10th Mountain Division
Encyclopedia
The 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) is a light infantry division
of the United States Army
based at Fort Drum
, New York
. It is a subordinate unit of the XVIII Airborne Corps and the only division-sized element of the U.S. Army to specialize in fighting under harsh terrain and weather conditions. The division retains the "mountain" designation for historical purposes but is actually organized as a light infantry division.
Activated in 1943, the 10th Mountain Division was the last among currently active divisions to enter combat during World War II
. The 10th fought in the mountains of Italy
in some of the roughest terrain in the country. After the war, the division was briefly redesignated as the 10th Infantry Division, a training unit, also seeing brief deployment to Germany before inactivation.
Reactivated in 1985, the division saw numerous deployments to contingencies throughout the 1990s. Division elements participated in Operation Desert Storm (Saudi Arabia
), Hurricane Andrew
disaster relief (Homestead, Florida
), Operation Restore Hope and Operation Continue Hope (Somalia
), Operation Uphold Democracy
(Haiti
), Operation Joint Forge (Bosnia and Herzegovina
), Operation Joint Guardian (Kosovo
), and several deployments as part of the Multinational Force and Observers
(Sinai Peninsula
). Since 2001, the division and its four combat brigades have seen numerous deployments to both Iraq
and Afghanistan
in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, respectively.
, Kansas. Though there was a 10th Infantry Division active in the US Army during World War I
, that division was redesignated the Panama Canal Division after the war, and it shares no connection with the 10th Mountain Division activated during World War II.
In November 1939, during the Soviet Union
's invasion of Finland
, Russian efforts were frustrated following the destruction of two armored divisions by Finnish soldiers on skis
. Upon seeing the effectiveness of these troops, Charles Minot Dole
, the president of the National Ski Patrol
, began to lobby the War Department
of the need for a similar unit of troops in the United States Army, trained for fighting in winter and mountain warfare.
In September 1940, Dole was able to present his case to General George C. Marshall, the Army Chief of Staff
, who agreed with Dole's assessment, deciding to create a "Mountain" unit for fighting in harsh terrain. On 8 December 1941, the Army activated its first mountain unit, the 87th Mountain Infantry Battalion (later the 87th Infantry Regiment) at Fort Lewis, Washington. The 87th trained in harsh conditions, including Mount Rainier
’s 14,411 foot peak. The National Ski Patrol took on the unique role of recruiting for the 87th Infantry Regiment and later the Division. After returning from the Kiska Campaign in the Aleutian Islands near Alaska
, Army commanders decided to expand the concept of mountain warfare for an entire division. The 87th would form the core of this new division.
, Colorado
. The division was centered around regimental commands; the 85th Infantry Regiment
, 86th Infantry Regiment
, and 87th Infantry Regiment. Also assigned to the division were the 604th, 605th, and 616th Field Artillery battalions, the 110th Signal Company, the 710th Ordnance Company, the 10th Quartermaster Company, the 10th Reconnaissance Troop, the 126th Engineer Battalion, the 10th Medical Battalion, and the 10th Counter-Intelligence Detachment. The 10th Light Division was unique in that it was the only division in the Army with three field artillery battalions instead of four.
In 1943–1944 10th Mountain Division was training troops at Seneca Rocks
in West Virginia
in aid climbing
, hand signals and use of muffled piton
hammers. They likely had first ascents on many classic climbing routes, although very few were recorded. During their stay the army hammered over 75,000 piton
s into cliffs of Seneca Rocks
and nearby Champe Rocks
and Nelson Rocks
, many of them still remaining.
The division trained for one year at the 9,200 foot high Camp Hale, which includes the ski slopes of Ski Cooper
. Soldiers trained to fight and survive under the most brutal mountain conditions, fighting with skis and snow shoes and sleeping in the snow without tents. On June 22, 1944, the division was shipped to Camp Swift
, Texas to prepare for maneuvers in Louisiana
, which were later canceled. A period of acclimation to a low altitude and hot climate was necessary to prepare for this training. On November 6, 1944, the 10th Division was redesignated the 10th Mountain Division. That same month the blue and white "Mountain" tab was authorized for the division's new shoulder sleeve insignia.
in late 1944, arriving in Italy
on January 6, 1945. It immediately entered combat near the town of Cutigliano
. Preliminary defensive actions were followed on February 19, 1945 by Battle of Monte Castello
in conjunction with troops of the Brazilian Expeditionary Force
.
The unit made concerted attacks on the Monte Della Torraccia-Mount Belvedere sector and the peaks were cleared after several days of heavy fighting. In early March, the division fought its way north of Canolle and moving to within 15 miles (24.1 km) of Bologna
. Maintaining defensive positions for the next three weeks, the division jumped off again in April, captured Mongiorgio on April 20, and entered the Po Valley
, seizing the strategic points Pradalbino and Bomporto
. The 10th crossed the Po River
on April 23, reaching Verona
April 25, and ran into heavy opposition at Torbole and Nago
. After an amphibious
crossing of Lake Garda
, it secured Gargnano
and Porto di Tremosine, on April 30, as German resistance in Italy ended. After the German surrender in Italy on May 2, 1945, the division went on security duty, receiving the surrender of various German units and screening the areas of occupation near Trieste
, Kobarid
, Bovec
and Log pod Mangartom
, Slovenia until V-E Day, the end of the war in Europe.
, the invasion of mainland Japan. However, Japan surrendered in August 1945 following the Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
. The division returned to the US two days later. It was demobilized and inactivated on November 30, 1945 at Camp Carson, Colorado. During World War II
, the 10th Mountain Division suffered 992 killed in action
and 4,154 wounded in action
in 114 days of combat. Soldiers of the division were awarded one Medal of Honor
(John D. Magrath
), three Distinguished Service Crosses
, one Distinguished Service Medal
, 449 Silver Star Medals, seven Legion of Merit
Medals, 15 Soldier's Medal
s, and 7,729 Bronze Star Medal
s. The division itself was awarded two campaign streamers.
, Kansas
to serve as a training division. Without its "Mountain" tab, the division served as the 10th Infantry Division for the next ten years. The division was charged with processing and training replacements in large numbers. This mission was expanded with the outbreak of the Korean War
in 1950. By 1953, the division had trained 123,000 new Army recruits at Fort Riley.
In 1954, the division was converted to a combat division once again, though it did not regain its "Mountain" status. Using equipment from the deactivating 37th Infantry Division, the 10th Infantry Division was deployed to Germany, replacing the 1st Infantry Division at Würzburg
, serving as part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization defensive force. The division served in Germany for four years, until it was rotated out and replaced by the 3rd Infantry Division. The division moved to Fort Benning, Georgia and was deactivated on 14 June 1958.
, the 27th Infantry Brigade. The division was specially designed as a light infantry
division able to rapidly deploy. Equipment design was oriented toward reduced size and weight for reasons of both strategic and tactical mobility. The division also received a distinctive unit insignia
. A separate aviation brigade for the division was activated in 1988.
Hurricane Andrew
struck South Florida on 24 August 1992, killing 13 people, leaving another 250,000 homeless and causing damages in excess of $20 billion. On 27 September 1992, the 10th Mountain Division assumed responsibility for Hurricane Andrew disaster relief as Task Force
Mountain. Division soldiers set up relief camps, distributed food, clothing, medical necessities and building supplies, as well as helping to rebuild homes and clear debris. The last of the 6,000 division soldiers to deployed to Florida returned home in October 1992.
