Simply landing and hopping out is 99% of real world air assault missions.
No because that would stretch forces out too much. It would make more logical sense to make its own entity so they can focus more on what they set it out to do. This didn't cost the tax payers shit to do either. All they did was rebrand some BCTs.
And infinite retardation that's why they chose the most expensive time ever to choose a new rifle and phase out the M4 series all during the most inflation record breaking era of our lives
Problem is dedicated deep winter/arctic ops are a specific skillset on their own.
Throw in airborne ops and you end up with an interesting/specific skillset that takes alot of time to teach well.
My father was in A Company 188th PGIR, 11th A/B Div. during WW2. Reactivating the 11th is a grand thing!
My Grandfather jumped in the Phillippeans with them in '44... awesome!
So did my father!
My dad's first cousin was in retaking Corregidor in Manila Bay in early '45 with the 11th ABN. Battle of Monkey's Point. I was close to him from '83 until his passing in '22 at 97 2/3. He had a book put together for his regiment at some point and he could tell me who made it and who didn't. A big boulder from a mammoth blast landed right on his lower back and he got a small check from the govt the rest of his life.
I use to complain about how hot it was at ft Bragg, after looking at that, hot isn't so bad.
Fort Wainwright and Eielson Air Force Base regularly witness -40 F during the winter months (ACTUAL TEMPERATURE)! with the occasional WIND CHILL it can reach -80 F !
I swear 💀
I remember coming down yadkin gate dreading PT
@@TTVDirtyperkthirty just imagine doing PT in -25 F temperatures at 0600 in the middle of winter and it is still dark outside. typically november-december-january-february there is less than 4 hours of daylight in the winter months of interior Alaska.
Iraq is MUCH hotter,Joker !!! My first deployment,I was at Camp TQ,it got to 140 degrees,then when the temperature dropped down to a COOL 90 degress,I was shivering. LOL.I deployed with the Texas National Guard 4 time to Iraq,I volunteered for all 4 tours-GET-SOME !!! My first tour was with an infantry unit,we did raids,route clearance,ecps and convoy escort. One day while doing ecps,some special forces guys came thru with a large Iraqee national guard unit. Before their final exit one of their guys yells-I heard about you infantry guys,keep up the good work !!! Now,I didn't know if he was bullshitting us or not,but,our chests were really PUFFED-OUT !!! LOL. We were already cocky and sure of our-selves,but,this really made our HEADS big !! Yeah,special forces complimented US !!! Words spoken well in due time,can make a difference. That compliment made us go HARDER at the enemy. TQ was a marine fob,so,we did joint ops with them,the marines were TOUGH and BRAVE !!! It was an HONOR to serve with them. I also did back-to-back deployments. GO-GUARD !!! LOL.
I went through jump school back in the early 90's with the 6th ID. Little Joe and his polar bears were a damn good crew to go the distance with. The 172d is a Great unit, with a great reputation for no bullshit, and getting the job done.
1st Cav Div at Ft Hood has the exact opposite reputation !! Lots of bullshit and getting the job done in weird ways. LOL. I was prior service navy before joining the army and was amazed at the things going on in the army and weak leadership there. When I was in the army 1st Cav Div was a HOT mess !!! Wasn't really surprised when those 2 soldiers went missing,then turned up dead. RIP-to those soldiers and condolences to their families. Then they had those 8 deaths on a training mission,but,I blame their ncos for that incident. Lots of strange things happened on Ft Hood while I was there,have mucho stories to tell.
@@powerbad696 Fort Hood is the place where careers die (literally) for a reason. Feel sorry for those that get assigned to it for their first duty station.
@@rh906 Me too.I thank god I didn't have to go to war with those ###holes in my unit ( HHC-2/8 Cav ) I wouldn't know who to SHOOT first,them or the ENEMY !!!! LOL.
6th Infantry Division (Light) was the US Army's Arctic force during the cold war. It was disbanded in the 1990's. I remember ops in freezing temperatures. Ops halted at 50 below zero.
@@manuellabor2759 1/501 PIR 91-95
I wanted to go to the 11th when I entered the Army in 1957, however they were disbanding and I was sent to the 101st just after they reactivated in 1956,as they were replacing the 11th at Ft Campbell. They rebuilt the jump school area that the 11th had and I graduated jump school at Ft Campbell in June 1958.
you serve in Vietnam?
@@hemanths2230 Yes
@@jodan4 welcome home sir.