Steven L. Arnold, the division Commander, was named Army Forces commander. The 10th Mountain Division’s mission was to secure major cities and roads to provide safe passage of relief supplies to the Somali population suffering from the effects of the Somali Civil War
.
Due to 10th Mountain Division efforts, humanitarian agencies declared an end to the food emergency and factional fighting decreased. When Task Force Ranger and the SAR team were pinned down during a raid in what later became known as the Battle of Mogadishu, 10th Mountain units provided infantry for the UN quick reaction force sent to rescue them. The 10th had two soldiers killed in the fighting, which was the longest sustained firefight by regular US Army forces since the Vietnam War
. The division began a gradual reduction of forces in Somalia in February 1994, until the last soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry returned to the United States in March, 1994.
The division formed the nucleus of the Multinational Force Haiti (MNF Haiti) and Joint Task Force 190 (JTF 190) in Haiti during Operation Uphold Democracy
. More than 8,600 of the division's troops deployed during this operation. On 19 September 1994, the 1st Brigade conducted the Army’s first air assault
from aircraft carrier
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower
. This force consisted of 54 helicopters and almost 2,000 soldiers. They occupied the Port-au-Prince International Airport
. This was the largest Army air operation conducted from a carrier since the Doolittle Raid
in World War II.
The division’s mission was to create a secure and stable environment so the government of Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide
could be reestablished and democratic elections held. After this was accomplished, the 10th Mountain Division handed over control of the MNF-Haiti to the 25th Infantry Division on 15 January 1995. The Division redeployed the last of its soldiers who served in Haiti by 31 January 1995.
. Selected division units began deploying in late summer, approximately 3,000 division soldiers deployed. After successfully performing their mission in Bosnia, the division units conducted a Transfer of Authority, relinquishing their assignments to soldiers of the 49th Armored Division, Texas National Guard
. By early summer 2000, all 10th Mountain Division soldiers had returned safely to Fort Drum.
During the 2000 presidential election
, the readiness of the 10th Mountain Division became a political issue when George W. Bush
asserted that the division was "not ready for duty." He attributed the division's low readiness to the frequent deployments throughout the 1990s without time in between for division elements to retrain and refit. A report from the US General Accounting Office in July 2000 also noted that although the entire 10th Mountain Division was not deployed to the contengencies at once, "deployment of key components—especially headquarters—makes these divisions unavailable for deployment elsewhere in case of a major war." Conservative think tank
The Heritage Foundation
agreed with these sentiments, charging that the US military overall was not prepared for war due to post-Cold War
drawdowns of the US Military. The Army responded that, though the 10th Mountain Division had been unprepared following its deployment as Task Force Eagle, that the unit was fully prepared for combat by late 2000 despite being undermanned. Still, the Army moved the 10th Mountain Division down on the deployment list, allowing it time to retrain and refit.
In 2002, columnist and highly decorated military veteran David Hackworth again criticized the 10th Mountain Division for being unprepared due to lack of training, low physical fitness, unprepared leadership and low morale. He said the division was no longer capable of mountain warfare.
and the 1-87th Infantry deployed to Afghanistan
as part of Operation Enduring Freedom in late 2001. These forces remained in the country until mid-2002, fighting to secure remote areas of the country and participating in prominent operations such as Operation Anaconda
, the Fall of Mazar-i-Sharif, and the Battle of Qala-i-Jangi
. The division also participated in fighting in the Shahi Khot Valley in 2002. Upon the return of the battalions, they were welcomed home and praised by President Bush.
In 2003, the division's headquarters, along with the 1st Brigade, returned to Afghanistan. During that time, they operated in the frontier regions of the country such as Paktika Province
, going places previously untouched by the war in search of Taliban and Al-Qaeda
forces. Fighting in several small-scale conflicts such as Operation Avalanche
, Operation Mountain Resolve
, and Operation Mountain Viper
, the division maintained a strategy of small units moving through remote regions of the country to interact directly with the population and drive out insurgents. The 1st Brigade also undertook a number of humanitarian missions.
In 2003 and into 2004, the division's aviation brigade deployed for the first time to Afghanistan
. As the only aviation brigade in the theater, the brigade provided air support for all US Army units operating in the country. The brigade's mission at that time focused on close air support
, medevac
missions, and other duties involving combat with Taliban and Al-Qaeda
forces in the country. The brigade returned to Fort Drum in 2004.
Upon the return of the division headquarters and 1st Brigade, the 10th Mountain Division began the process of transformation
into a modular division. On 16 September 2004, the division headquarters finished its transformation, adding the 10th Mountain Division Special Troops Battalion. The 1st Brigade became the 1st Brigade Combat Team
, while the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division
was activated for the first time. In January 2005, the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division
was activated at Fort Polk
, Louisiana
. 2nd Brigade Combat Team would not be transformed until September 2005, pending a deployment to Iraq
.
In late 2004, 2nd Brigade Combat Team was deployed to Iraq supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. The 2nd Brigade Combat Team undertook combat operations in western Baghdad
, returning to the US in late 2005. Around that time, the 1st Brigade Combat Team deployed back to Iraq, staying in the country until 2006.
, fulfilling a similar role as it did during its previous deployment. During this time, the deployment of the brigade was extended along with that of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, however, it was eventually replaced by the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team
which was rerouted from Iraq.
In winter 2006 the 10th Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, was deployed again to Afghanistan to support Operation Enduring Freedom as the only aviation brigade in the theater, stationed at Bagram Air Base
, Afghanistan. Named "Task Force Falcon," the brigade's mission was to conduct aviation operations to destroy insurgents and anti-coalition militia in an effort to help build the Afghan National Security Force's capability and allow the Afghan government to increase its capabilities. In addition, the Task Force provided logistical and combat support for International Security Assistance Force
forces throughout the country.
After a one-year rest, the headquarters of the 10th Mountain Division was deployed to Iraq for the first time in April 2008. The division headquarters served as the command element for southern Baghdad, while the 4th BCT operated in Northeast Baghdad under the 4th Infantry Division headquarters from November 2007 until January 2009. The 10th Mountain participated in larger scale operations such as Operation Phantom Phoenix
.
The 3rd Brigade Combat Team was slated to deploy to Iraq in 2009, but that deployment was rerouted. In January 2009, the 3rd BCT instead deployed to Logar and Wardak, eastern Afghanistan to relieve the 101st Airborne Division
, as part of a new buildup of US forces in that country. The brigade was responsible for expanding Forward Operating Bases in the region, as well as strengthening US military presence in the region in preparation for additional US forces to arrive.
The 2nd Brigade Combat Team is scheduled to deploy to Iraq in the fall of 2009, as a part of the 2009–2010 rotation to Iraq. The 1st Brigade Combat Team was scheduled to deploy to Iraq in late 2009, but deployed instead to Afghanistan in March 2010.
The 3rd Brigade Combat Team deployed to Afghanistan in March 2011
, which documented its exploits during World War II. The 10th Mountain Division is also a prominent element of the book and film Black Hawk Down, which portrays the Battle of Mogadishu and the division's participation in that conflict. Among the division's other appearances are the Tom Clancy
novel Clear and Present Danger
, and the SCI FI 2005 film Manticore
.
10th Mountain Division veterans were monumental in the post World War II
development of skiing
as a vacation industry and big name sport. Ex-soldiers from the 10th laid out ski hills, designed ski lift
s, became ski coaches, racers, instructors, patrollers
, shop owners, and filmmakers
. They wrote and published ski magazines, opened ski school
s, improved ski equipment, and developed ski resorts.
Soldiers who served with the 10th Mountain Division later went on to achieve notability in other fields. Among these are anthropologist Eric Wolf
, mathematician
Franz Alt
, avalanche
researcher and forecasting pioneer Montgomery Atwater
, Congressman Les AuCoin
, noted mountaineer
Fred Beckey
, United States Ski Team
member and Black Mountain of Maine
resort co-founder Chummy Broomhall
, former American track and field coach and co-founder of Nike, Inc.
Bill Bowerman
, former Executive Director and Sierra Club leader David R. Brower
, former United States Ski Team
member World War II
civilian mountaineer trainer H. Adams Carter
, former Senate Majority Leader and Presidential candidate Bob Dole
, Former American distance record holder in Ski Jumping, founder of The Snow Valley Resort in Southern California and U.S. National Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame inductee 1968 John Elvrum, Olympic equestrian
Earl Foster Thomson
, founder of the National Ski Patrol
Charles Minot Dole
, mathematician
and electrical engineer Viktor Serspinski, painter Gino Hollander
, Paleoclimatologist
John Imbrie
, theoretical physicist Francis E. Low
, US downhill ski champion Toni Matt
, falconer and educator Morley Nelson
, comic book artist Earl Norem
, founder of National Outdoor Leadership School
and The Wilderness Education Association Paul Petzoldt
, world downhill ski champion Walter Prager
, World War II civilian ski instructor and division trainer Johannes Schneider, founder of VAIL Ski Resort Pete Seibert
, member of the famous von Trapp family
singers Werner von Trapp
, civilian technical adviser Fritz Wiessner
, William John Wolfgram
, Olympic Ski jumper Gordon Wren
, Massachusetts Congressional candidate Nathan Bech
, leader of Chalk 4 during the Battle of Mogadishu Matt Eversmann, Middle East
analyst, blogger, and author Andrew Exum
, and author Craig Mullaney
., Joseph Yorio
, President and CEO of Xe Services
Additionally, two members of the division have been awarded the Medal of Honor
. John D. Magrath
was the first person in the 10th Mountain Division to receive this award during World War II in 1945. The second, Jared C. Monti
is the only other person from the 10th Mountain Division to receive the medal, which he did in 2009 for Operation Enduring Freedom.
The 10th Mountain Division contains four subordinate Brigade Combat Team
s, a Combat Aviation Brigade
, and a Special Troops Battalion
. The division is the only one in the U.S. Army to specialize in fighting under adverse weather and terrain conditions.
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
of the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
based at Fort Drum
Fort Drum
Fort Drum is a United States Army base in New York near the Canadian border.Fort Drum may also refer to:*Fort Drum, Florida, a nearly-uninhabited town in the United States*Fort Drum , Philippines...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. It is a subordinate unit of the XVIII Airborne Corps and the only division-sized element of the U.S. Army to specialize in fighting under harsh terrain and weather conditions. The division retains the "mountain" designation for historical purposes but is actually organized as a light infantry division.
Activated in 1943, the 10th Mountain Division was the last among currently active divisions to enter combat during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The 10th fought in the mountains of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in some of the roughest terrain in the country. After the war, the division was briefly redesignated as the 10th Infantry Division, a training unit, also seeing brief deployment to Germany before inactivation.
Reactivated in 1985, the division saw numerous deployments to contingencies throughout the 1990s. Division elements participated in Operation Desert Storm (Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
), Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew was the third Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the United States, after the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 and Hurricane Camille in 1969. Andrew was the first named storm and only major hurricane of the otherwise inactive 1992 Atlantic hurricane season...
disaster relief (Homestead, Florida
Homestead, Florida
Homestead is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States nestled between Biscayne National Park to the east and Everglades National Park to the west. Homestead is primarily a Miami suburb and a major agricultural area....
), Operation Restore Hope and Operation Continue Hope (Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
), Operation Uphold Democracy
Operation Uphold Democracy
Operation Uphold Democracy was an intervention designed to remove the military regime installed by the 1991 Haitian coup d'état that overthrew the elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide...
(Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
), Operation Joint Forge (Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
), Operation Joint Guardian (Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
), and several deployments as part of the Multinational Force and Observers
Multinational Force and Observers
The Multinational Force and Observers is an international peacekeeping force overseeing the terms of the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.-Background:...
(Sinai Peninsula
Sinai Peninsula
The Sinai Peninsula or Sinai is a triangular peninsula in Egypt about in area. It is situated between the Mediterranean Sea to the north, and the Red Sea to the south, and is the only part of Egyptian territory located in Asia as opposed to Africa, effectively serving as a land bridge between two...
). Since 2001, the division and its four combat brigades have seen numerous deployments to both Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, respectively.
Origins
The 10th Division was originally organized in 1918 as a regular army and national army division for World War I. However, it did not go overseas and demobilized in February 1919 at Camp FunstonCamp Funston
Camp Funston is located on Fort Riley, and is located southwest of Manhattan, Kansas. The camp was named for Brigadier General Frederick Funston . Camp Funston was one of sixteen Divisional Cantonment Training Camps established at the outbreak of World War I...
, Kansas. Though there was a 10th Infantry Division active in the US Army during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, that division was redesignated the Panama Canal Division after the war, and it shares no connection with the 10th Mountain Division activated during World War II.
In November 1939, during the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
's invasion of Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, Russian efforts were frustrated following the destruction of two armored divisions by Finnish soldiers on skis
Ski warfare
Ski warfare, the use of ski-equipped troops in war, is first recorded by the Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus in the 13th century. The speed and distance that ski troops are able to cover is comparable to that of light cavalry.-History:...
. Upon seeing the effectiveness of these troops, Charles Minot Dole
Charles Minot Dole
Charles Minot "Minnie" Dole was the founder of the National Ski Patrol.Minnie Dole formed the National Ski Patrol in 1938 and was director of the organization until 1950....
, the president of the National Ski Patrol
National ski patrol
The National Ski Patrol is the largest winter rescue organization in the world. It was founded in 1938 by Charles Minot Dole, at the urging of Roger Langley...
, began to lobby the War Department
United States Department of War
The United States Department of War, also called the War Department , was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army...
of the need for a similar unit of troops in the United States Army, trained for fighting in winter and mountain warfare.
In September 1940, Dole was able to present his case to General George C. Marshall, the Army Chief of Staff
Chief of Staff of the United States Army
The Chief of Staff of the Army is a statutory office held by a four-star general in the United States Army, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Army, and as such is the principal military advisor and a deputy to the Secretary of the Army; and is in...