The 11th was reactivated as the 11th Air Assault Division (Test) at Fortress Benning in 1963 to experiment with the concept. Obviously it worked. The 11th was fleshed out to a full division by merging it with the 2nd Infantry Division and the 10th Air Transport Brigade, both also at Benning, reflagged as the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) and 27 days later was on its way to Vietnam. After Vietnam, the Army had room for one Air Assault Division, so the 101st Airborne, which had been reorganized as an airmobile division in Vietnam was retained. The 1st Cav, reverted back to its original branch Cavalry (now merged with Armor) and although designated a cavalry division, was the Army's fourth armored division at Ft Hood.
Manly stuff!
Great. You covered pretty much everything except WHY Is the Army Reactivating the 11th Airborne Division?
This is more than just reactivating the 11th with two existing BCTs "taken" from the 25th. Actually, what the US Army is doing is "rebranding" the US Army Alaska Command (USARAK) with the reactivated 11th. Presumably the many logistics and support units based in Alaska will now be commanded by the 11th as well.
The bigger issue for me is what is planned for the disposition of the Electric Strawberry Division going forward?
The Spartans and the 1st Stryker joes and janes have been under the command of USARAK and only part of the 25th ID on paper for many years. So, it's more about their command changing its name than them changing.
I was PFAR at Fort Richardson did they just absorb the fourth brigade into this new 11th?
@@Baltimoreborn yes, 4-25 is 2-11 now
Served in 1/501 in early 90s. Step father served there when on company size 1/72nd. How many names does it need? They were all Arctic paratroopers. Now you can’t even find past souvenirs and no one can track this mess. Bunch of idiots at S1 or headquarters that wanted to be the first commander.
@@shade38211 AH YES! I remember it quite well. Charlie Airborne when it was part of the 172nd Brigade BEFORE the 6th Division was STILLBORN. too light to fight too heavy to move. then the cold war ended, no training money , no budget , no moral , and the no DIVISION. old timers said it was the best posting in the Army when it was a Brigade and then it became a Brigade again with no money, no training, no readiness and no morale. FUN TIMES!
@@jephrokimbo9050 Step father has loads of pics from his time when single company. Was also in C company but 1/501 went Apache,Blackfoot ,Comanche and so on. Funny he went off few weeks ago about changing Bragg.
" Down from Heaven comes the Eleven"( 11th Airborne 🪂 Division) .
They definitely have a solid historical base upon which to develop this type of warfare.
The army has the 10th Mountain Division. Another cold-weather division I suspect the army is looking to whom we may be in conflict with in the future.
My father was in the 11th in WW2 in the Philippians. They were also the first American combat troops to land in Japan after the surrender. I too was Airborne. The one point that must be remembered is that during Airborne training the trooper demonstrates that he can conquer fear. They are more reliable than 'straight-leg' troops (anyone not airborne qualified) when they're introduced to the frights of combat.
Not you was airborne you still are airborne
@@tomlubas1512 Roger that! All the way
Did three years with the 6th ID in the mid 80s at Ft. Richardson. It was good duty, but it was painfully cold and that was no joke freaking joke. Being in Combat Arm, we were always out in the field and if the cold doesn’t get you, the mosquitoes will. I hate to say this, but, overall, I preferred the 82nd Airborne at Ft. Bragg. Trust me, training in 40 degrees below zero isn’t, but it will put hair on your chest!!
40 below isn’t bad - until you have to poop. Not pleasant 😂😈
Pulling that Yukon sled. Fuck! I was at Ft Wainwright.
@@manuellabor2759 Ha!!! Be there and done that... I'm good!! Yeah, Ft. Wainwright is rough duty. Were you there when that Canadian C-130 crashed in 1989 for the yearly Brim frost exercise? I and two others heard it as we were walking to the mess hall, but we thought it was a shed collapsing.
Glad I stayed at Bragg!
Put hair on your chest and rip the moustache off your face...or at least half of it...first Company run in sub-zero weather and being one of the cheechakos in the unit, no one told us to wait until you got inside the barracks, thawed out for a few minutes BEFORE taking your balaclava off your head...so once inside the door, I grab it from under my chin and proceed to pull up over my head...didn't realized half the moustache was gone until I went into the latrine to shit, shower and shave...looked in the mirror and went WTF!?...
Those patches look fire af
It is just a reorg and a new O8 slot. We have more generals today than we had in WWII - and then, we had 87 divisions.
They performed three large-unit drops, but all throughout the Leyte campaign they were deploying platoons from the 188th and 187th from 'borrowed' Piper Cubs and other small aircraft in order to recon and surprise the Japanese.