, who agreed with Dole's assessment, deciding to create a "Mountain" unit for fighting in harsh terrain. On 8 December 1941, the Army activated its first mountain unit, the 87th Mountain Infantry Battalion (later the 87th Infantry Regiment) at Fort Lewis, Washington. The 87th trained in harsh conditions, including Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier is a massive stratovolcano located southeast of Seattle in the state of Washington, United States. It is the most topographically prominent mountain in the contiguous United States and the Cascade Volcanic Arc, with a summit elevation of . Mt. Rainier is considered one of the most...
’s 14,411 foot peak. The National Ski Patrol took on the unique role of recruiting for the 87th Infantry Regiment and later the Division. After returning from the Kiska Campaign in the Aleutian Islands near Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, Army commanders decided to expand the concept of mountain warfare for an entire division. The 87th would form the core of this new division.
World War II
The 10th Light Division (Alpine) was constituted on July 10, 1943 and activated two days later at Camp HaleCamp Hale
Camp Hale, between Red Cliff and Leadville in the Eagle River valley in Colorado, was a U.S. Army training facility constructed in 1942 for what became the 10th Mountain Division. It was named for General Irving Hale....
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. The division was centered around regimental commands; the 85th Infantry Regiment
85th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 85th Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment in the United States Army.-History:The 85th Infantry was briefly activated during WWI but never sent overseas then reactivated during WWII at Camp Hale in 1942, with 3 Battalions, and attached to the 10th Mountain Division.-Lineage:Constuted 31...
, 86th Infantry Regiment
86th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 86th Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment in the United States Army.-History:The 86th Infantry was briefly activated during WWI but never sent overseas, then reactivated during WWII at Camp Hale in 1942, with 3 Battalions, and attached to the 10th Mountain Division.-Lineage:Constuted 31...
, and 87th Infantry Regiment. Also assigned to the division were the 604th, 605th, and 616th Field Artillery battalions, the 110th Signal Company, the 710th Ordnance Company, the 10th Quartermaster Company, the 10th Reconnaissance Troop, the 126th Engineer Battalion, the 10th Medical Battalion, and the 10th Counter-Intelligence Detachment. The 10th Light Division was unique in that it was the only division in the Army with three field artillery battalions instead of four.
In 1943–1944 10th Mountain Division was training troops at Seneca Rocks
Seneca Rocks
Seneca Rocks is a large crag and local landmark in Pendleton County in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, USA. It is easily visible and accessible along West Virginia Route 28 near U.S. Route 33 in the Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area of the Monongahela National Forest...
in West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
in aid climbing
Aid climbing
Aid climbing is a style of climbing in which standing on or pulling oneself up via devices attached to fixed or placed protection is used to make upward progress....
, hand signals and use of muffled piton
Piton
In climbing, a piton is a metal spike that is driven into a crack or seam in the rock with a hammer, and which acts as an anchor to protect the climber against the consequences of a fall, or to assist progress in aid climbing...
hammers. They likely had first ascents on many classic climbing routes, although very few were recorded. During their stay the army hammered over 75,000 piton
Piton
In climbing, a piton is a metal spike that is driven into a crack or seam in the rock with a hammer, and which acts as an anchor to protect the climber against the consequences of a fall, or to assist progress in aid climbing...
s into cliffs of Seneca Rocks
Seneca Rocks
Seneca Rocks is a large crag and local landmark in Pendleton County in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, USA. It is easily visible and accessible along West Virginia Route 28 near U.S. Route 33 in the Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area of the Monongahela National Forest...
and nearby Champe Rocks
Champe Rocks
Champe Rocks are a pair of large crags in Pendleton County in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, USA. Easily visible from West Virginia Route 28, they are situated within the Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area...
and Nelson Rocks
Nelson Rocks
Nelson Rocks Outdoor Center , previously known as Nelson Rocks Preserve, is an outdoor recreation area located in the North Fork Valley of Pendleton County, West Virginia...
, many of them still remaining.
The division trained for one year at the 9,200 foot high Camp Hale, which includes the ski slopes of Ski Cooper
Ski Cooper
Ski Cooper, which opened as Cooper Hill Ski Area in 1941, is a small alpine ski resort in Colorado. It has one double, one triple, two poma lifts, and one carrot lift...
. Soldiers trained to fight and survive under the most brutal mountain conditions, fighting with skis and snow shoes and sleeping in the snow without tents. On June 22, 1944, the division was shipped to Camp Swift
Camp Swift, Texas
Camp Swift is a census-designated place in Bastrop County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,731 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Camp Swift is located at...
, Texas to prepare for maneuvers in Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, which were later canceled. A period of acclimation to a low altitude and hot climate was necessary to prepare for this training. On November 6, 1944, the 10th Division was redesignated the 10th Mountain Division. That same month the blue and white "Mountain" tab was authorized for the division's new shoulder sleeve insignia.
Italy
The division sailed for ItalyItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in late 1944, arriving in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
on January 6, 1945. It immediately entered combat near the town of Cutigliano
Cutigliano
Cutigliano is a comune in the province of Pistoia in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 50 km northwest of Florence and about 25 km northwest of Pistoia....
. Preliminary defensive actions were followed on February 19, 1945 by Battle of Monte Castello
Battle of Monte Castello
The Battle of Monte Castello was an engagement which took place from 25 November 1944 to 22 February 1945 during the Italian campaign. It was fought between the Allied forces advancing into northern Italy and dug-in German defenders. The battle marked the Brazilian Expeditionary Force's entry into...
in conjunction with troops of the Brazilian Expeditionary Force
Brazilian Expeditionary Force
The Brazilian Expeditionary Force or BEF was a force about 25,700 men and women arranged by the Army and Air Force to fight alongside the Allied forces in the Mediterranean Theatre of World War II...
.
The unit made concerted attacks on the Monte Della Torraccia-Mount Belvedere sector and the peaks were cleared after several days of heavy fighting. In early March, the division fought its way north of Canolle and moving to within 15 miles (24.1 km) of Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
. Maintaining defensive positions for the next three weeks, the division jumped off again in April, captured Mongiorgio on April 20, and entered the Po Valley
Po River
The Po |Ligurian]]: Bodincus or Bodencus) is a river that flows either or – considering the length of the Maira, a right bank tributary – eastward across northern Italy, from a spring seeping from a stony hillside at Pian del Re, a flat place at the head of the Val Po under the northwest face...
, seizing the strategic points Pradalbino and Bomporto
Bomporto
Bomporto is a comune in the Province of Modena in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about 35 km northwest of Bologna and about 12 km northeast of Modena...
. The 10th crossed the Po River
Po River
The Po |Ligurian]]: Bodincus or Bodencus) is a river that flows either or – considering the length of the Maira, a right bank tributary – eastward across northern Italy, from a spring seeping from a stony hillside at Pian del Re, a flat place at the head of the Val Po under the northwest face...
on April 23, reaching Verona
Verona
Verona ; German Bern, Dietrichsbern or Welschbern) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy, with approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of North-Eastern Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona...
April 25, and ran into heavy opposition at Torbole and Nago
Nago-Torbole
Nago-Torbole is a comune in Trentino in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 30 km southwest of Trento on the north shore of Lake Garda...
. After an amphibious
Amphibious warfare
Amphibious warfare is the use of naval firepower, logistics and strategy to project military power ashore. In previous eras it stood as the primary method of delivering troops to non-contiguous enemy-held terrain...
crossing of Lake Garda
Lake Garda
Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy. It is located in Northern Italy, about half-way between Brescia and Verona, and between Venice and Milan. Glaciers formed this alpine region at the end of the last ice age...
, it secured Gargnano
Gargnano
Gargnano is a town and comune in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy.The municipal territory includes the artificial Valvestino Lake, created in 1962....
and Porto di Tremosine, on April 30, as German resistance in Italy ended. After the German surrender in Italy on May 2, 1945, the division went on security duty, receiving the surrender of various German units and screening the areas of occupation near Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
, Kobarid
Kobarid
Kobarid is a town and a municipality in the upper Soča valley, western Slovenia, near the Italian border.Kobarid is known for the famous Battle of Caporetto, where the Italian retreat was documented by Ernest Hemingway in his novel A Farewell to Arms. The battle is well documented in the museum in...
, Bovec
Bovec
Bovec is a small city and municipality in northwestern Slovenia. The city of Bovec lies in the Bovec Basin in the Soča Valley below the Kanin mountain in the Julian Alps.-Geographical location:...
and Log pod Mangartom
Log pod Mangartom
Log pod Mangartom or Log pod Mangrtom is a settlement in the Municipality of Bovec in the Littoral region of Slovenia...
, Slovenia until V-E Day, the end of the war in Europe.
Demobilization
Originally, the division was to be sent to the Pacific theater to take part in Operation DownfallOperation Downfall
Operation Downfall was the Allied plan for the invasion of Japan near the end of World War II. The operation was cancelled when Japan surrendered after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Soviet Union's declaration of war against Japan. The operation had two parts: Operation...
, the invasion of mainland Japan. However, Japan surrendered in August 1945 following the Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
During the final stages of World War II in 1945, the United States conducted two atomic bombings against the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, the first on August 6, 1945, and the second on August 9, 1945. These two events are the only use of nuclear weapons in war to date.For six months...
. The division returned to the US two days later. It was demobilized and inactivated on November 30, 1945 at Camp Carson, Colorado. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the 10th Mountain Division suffered 992 killed in action
Killed in action
Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
and 4,154 wounded in action
Wounded in action
Wounded in action describes soldiers who have been wounded while fighting in a combat zone during war time, but have not been killed. Typically it implies that they are temporarily or permanently incapable of bearing arms or continuing to fight....
in 114 days of combat. Soldiers of the division were awarded one Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
(John D. Magrath
John D. Magrath
John D. Magrath was a soldier in the U.S. Army who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions and sacrifice of life during World War II for actions occurring in Italy on April 14, 1945. He served in the 10th Mountain Division...
), three Distinguished Service Crosses
Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree...
, one Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal (United States)
The Distinguished Service Medal is the highest non-valorous military and civilian decoration of the United States military which is issued for exceptionally meritorious service to the government of the United States in either a senior government service position or as a senior officer of the United...
, 449 Silver Star Medals, seven Legion of Merit
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
Medals, 15 Soldier's Medal
Soldier's Medal
The Soldier's Medal is a military award of the United States Army. It was introduced as Section 11 of the Air Corps Act, passed by the Congress of the United States on July 2, 1926...
s, and 7,729 Bronze Star Medal
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
s. The division itself was awarded two campaign streamers.
Cold War
In June 1948, the division was rebuilt and activated at Fort RileyFort Riley
Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in Northeast Kansas, on the Kansas River, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 100,656 acres in Geary and Riley counties and includes two census-designated places: Fort Riley North and Fort...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
to serve as a training division. Without its "Mountain" tab, the division served as the 10th Infantry Division for the next ten years. The division was charged with processing and training replacements in large numbers. This mission was expanded with the outbreak of the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
in 1950. By 1953, the division had trained 123,000 new Army recruits at Fort Riley.
In 1954, the division was converted to a combat division once again, though it did not regain its "Mountain" status. Using equipment from the deactivating 37th Infantry Division, the 10th Infantry Division was deployed to Germany, replacing the 1st Infantry Division at Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
, serving as part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization defensive force. The division served in Germany for four years, until it was rotated out and replaced by the 3rd Infantry Division. The division moved to Fort Benning, Georgia and was deactivated on 14 June 1958.
Reactivation
On 13 February 1985, the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) was reactivated at Fort Drum, New York. In accordance with the Reorganization Objective Army Divisions plan, the division was no longer centered around regiments, instead two brigades were activated under the division. The 1st Brigade, 10th Mountain Division was activated at Fort Drum while the 2nd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division was activated at Fort Benning, moving to Fort Drum in 1988. The division was also assigned a round-out brigade from the Army National GuardArmy National Guard
Established under Title 10 and Title 32 of the U.S. Code, the Army National Guard is part of the National Guard and is divided up into subordinate units stationed in each of the 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia operating under their respective governors...
, the 27th Infantry Brigade. The division was specially designed as a light infantry
Light infantry
Traditionally light infantry were soldiers whose job was to provide a skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of infantry, harassing and delaying the enemy advance. Light infantry was distinct from medium, heavy or line infantry. Heavy infantry were dedicated primarily to fighting in tight...
division able to rapidly deploy. Equipment design was oriented toward reduced size and weight for reasons of both strategic and tactical mobility. The division also received a distinctive unit insignia
Distinctive unit insignia
A Distinctive Unit Insignia is a metal heraldic device worn by soldiers in the United States Army. The DUI design is derived from the coat of arms authorized for a unit...
. A separate aviation brigade for the division was activated in 1988.
Contingencies
In 1990, the division sent 1,200 soldiers to support Operation Desert Storm. The largest of these units was the 548th Supply and Services Battalion with almost 1,000 soldiers, which supported the 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized) in Iraq. Following a cease-fire in March 1991, the support soldiers began redeploying to Fort Drum through June of that year.Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew was the third Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the United States, after the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 and Hurricane Camille in 1969. Andrew was the first named storm and only major hurricane of the otherwise inactive 1992 Atlantic hurricane season...
struck South Florida on 24 August 1992, killing 13 people, leaving another 250,000 homeless and causing damages in excess of $20 billion. On 27 September 1992, the 10th Mountain Division assumed responsibility for Hurricane Andrew disaster relief as Task Force
Task force
A task force is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology...
Mountain. Division soldiers set up relief camps, distributed food, clothing, medical necessities and building supplies, as well as helping to rebuild homes and clear debris. The last of the 6,000 division soldiers to deployed to Florida returned home in October 1992.
Operation Restore Hope
On 3 December 1992, the division headquarters was designated as the headquarters for all Army Forces (ARFOR) of the Unified Task Force (UNITAF) for Operation Restore Hope. Major GeneralMajor General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Steven L. Arnold, the division Commander, was named Army Forces commander. The 10th Mountain Division’s mission was to secure major cities and roads to provide safe passage of relief supplies to the Somali population suffering from the effects of the Somali Civil War
Somali Civil War
The Somali Civil War is an ongoing civil war taking place in Somalia. The conflict, which began in 1991, has caused destabilisation throughout the country, with the current phase of the conflict seeing the Somali government losing substantial control of the state to rebel forces...
.
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. The division began a gradual reduction of forces in Somalia in February 1994, until the last soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry returned to the United States in March, 1994.
Operation Uphold Democracy
Operation Uphold Democracy
Operation Uphold Democracy was an intervention designed to remove the military regime installed by the 1991 Haitian coup d'état that overthrew the elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide...