In addition, their entire airborne artillery component dropped on to a strategic piece of high ground behind Japanese lines in order to provide a 360 degree field of fire. Sound familiar? There's a reason the 11th were used as a test-bed for helicopter assault and deployment tactics.
As a side note, the arty guys couldn't find a way to retrieve their guns from the hill so they ended up as regular infantry for the rest of the Leyte campaign. They might still be up there, for all I know.
As an old Airborne/Artillery guy, that’s very interesting. But Platoons from Piper cubs? A cub is doing well to take off with the pilot and one passenger, not wearing 68 lbs. of parachute and 100 lbs. of equipment. I don’t see a combat equipped paratrooper even fitting in the front seat. I’m not trying to be a smart-ass, is there a reference, or some place I can read about this? ‘Cause if they did that shit, it was epic. 👍🏼
@@AMylander more than likely they were using DC-3s of that time frame which were small but could operate in that type of environment but would more than likely need a secured airfield close by for such operations unless loaded down with fuel.
@@jephrokimbo9050 A DC-3 is a C-47. The standard plane for airborne operations at the time. A good sized, twin engine aircraft. Nothing like a Piper Cub.
@@AMylander yes, i am quite aware of the difference between the two aircraft. a great uncle served at the tail end of world war two as a DRAFTEE and then VOLUNTEERED for the Airborne thinking he would miss out of the action. spent time in the "occuptation" force in Japan and then came back home to Florida.
@@jephrokimbo9050 Very cool. But my question was about platoons in Piper Cubs.
Pretty cool to here about the 11th because my Uncle must have been in it during WWII. As a very young boy, I asked him why he had a limp and he told me that he parachuted onto an island in the pacific and as he was descending, a Japanese soldier shot at him and hit his ankle. I asked what he did next and he said that he killed him. That was my only conversation about the war I ever had with him, and I never forgot about it. I grew up and served in the army, airborne, as a parachute rigger, 43E. I asked the recruiter for infantry, but we were downsizing after Desert Storm and I was told that I could always switch my MOS later, hah!
But I served 20 years, been to Iraq, love my country and now am watching our 'leaders or grown-ups ', destroy our country. Never give up your arms! They are the reason for our freedom, not hunting.
Your uncle could've also been in the 503d, which was an independent parachute regiment, they dropped on Corrigedor, and elsewhere in the Pacific.
My cousin graduated from West Point around 1990 and went into the Engineers. After the Gulf War they furloughed him too! A WP grad!
HoAh!
Fuzzy Dunlop- Yeah, the 503rd also jumped near a Japanese held airfield near Lae, New Guinea. Some Aussie gun crews jumped with them, along with cut down versions of their 25 pounder artillery pieces. The interesting part of it is that the Aussies had absolutely no jump experience, so the boys from the 503rd had to give them a major crash course. The airfield was successfully captured.
"My recruiter said I could switch my MOS later" 😄
In 1938, my father was a staff sergeant in the Washington National Guard Coast Artillery (mostly emplaced 12" guns) to defend the Puget Sound and the northwest US. By FEB 1941, he was commissioned a 2nd LT, assigned to a composite artillery battalion (field and anti-aircraft artillery), and sent to Alaska in June. The Japanese came in December. And so the first cold weather units were born. Take the kids from Seattle, who grew up hunting and fishing in the snow, and send them north. And they did pretty well. The only time there was a problem was when they sent a division directly from Monterey CA to invade Attu. The division took unnecessary casualties because they were not prepared for the weather in Alaska, especially at the end of the Aleutian Chain. Nice to see they are planning ahead this time.
I retired out of Camp MacKall, NC back in 2009. Small Unit Tactics (SUT) Instructor slot in the Q-Course. Good times. RLTW & DOL (Ricky Mills)
Man i stood in that formation for 2 hours. Im so glad it was done and over with but im apart of history now
😂😂😂😂😂
You should be smoked for saying that
Lol same. Ares company, Duce 4. We were in the airfield.
I got to skip that by going to gate guard class 🤣
Never understood why they were deactivated in the first place.. They should have build, on top of what they’ve learned in historical battles. Rather than just cancel then reactivating and starting again.
It was probably a budget thing I assume. Leave it to Uncle Sam to deactivate things when they aren’t immediately needed, like the sniper schools after WW1 and tank development too.
It’s been replaced by correctness.
@@whereswaldo5740
accidentally pro government it seems
Why not ask Bill Clinton? Just a part of his peace dividend.