. More than 8,600 of the division's troops deployed during this operation. On 19 September 1994, the 1st Brigade conducted the Army’s first air assault
Air assault
Air assault is the movement of ground-based military forces by vertical take-off and landing aircraft—such as the helicopter—to seize and hold key terrain which has not been fully secured, and to directly engage enemy forces...
from aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69)
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower is an aircraft carrier currently in service with the United States Navy. Commissioned in 1977, the ship is the second of the ten Nimitz-class supercarriers currently in service, and is the first ship named after the thirty-fourth President of the United States, Dwight D....
. This force consisted of 54 helicopters and almost 2,000 soldiers. They occupied the Port-au-Prince International Airport
Port-au-Prince International Airport
Toussaint Louverture International Airport is an international airport located in Tabarre, near Port-au-Prince in Haiti. The airport is currently the busiest in Haiti.- History :...
. This was the largest Army air operation conducted from a carrier since the Doolittle Raid
Doolittle Raid
The Doolittle Raid, on 18 April 1942, was the first air raid by the United States to strike the Japanese Home Islands during World War II. By demonstrating that Japan itself was vulnerable to American air attack, it provided a vital morale boost and opportunity for U.S. retaliation after the...
in World War II.
The division’s mission was to create a secure and stable environment so the government of Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide
Jean-Bertrand Aristide
Jean-Bertrand Aristide is a Haitian former Catholic priest and politician who served as Haiti's first democratically elected president. A proponent of liberation theology, Aristide was appointed to a parish in Port-au-Prince in 1982 after completing his studies...
could be reestablished and democratic elections held. After this was accomplished, the 10th Mountain Division handed over control of the MNF-Haiti to the 25th Infantry Division on 15 January 1995. The Division redeployed the last of its soldiers who served in Haiti by 31 January 1995.
Task Force Eagle
In the fall of 1998, the division received notice that it would be serving as senior headquarters of Task Force Eagle, providing a peacekeeping force to support the ongoing operation within the Multi-National Division-North area of responsibility in Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
. Selected division units began deploying in late summer, approximately 3,000 division soldiers deployed. After successfully performing their mission in Bosnia, the division units conducted a Transfer of Authority, relinquishing their assignments to soldiers of the 49th Armored Division, Texas National Guard
Texas National Guard
The Texas National Guard consists of the Texas Army National Guard and the Texas Air National Guard. The Guard is administered by the adjutant general, an appointee of the governor of Texas. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and state...
. By early summer 2000, all 10th Mountain Division soldiers had returned safely to Fort Drum.
Readiness controversy
United States presidential election, 2000
The United States presidential election of 2000 was a contest between Republican candidate George W. Bush, then-governor of Texas and son of former president George H. W. Bush , and Democratic candidate Al Gore, then-Vice President....
, the readiness of the 10th Mountain Division became a political issue when George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
asserted that the division was "not ready for duty." He attributed the division's low readiness to the frequent deployments throughout the 1990s without time in between for division elements to retrain and refit. A report from the US General Accounting Office in July 2000 also noted that although the entire 10th Mountain Division was not deployed to the contengencies at once, "deployment of key components—especially headquarters—makes these divisions unavailable for deployment elsewhere in case of a major war." Conservative think tank
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
The Heritage Foundation
The Heritage Foundation
The Heritage Foundation is a conservative American think tank based in Washington, D.C. Heritage's stated mission is to "formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong...
agreed with these sentiments, charging that the US military overall was not prepared for war due to post-Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
drawdowns of the US Military. The Army responded that, though the 10th Mountain Division had been unprepared following its deployment as Task Force Eagle, that the unit was fully prepared for combat by late 2000 despite being undermanned. Still, the Army moved the 10th Mountain Division down on the deployment list, allowing it time to retrain and refit.
In 2002, columnist and highly decorated military veteran David Hackworth again criticized the 10th Mountain Division for being unprepared due to lack of training, low physical fitness, unprepared leadership and low morale. He said the division was no longer capable of mountain warfare.
Initial deployments
Following the 11 September 2001 attacks, elements of the division, including its special troops battalionSpecial Troops Battalion
A Special Troops Battalion is an organic unit of a modular brigade, Division , corps or higher echelon United States Army organization...
and the 1-87th Infantry deployed to Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
as part of Operation Enduring Freedom in late 2001. These forces remained in the country until mid-2002, fighting to secure remote areas of the country and participating in prominent operations such as Operation Anaconda
Operation Anaconda
Operation Anaconda took place in early March 2002 in which the United States military and CIA Paramilitary Officers, working with allied Afghan military forces, and other North Atlantic Treaty Organization and non NATO forces attempted to destroy al-Qaeda and Taliban forces in the Shahi-Kot...
, the Fall of Mazar-i-Sharif, and the Battle of Qala-i-Jangi
Battle of Qala-i-Jangi
The Battle of Qala-i-Jangi took place between November 25 and December 1, 2001, in Northern Afghanistan. It began with the uprising of foreign Taliban prisoners held at Qala-i-Jangi fortress, and escalated into one of the bloodiest engagements of the War in Afghanistan...
. The division also participated in fighting in the Shahi Khot Valley in 2002. Upon the return of the battalions, they were welcomed home and praised by President Bush.
In 2003, the division's headquarters, along with the 1st Brigade, returned to Afghanistan. During that time, they operated in the frontier regions of the country such as Paktika Province
Paktika Province
Paktika is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the south-east of the country. Most of the population is Pashtun. Its capital is Sharan.-Political and military situation:...
, going places previously untouched by the war in search of Taliban and Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
forces. Fighting in several small-scale conflicts such as Operation Avalanche
Operation Avalanche (Afghanistan)
Operation Avalanche was a four-week U.S.-led offensive in December 2003 designed to disrupt a resurgence in militant activity in the southeastern territory of Afghanistan and to establish conditions for the provision of humanitarian aid. Described by the U.S...
, Operation Mountain Resolve
Operation Mountain Resolve
Operation Mountain Resolve was launched by a coalition led by the United States on 7 November 2003 in the Nuristan province and Kunar province in Afghanistan. It involved an airdrop into the Hindu Kush mountains by the U.S...
, and Operation Mountain Viper
Operation Mountain Viper
In Operation Mountain Viper, the United States Army and the Afghan National Army worked together from August 30 to early September, 2003, to uncover hundreds of suspected Taliban rebels dug into the mountains of Daychopan district, Zabul province, Afghanistan.The Operation killed an estimated 124...
, the division maintained a strategy of small units moving through remote regions of the country to interact directly with the population and drive out insurgents. The 1st Brigade also undertook a number of humanitarian missions.
In 2003 and into 2004, the division's aviation brigade deployed for the first time to Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. As the only aviation brigade in the theater, the brigade provided air support for all US Army units operating in the country. The brigade's mission at that time focused on close air support
Close air support
In military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces.The determining factor for CAS is...
, medevac
MEDEVAC
Medical evacuation, often termed Medevac or Medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to the wounded being evacuated from the battlefield or to injured patients being evacuated from the scene of an accident to receiving medical facilities using...
missions, and other duties involving combat with Taliban and Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
forces in the country. The brigade returned to Fort Drum in 2004.
Reorganization and Iraq deployments
Transformation of the United States Army
Army Transformation describes the future-concept of the United States Army's plan of modernization. Transformation is a generalized term for the integration of new concepts, organizations, and technology within the armed forces of the United States....
into a modular division. On 16 September 2004, the division headquarters finished its transformation, adding the 10th Mountain Division Special Troops Battalion. The 1st Brigade became the 1st Brigade Combat Team
Brigade combat team
The brigade combat team is the basic deployable unit of maneuver in the US Army. A brigade combat team consists of one combat arms branch maneuver brigade, and its attached support and fire units. A brigade combat team is generally commanded by a colonel , but in rare instances it is commanded by...
, while the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division
3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (United States)
The 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division is an infantry Brigade Combat Team of the United States Army based at Fort Drum, New York...
was activated for the first time. In January 2005, the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division
4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (United States)
The 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division is a mountain warfare infantry Brigade Combat Team of the United States Army based at Fort Polk, Louisiana...
was activated at Fort Polk
Fort Polk
Fort Polk is a United States Army installation located in Vernon Parish, approximately 7 miles east of Leesville, Louisiana and 20 miles north of DeRidder, Louisiana....
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. 2nd Brigade Combat Team would not be transformed until September 2005, pending a deployment to Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
.
In late 2004, 2nd Brigade Combat Team was deployed to Iraq supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. The 2nd Brigade Combat Team undertook combat operations in western Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
, returning to the US in late 2005. Around that time, the 1st Brigade Combat Team deployed back to Iraq, staying in the country until 2006.
Recent deployments
The division headquarters, 3rd Brigade Combat Team and two Battalion Task Forces from the 4th Brigade Combat Team deployed to Afghanistan in 2006, staying in the country until 2007. The division and brigade served in the eastern region of the country, along the border with PakistanPakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, fulfilling a similar role as it did during its previous deployment. During this time, the deployment of the brigade was extended along with that of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, however, it was eventually replaced by the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team
173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team
The 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team is an airborne infantry brigade combat team of the United States Army based in Vicenza, Italy...
which was rerouted from Iraq.
In winter 2006 the 10th Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, was deployed again to Afghanistan to support Operation Enduring Freedom as the only aviation brigade in the theater, stationed at Bagram Air Base
Bagram Air Base
Bagram Airfield, also referred to as Bagram Air Base, is a militarized airport and housing complex that is located next to the ancient city of Bagram, southeast of Charikar in Parwan province of Afghanistan. The base is run by a US Army division headed by a major general. A large part of the base,...
, Afghanistan. Named "Task Force Falcon," the brigade's mission was to conduct aviation operations to destroy insurgents and anti-coalition militia in an effort to help build the Afghan National Security Force's capability and allow the Afghan government to increase its capabilities. In addition, the Task Force provided logistical and combat support for International Security Assistance Force
International Security Assistance Force
The International Security Assistance Force is a NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan established by the United Nations Security Council on 20 December 2001 by Resolution 1386 as envisaged by the Bonn Agreement...
forces throughout the country.
After a one-year rest, the headquarters of the 10th Mountain Division was deployed to Iraq for the first time in April 2008. The division headquarters served as the command element for southern Baghdad, while the 4th BCT operated in Northeast Baghdad under the 4th Infantry Division headquarters from November 2007 until January 2009. The 10th Mountain participated in larger scale operations such as Operation Phantom Phoenix
Operation Phantom Phoenix
Operation Phantom Phoenix was a major nation-wide offensive launched by the Multinational Force Iraq on January 8, 2008 in an attempt to build on the success of the two previous corps-level operations, Operation Phantom Thunder and Operation Phantom Strike and further reduce violence and secure...
.
The 3rd Brigade Combat Team was slated to deploy to Iraq in 2009, but that deployment was rerouted. In January 2009, the 3rd BCT instead deployed to Logar and Wardak, eastern Afghanistan to relieve the 101st Airborne Division
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
, as part of a new buildup of US forces in that country. The brigade was responsible for expanding Forward Operating Bases in the region, as well as strengthening US military presence in the region in preparation for additional US forces to arrive.
The 2nd Brigade Combat Team is scheduled to deploy to Iraq in the fall of 2009, as a part of the 2009–2010 rotation to Iraq. The 1st Brigade Combat Team was scheduled to deploy to Iraq in late 2009, but deployed instead to Afghanistan in March 2010.
The 3rd Brigade Combat Team deployed to Afghanistan in March 2011
Honors
The 10th Mountain Division was awarded two campaign streamers in World War II and four campaign streamers in the War on Terrorism for a total of six campaign streamers and two unit decorations in its operational history. Note that some of the division's brigades received more or fewer decorations depending on their individual deployments.Unit decorations
| Ribbon | Award | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Meritorious Unit Commendation Meritorious Unit Commendation The Meritorious Unit Commendation is a mid-level unit award of the United States military which is awarded to any military command which displays exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service, heroic deeds, or valorous actions.... (Army) |
2001–2002 | for service in Central Asia |
|
Meritorious Unit Commendation Meritorious Unit Commendation The Meritorious Unit Commendation is a mid-level unit award of the United States military which is awarded to any military command which displays exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service, heroic deeds, or valorous actions.... (Army) |
2003–2004 | for service in Afghanistan |
|
Meritorious Unit Commendation Meritorious Unit Commendation The Meritorious Unit Commendation is a mid-level unit award of the United States military which is awarded to any military command which displays exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service, heroic deeds, or valorous actions.... (Army) |
2008–2009 | for service in Iraq |
Campaign streamers
| Conflict | Streamer | Year(s) |
|---|---|---|
| World War II World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... |
North Apennines | 1945 |
| World War II World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... |
Po Valley | 1945 |
| Operation Enduring Freedom | Afghanistan | 2001—2002 |
| Operation Enduring Freedom | Afghanistan | 2003—2004 |
| Operation Enduring Freedom | Afghanistan | 2006—2007 |
| Operation Iraqi Freedom | Iraq | 2008—2009 |
Legacy
The 10th Mountain Division was the subject of the 1996 film Fire on the MountainFire on the Mountain (1996 film)
Fire on the Mountain is a 1996 documentary about the 10th Mountain Division during World War II. The film follows the division from its training at Camp Hale in Colorado through its campaign in Italy. The end of the film shows the careers of 10th Mountain Division veterans, who were involved in...
, which documented its exploits during World War II. The 10th Mountain Division is also a prominent element of the book and film Black Hawk Down, which portrays the Battle of Mogadishu and the division's participation in that conflict. Among the division's other appearances are the Tom Clancy
Tom Clancy
Thomas Leo "Tom" Clancy, Jr. is an American author, best known for his technically detailed espionage, military science, and techno thriller storylines set during and in the aftermath of the Cold War, along with video games on which he did not work, but which bear his name for licensing and...
novel Clear and Present Danger
Clear and Present Danger
Clear and Present Danger is a novel by Tom Clancy, written in 1989, and is a canonical part of the Jack Ryan universe. In the novel, Jack Ryan is thrown into the position of CIA Acting Deputy Director and discovers that he is being kept in the dark by his colleagues who are conducting a covert war...