I’m a 10th Mountain vet when I went to the Northern Warfare Training Center we did it all after reactivation in December 85
All i will say is this comment section is so refreshing. lots of knowledgeable people with excellent comments and I am actually learning something. 👌🏻
“Snow Angels”
1:19 the guy running dropped his mag
Hahah I saw it dayummm.
He gonna get one shot then the loudest sound in the world.
CLICK!!!!!!
So glad he used the correct terminology of ‘snowmachine’ instead of ‘snow mobile’.
Great to see the grass darts getting some new air and new/old colours. Fury from the sky!
I'm going to talk to my retention NCO and see if I can get assignment to this unit.
Honestly same
Come to fort wainwright it’s nice up here in Alaska
Great to see the 11th back after all these years! Good luck Angels!
Angels of Woke, specifically trained daily how to use EO, SHARP, and given the new LGBT class to ensure they're highly tolerant and accepting.
@@TheGamersfolly it's happening in armies the world over mate, what can you do?🤷♂️
Hopefully tying these soldiers to a proud heritage will make that pill easier to swallow.
When the next war kicks off we'll get our armies back on track.
Hard times make hard men,
Hard men make easy times,
Easy times make soft men,
Soft men make hard times,
Hard times make hard men...
And so it goes. We're just in the wrong part of the cycle.
@@johnsteele2986 I think we're rapidly approaching the 'hard times' phase, if we're not already there.
@@notcrazy6288 I think so to mate. I just hope we can rise to the occasion.
I’m in the 11th airborne division and was there for the change over.
Wild, my grandfather served in the 11th as a paratrooper in WW2, Philippines. I’ve still got some of his patches and medals from the war.
Since I was discharged in '07 I haven't been paying much attention to military affairs, but I'm glad to see the Army has ditched the whole notion of "Units of Action" and is re-emphasizing Brigades and Divisions. "Units of Action" always stuck in my craw.
What’s Units of Action?
@@isaiahkoufos3573 That was TRADOC nonsense about fifteen years ago. Basically it was a combined arms Brigade, but the term “Brigade” was too easy, so they felt they had to gin it up to impress congressmen. Bureaucratic bullshit
Rapid reaction force for operations in the arctic circle
Good to hear 👂
The 503 PIR, not part of the 11th, made the daring combat jump in Corregidor, Philippines, WWII.
But 10th MTN is just a straight leg unit. They should definitely move at least a brigade to camp hale and re-learn mountain tactics
The entire division should be moved out of a swamp and into a place with mountains.
Or they should just lose the tab and let Vermont be the only mountain unit.
Served in this unit about 4 years ago, good times…
You guys are really good at not answering the question you pose in the title.
There's a term for that
I'm very glad to hear the 11th Airborne Division is reactivated and continuing to keep up there history and represent all Airborne Units. Salute..AATW/Death From Above
Why was it deactivated in the first place?
Here is the concept, Airborne is light infantry, which means you carry in what you have, resupply is air dropped or trucked out to you. For Decades we saw combat with the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact, but by the year 2000, other threats not involving heavy armor presented themselves constantly, and new technologies and weapons have made the heavy combat tank less survivable than it used to be. So the light Infantry is more deployable less vulnerable in the future. We aren't saying we are getting rid of heavy armor, what the point is, we need more deployable easily sustainable light units that don't have the tremendous burden of 65 ton tanks, and the logistical support to fuel, feed, and fix them in the combat theater. It may take a million dollars to change out a barrel on a main battle tank, but for a hundredth of the price of a main battle tank you can pay, feed, field, train, and deploy an Infantry squad. Infantry is bold, cheaper to field, ready to go, will call for support if needed and since the Ancient battles of the valley of Megiddo, Infantry has always been the final arbiter of who controls the ground; the foot soldier.
Sounds great, until you run into a cav troop.
@@SGobuck Yeah Cav Troop shows up in Armored Vehicles dismounted infantry take them out with sling blade missiles, etc. etc. That is why, they are bringing the Airborne in, heavy forces will remain, but light is a real money maker pound per pound.
Excellent analysis!
@@wolfgangholtzclaw2637 not really, unless those drones have AGIs stuffed into them, as any _semi-competent_ opponent could (and would) shut them down right quick due to their extreme limitations.
Hell, we've seen a _satlinked_ drone get downed by a bunch of insurgents with off the shelf electronic equipment and some pointers from _Iran_ of all nations. In a high-ECM environment? Three words for you: _Friendly Fire A-Paluza_ ...
Being a service member myself this gets me thinking about the moves in the European theater. 👀
The Euros really know how to fuck themselves over... again.
If you're thinking Russia is gonna try anything you're sorely mistaken. Talks of a Russian invasion are a way for news outlets to get soccer moms to click
Russia is a declining superpower. In it's current state it would get obliterated. That's without factoring in MAD. The only power that is a threat to the west is China
That arctic tab looks so clean.
that crisp freezing weather shot is so comfy
Well seeing how the Arctic is fast becoming an area of conflict, the Army is preparing for it. This has been on the table for quite some time. No doubt once Finland is a full NATO member there is going to be a lot of cross-training with the Finns in Arctic warfare. There is a lot to be learned. Also, I would not be surprised if the 11th doesn't base in Finland for part of the time. The big thing is going to be how to stay warm dry and mobile with the ability to fight in the kind of temps we see in the Arctic regions. Lots of stuff needs to be worked out and equipment designed and procured. And with the preparations and training may be any kind of shooting conflict can be avoided.
I think this has a lot more to do with Alaska and northern Canada than Finland. Growing up in the 80s and 90s I was always told that the key future strategic theatre would be the Arctic and the Pacific, in that order. As tech and changing weather open up global trade lanes across the Arctic, Alaska will be one of the most strategic locations on Earth (the shortest distance between Asia and Europe will be through the Bering Strait and along the coast of Greenland), and Russia has a head start attempting to claim arctic waters.
@@TheCoolCucumber If this was a board game with no historical context or doctrine at play, perhaps. But the USA is not in the business of offensive land grabs, at least not since Teddy Rosevelt around 1900, and even then that wasn't very popular with people(he didn't get reelected). Also, Alaska is not CONUS, and most people don't realize just how sparse that region of Alaska and Canada are with almost zero infrastructure, but they will need to be defended. Alaska, specifically the coastlines and strait, is the Suez Canal or Panama Canal of the 22nd century. Not to mention all of the resources such as oil that is available in the Arctic Ocean that will need power projection to claim...not really boots on ground.
AIRBORNE
My father was with them back in the day.
AIRBORNE‼️
Thank you for not turning this into a "im a veteran heres my opinion yada yada BS" kind of video. Right to the point. Thanks
Of course ! Why ask the opinion of the people who actually did the very thing we're talking about? Spoken like a true liberal with no experience in anything . Pull your head out kid! How's that for getting to the point?
Nothing changed, we were doing this same mission set when we were 1/25 and 4/25.
Yes but instead of operating as independent BCTs, we now have a solidified command and a dedicated division support staff.
@@airbornedaddy1919 That's because tensions are higher than ever, and our enemies are within our own Country, in high places. These next 5 years will determine the survival of the most free Nation in history. Be in tune with your Oath and Spirit, for God is the only one to fear.
How far they’ve come from my old TF 1/501 days! I’m just happy that the troopers finally have a shoulder sleeve insignia that makes sense. The airborne USARAK bear, airborne 172nd BDE, jumping Jews 6th ID of my days, and airborne electric strawberry confused the shit out of people.
The mix airborne/air assault idea was on the table in the late 90s. 501st on status, and 2 air assault battalions at wainwright using additional USARAK aviation assets. I assume the extra USARAK aviation assets are still there and will be absorbed by the 11th so they have immediate full brigade on status and full brigade TOE’d as actual air assault infantry with the extra aviation.
Now for the love of God being LRS and the Eskimo scouts back!
LRRS BRT and DIVCAV is on the table to be resurrected.
@scott, hey this is Nick. How are you Brother?
Trained with the Eskimo Scouts up in Kotzebue above the Arctic Circle on the Bering Strait back in 80' or 81'. Sharp individuals and balls of steel. Would run a snowmobile out until it ran out of gas, skied the rest of the way to do real world recons and then made their way back.
I remember when they deactivated. U was in Germany in 1964 and 1965. Thanks for sending this.
My husband is active duty and in 11th airborne becoming a jumpmaster. Yes they jump out planes buy once their feet hit land its back to being stinky legs. He came home happy about it the returning of the old unit name.
Every big move in the US military is done for one reason:
To make an officer his/her next rank.
Long as their trained to the same level as current airborne units, things will be fine!
Good thing they were already an airborne unit huh? 😉
@@christiancarter9939 My point is the unit was stood down. It's coming back with mostly new personnel. Some of the NCO's and officer's will have had combat and training experience. Everyone else, is new meat.
@@keithjackson4985 it’s literally the same units, just got a new patch and reorganized. 4-25 became 1-11 and 1-25 became 2-11. They got rid of Alaska Command and made that Division HQ
@@peterprovenzano9039 Hey man thanks. Did that video say that?
@@keithjackson4985 clearly it did not say it very well if it did.
Very good idea.
I ETSs on June 6 when they had the ceremony. 725th now the 11th hooah airborne bois
This is great and everything, but as long as the Army is re-activating another Airborne Division, they might as well put the 101st back on Jump status. Heck, they've already got an entire division @ Campbell just hangin' there anyway, and the 101st was ROBBED of their jump status during Vietnam!
If the Army/DOD is gonna resurrect the 11th, they might as well resurrect jump status for the 101st!
Still upset they didn't reactivate the 6th ID since they had been in Ft Richardson when deactivated
@Anibal Perez NO THANKS! the sight seeing sixth was CURSED! too light to fight and too heavy to move!
No reason to. They are the 172d now.
@@manofaction1807 the 172nd has been deactivated for some time now.
@@ericlane3256 Probably showing my age here, if that's the case....
Damn Kids, Get off My Lawn!
@@jephrokimbo9050 that's a homosexual statement.
Sounds chilling...
Been thinking of them on and off the past 2 months now I see this.
Arctic Angel here! 🙋🏾♂️ questions welcome
Are you a leg at wainwright?
Any ideas if you guys will be training out of country anywhere
@@flathead3233 This question feels like a trap lol Don’t answer Scotty; we both know the answer to it.
I was a Rakkasan (3 BN, 187th IN RGT, 3BCT, 101 AD) from 2006-2009. The 187th Infantry Regiment was part of the 11th Airborne Division in WWII. BCT's didn't exist back in WWII. This is just a re-flagging of an old unit that has history in past wars. It's not a good thing, or a bad thing. It's what the Army does: Bring back old units with history to establish esprite de corps and loyalty to the unit. That they are focusing on Winter ops is different, but the overall coming back of the unit is nothing new.
My father was an 11th AB 1st Sgt 187RGT in Korea. Made every jump and was on Old Baldy and PorkChop Hill. Damn proud of my dad, RIP.
@@davidfrazer2836 My mistake for omitting the Korea accolades. Cheers to your Father. Rakkasan: falling umbrella.
This stuff is simply a byproduct of decreasing/increasing numbers in the army. People make a big deal out of it but the army doing this is the same as an accordion.
My son is in the Marine Corps and they're doing the same type of stuff, why? Because they're a shrinking force. So they're re-aligning personnel into different units and deactivating other units.
I served A co 1/501st INF BN at Ft. Richardson AK from 93-96. 11C1P. Best times of my life. AOL Chat rooms, Chilkoot charlies and NO cell phones.
Yes when I was in basic training it was "Coffee or die " time .
They have been activated to watch Alaska Shores from Russia
Paratroopers are not really a defensive tool
I served in 83/84 in the Alpine paratrooper, a specialized branch of the "Alpini", our "mountain division" here in Italy. We even exchanged "wings" with the USA paratroopers stationed in Vicenza. Cold weather combat is a bitch, and if you're not ready and trained for it, it can be a PITA. Ask the germans on the Russian front in WW2.🤣🤣 Nevertheless, jumping out of a C130 on a sea of snow is an experience I wish every paratrooper to try.
I know the very guys that did this exchange, I missed out
@@RadioMcRadioface Sorry, you missed out on that bud. I still remember how amazed they were about the awesome alps they were going to jump on, and how envious we were about the gear they had. We were still carrying the BM59 rifle, an M14 derivate. Felt like a bag of bricks compared to the AR15(?) they were using.
An a NY Italian and an Army para,, I always wanted to get stationed in Vincenza
@@jamescaliendo1030 Awesome "fratello"! Are you still on active duty? Being stationed in Italy would be a great experience for you bud. Being an Italian as you are, it would be the ultimate treat...
@@ZAGOR64 haha yes it sure would have been brother. But I'm long out now back home in nyc
my Dad was in the 11th from 7/45 to 5/47. he was some of the 1st troops in to Tokyo in 9/45.
So they combined 10th mountain and 82nd as 101st all in one unit you get 11th airborne, I have a feeling these guys will be army most elite light infantry unit ever had
Could of just multi rolled the 101st and made them both assault and airborne.
Yeah no. It would become really hard to master paratrooper skills, air assault skills and combine both with arctic skills.
Sounds like they're expecting future deployments to arctic environments.
You mean Russian winters?
@@PineappleOnPizza69 Ya THINK?
This is incorrect. I was in the 11th Airborne Division in Augsburg, Germany in 1958 when it was deactivated. We were sent to Lebanon in the Spring of 1958 as the 11th ABN Div. when we returned to Augsburg in the Fall we were told there had been a reorganization and the 11th was disbanded and was a the 8th Infantry Div. I and everyone else was confused as hell. I was discharged several months later from a unit I never heard of. Had the 11th not been disbanded I was ready to extend.
After Basic Training I volunteered for Airborne and went to Ft. Bragg for Pre Airborne training and the Jump School. I was then told they were sending 500 men replacement to the 11th ABN Div in Germany and I got myself on the orders. I was attached to an Artillery
Company as a surveyor but was often detailed so much I didn't were the hell I was half the time. I was send to Lebanon in the Spring of
1958 and we did a demonstration jump at least once or more. That is fact.
that’s my unit , 2nd brigade !!! Love it out here
What company
@@RoyalNyx 1-40 Cav
WELCOME TO USARAK-ISTAN. Don't mess with the wildlife especially the moose and if you see a bear it's ok so long as you are not the slowest runner. Good luck with ALIT I and II. And hope you ain't sent to FT Greely at Delta Juncion.
Yeah, f-k Alaska.
How are they going to fill the paragraph and line numbers while also keeping the 82nd with enough paratroopers is the question, back in the day it was hard enough to fill one airborne division.
I can see guys getting levied from one Div to the other and back again .....
A-ATW
There's only one airborne brigade in the new division, and it was just reflagged. It was already an airborne brigade (4-25). The total number of airborne brigades in the Army is still the same (5)
Pretty much this ^, at least so far. There was already an Airborne (Arctic) brigade up here, "Spartans," so what is happening is that this unit, along with a Stryker BCT up here in Alaska, will be redesignated as part of 11th Airborne Division (Arctic).
So far, it remains to be seen if the hitherto Stryker guys will be trained as parachute infantry. For sure, they will be getting rid of the Stryker vehicles, and focusing on the new (well, old-new-again) Arctic qualification, but if they will be full Airborne infantry appears to still be in limbo.
One of the main things here is reactivation of the 11th Airborne as parent unit for the brigades, so as to give them a truly unique and more organic identity; currently the Spartans and the Strykers based in Alaska are headquartered to "Tropic Lightning" out of Hawaii, funny enough.
Because of the idea of Near-Peer and LSCOs being the thing going into the future, the idea is for resurrection of Arctic qualified infantry unit (which used to exist in Alaska back in the day, through the very early '90s iirc), plus Airborne units that is oriented towards operations in arctic and sub-arctic regions.
The elephant in the room though, is that this is probably more about China than it is potentially fighting Russians in Siberia or something, so North China Plain region, Manchuria, North Korea, etc., which can all see quite heavy snow and cold temperatures, along with rough terrain. The point being, basing in Japan is probabaly going to follow the 11th's reactivation, even if headquartered in Alaska.
Corroborating this is the historical lineage of the division itself, which was formed for the Pacific theater in WWII and was subsequently based in occupation Japan.
Yup. Jock rash to frostbite.
Just another post to add to the rotation...
Bragg- Italy- Alaska- to Korea and back again.
All the Way!
@@manofaction1807 Opportunities. This Cold War USMC AirWing Vet wished the 7th and 9th ID's had not been disbanded.
Seems like we tend to get divisions reactivated here in Alaska..I was brought up here in 87 when they reactivated the 6th ID, then a few years later it went away. Now it's the 11th's turn, wonder how long it will last here
Basically a reflagging of the 25th in Alaska
With the LGBTQ element in the Pentagon today maybe someone remembered that the 11th in WW2 was also known as the "Flying Red A-Hole", and "Joe Swing and his 11,000 thieves". Anyone assigned to this outfit is going to have to pick up their game to live up to the history they have to compete with.
That's the dumbest thing I've read this morning.
You want military pride join the Marines. LGBTQ ain't gonna matter when the division is led by Rangers.
General "Jumping" Joe Swing ! My father served with the 11th airborne from 44-47.
@@MoviesFreeGalore pogue
Or they can just let it die out because not everything has to be about gay
Simple solution: (1) Go ask the Canadian Army to send over some of their "Canadian Ranger" units to teach the 11th ABN how to operate & survive in the Artic; (2) go ask the Indian Army to send over some of their mountain units to teach the 11th ABN how to operate in glacial environments; (3) task the Alaska NG with the ops/training facility year round.
There is already a range of NATO accredited Centres of Excellence (COE), each responsible of developing the best coordinated warfare concept, doctrine and standardization for the alliance within their dedicated area of specialization. All COEs coordinated with the ongoing Allied Command Transformation (ACT), which defines the future military context. Each COE is dedicated to be primary source of a specific warfare subject, e.g. Cold Weather Operations and Mountain Warfare (I refer to the existing NATO COE-CWO and NATO COE-MW, respectively). Major General Brian S. Eifler, Commanding General of 11th Airborne Division, US Army, attended the CWO Conference in November 2021, and 11th Airborne will join COE-CWO training and coordination with other NATO countries in Troms (North Norway) from exercise Swift Response 2022, a 9.000 pax NATO exercise, and onwards. The bi-annual Cold Response sea/air/land NATO winter exercises (often combined with CWO courses) in North Norway are usually of size 15.000-35.000 pax from 25-28 NATO member countries, as well as Finland and Sweden invited as NATO partner countries.
The Canadian Rangers have their place for wilderness survival training but they aren't really trained or equipped for the main battle. They're more along the line of coast watchers and local guides. For cold weather combat most of the regular infantry units would be a better choice.
That said the new units should look into getting the Canadian "tent group" system. Basically a cold weather tent and a sled for packing it and the extra kit to make it livable. It's been around since the sixties and they still haven't come up with anything better.
My grandpa was in the 11th during Korea, he use to call the badge on his arm the flying red asshole, and I always loved him for it
My father, 93, made both combat jumps in Korea with the 187th RCT, 11th Airborne Division.
oh wow, i didn't realize that i ended up at 2/11 shoritly after they reactivated. in was in basic when they reactivated, and in September 3 months later, i was sent there.
Did the 11th absorb 4-25?
Yes
Yep
So they won't actually be truly airborne? Just air assault like the 101st 🦅?
Perhaps, I was in Alaska for 13 years and they can used a combined unit for Air Assault and Airborne. When I worked for an air cargo company I flew around the whole state and there are many places that have no roads. If say, China or Russia were to land in these remote area's or Islands, they could setup a base supplied by a Navy and use it to conduct interior operations, resupply operations, and refueling. That's just a defensive strategy, I'm sure the 11th would have offensive operations at their core, and that could mean northern Europe where there is a similar environment.
2nd BCT(A) (which was formerly 4th BCT(A) of the 25th ID) is airborne. 1st BCT (Stryker) of the 25th is being reflagged as 1st BCT of the 11th and replacing their Stykers with some other type of special arctic vehicles. I don't think they've quite figured it out yet.
Shoutout to my peeps in Fort Richardson/ Elmendorf Airforce Base.
Awesome
I am a retired AF veteran. I was stationed in Alaska 14 years. I met a Russian soldier that explained to me that in Russia, they believe Alaska truly should be part of Russia. He explained that mind set is still taught in schools and believes Alaska will be Russian territory in 20 years. With the type of administration we currently have, it scares me to even conceive that this is a possibility. We need to defend Alaska with any conceivable means. It's that simple.
Dude, Russia can hardly sustain logistics to Ukraine, much less to Alaska in a fight against NATO.
@@ObliviousPenguin Yea. Sure. Your an expert.
Russia: *sells Alaska to the US*
Also Russia: “hey give that back it’s ours”
@@jayduke6148 Considering how a country 10 times smaller than them has them in a war of attrition they cannot afford- yeah Pengiun is right.
It's not like they ever could hope to invade the US, they couldn't perform an amphibious assault to save their nation lol.
Duke. This coveting of Alaska also stretches into BC. Russia had briefly explored the fur trade in coastal areas BC and Alaska. Even though they sold it there's some strange Slavic idea they still own it. I know a Ukrainian guy and a Belo Rusdian, when Sarah Polin was on the TV they both were glued to it hanging on to her every word. They hate her in fact!
Even after BC settlements and Alaska was sold, Russian AND Finnish judges would ban violent criminals to North American pacific coastline. Knight Inlet in BC they robbed crab traps and shot at people, 1917 East Hazelton BC an armed Russian gang robbed the bank at gun point leading to a firefight. These stories of criminal activities are well documented.
Alaska is the perfect training ground to prepare against potential conflicts within the Arctic circle. Russia's aggression with Ukraine has certainly added more reason to be sharp in Alaska.
canada doesn’t have shit for a military
Russia has no desires on Canda or Alaska. This is about NATO's expansion into the Nordic States.
It was a long day let me tell ya standing around for that long killed me
Three Time World War Champ has a nice ring to it.