, and the SCI FI 2005 film Manticore
Manticore (film)
Manticore is a Sci Fi original movie that aired on the Sci Fi Channel on November 26, 2005. It was directed by Tripp Reed and featured Heather Donahue, Chase Masterson and Robert Beltran...
.
10th Mountain Division veterans were monumental in the post World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
development of skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
as a vacation industry and big name sport. Ex-soldiers from the 10th laid out ski hills, designed ski lift
Ski lift
The term ski lift generally refers to any transport device that carries skiers up a hill. A ski lift may fall into one of the following three main classes:-Lift systems and networks:...
s, became ski coaches, racers, instructors, patrollers
Ski patrol
A Ski Patrol is an organization that provides Emergency Medical and rescue services to skiers and participants of other snow sports, either at a ski area or in a back country setting. Patrollers are trained in Basic or Advanced Life Support to stabilize and transport patients to definitive care,...
, shop owners, and filmmakers
Skiing and snowboarding on film and video
Skiing has been recorded on film since at least the 1910s, but did not work its way into Hollywood features until the 1930s, when it began to be popular as a leisure activity in the United States...
. They wrote and published ski magazines, opened ski school
Ski school
A ski school is an establishment that trains skiers. The modern version of the ski school was invented by the Austrian ski pioneer Hannes Schneider in the early 1920s when he formalized instruction methods and established these methods as teaching principles for all ski instructors at his school.In...
s, improved ski equipment, and developed ski resorts.
Soldiers who served with the 10th Mountain Division later went on to achieve notability in other fields. Among these are anthropologist Eric Wolf
Eric Wolf
Eric Robert Wolf was an anthropologist, best known for his studies of peasants, Latin America, and his advocacy of Marxian perspectives within anthropology.-Early life:...
, mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
Franz Alt
Franz Alt (mathematician)
Franz Leopold Alt was an Austrian-born American mathematician who made major contributions to computer science in its early days...
, avalanche
Avalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
researcher and forecasting pioneer Montgomery Atwater
Montgomery Atwater
Montgomery Meigs "Monty" Atwater was an American avalanche researcher, forester, skier, and author. He is considered the founder of the field of avalanche research and forecasting in North America....
, Congressman Les AuCoin
Les AuCoin
Walter Leslie "Les" AuCoin , is an American politician and the first Democrat elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from since it was formed in 1882. The seat has been held by a Democrat ever since....
, noted mountaineer
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
Fred Beckey
Fred Beckey
Fred Beckey is an American mountaineer and author, who has made hundreds of first ascents, more than any other North American climber.-Early years:...
, United States Ski Team
United States Ski Team
The United States Ski Team, operated under the auspices of the United States Ski and Snowboard Association , develops and supports men's and women's athletes in the sports of alpine skiing, adaptive alpine, freestyle skiing, cross country, adaptive cross country, ski jumping, and nordic combined....
member and Black Mountain of Maine
Black Mountain of Maine
Black Mountain of Maine is a ski resort in Rumford, Maine which is most famous for its Nordic skiing facilities, and has hosted several national cross-country skiing championships on its 17 km of trails....
resort co-founder Chummy Broomhall
Chummy Broomhall
Wendall "Chummy" Broomhall was an American cross country skier who competed in the 1948 and 1952 Winter Olympics. He finished 65th in the 18 km event at the 1948 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, and finished 57th in the same event at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo...
, former American track and field coach and co-founder of Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
Bill Bowerman
Bill Bowerman
William Jay "Bill" Bowerman was an American track and field coach and co-founder of Nike, Inc. Over his career, he trained 31 Olympic athletes, 51 All-Americans, 12 American record-holders, 24 NCAA champions and 16 sub-4 minute milers...
, former Executive Director and Sierra Club leader David R. Brower
David R. Brower
David Ross Brower was a prominent environmentalist and the founder of many environmental organizations, including the Sierra Club Foundation, the John Muir Institute for Environmental Studies, Friends of the Earth , the League of Conservation Voters, Earth Island Institute , North Cascades...
, former United States Ski Team
United States Ski Team
The United States Ski Team, operated under the auspices of the United States Ski and Snowboard Association , develops and supports men's and women's athletes in the sports of alpine skiing, adaptive alpine, freestyle skiing, cross country, adaptive cross country, ski jumping, and nordic combined....
member World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
civilian mountaineer trainer H. Adams Carter
H. Adams Carter
Hubert Adams "Ad" Carter was an American mountaineer, language teacher and was editor of the American Alpine Journal for 35 years....
, former Senate Majority Leader and Presidential candidate Bob Dole
Bob Dole
Robert Joseph "Bob" Dole is an American attorney and politician. Dole represented Kansas in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1996, was Gerald Ford's Vice Presidential running mate in the 1976 presidential election, and was Senate Majority Leader from 1985 to 1987 and in 1995 and 1996...
, Former American distance record holder in Ski Jumping, founder of The Snow Valley Resort in Southern California and U.S. National Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame inductee 1968 John Elvrum, Olympic equestrian
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
Earl Foster Thomson
Earl Foster Thomson
Lieutenant Earl "Tommy" Thomson was an Olympic equestrian who won 5 medals during his international career.-Biography:...
, founder of the National Ski Patrol
National ski patrol
The National Ski Patrol is the largest winter rescue organization in the world. It was founded in 1938 by Charles Minot Dole, at the urging of Roger Langley...
Charles Minot Dole
Charles Minot Dole
Charles Minot "Minnie" Dole was the founder of the National Ski Patrol.Minnie Dole formed the National Ski Patrol in 1938 and was director of the organization until 1950....
, mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
and electrical engineer Viktor Serspinski, painter Gino Hollander
Gino Hollander
Eugene F. Hollander or Gino Hollander is a self-taught American painter. He began painting around the beginning of modern art in New York City during the abstract expressionist movement.-Early life:...
, Paleoclimatologist
Paleoclimatology
Paleoclimatology is the study of changes in climate taken on the scale of the entire history of Earth. It uses a variety of proxy methods from the Earth and life sciences to obtain data previously preserved within rocks, sediments, ice sheets, tree rings, corals, shells and microfossils; it then...
John Imbrie
John Imbrie
John Imbrie is an American paleoceanographer best known for his work on the theory of ice ages.After serving with the 10th Mountain Division in Italy during World War II, Imbrie earned his bachelor's degree from Princeton University. He then went on to receive a Ph.D. from Yale University in 1951...
, theoretical physicist Francis E. Low
Francis E. Low
Francis Eugene Low was an American theoretical physicist. He was an Institute Professor at MIT, and served as provost there from 1980 to 1985.-Early career:...
, US downhill ski champion Toni Matt
Toni Matt
Anton Matt was a ski racer.Matt's most renowned feat came in 1939, when in the third "American Inferno," a top-to-bottom race of Tuckerman Ravine on Mount Washington, New Hampshire, he simply schussed the steep and infamous headwall...
, falconer and educator Morley Nelson
Morley Nelson
Morlan "Morley" Nelson was an American falconer and educator. He is best known as a seminal influence on raptor conservation in the Western United States.-Early life:...
, comic book artist Earl Norem
Earl Norem
Earl Norem , often credited simply as Norem, is an American artist primarily known for his painted covers for Marvel Comics books and magazines...
, founder of National Outdoor Leadership School
National Outdoor Leadership School
The National Outdoor Leadership School , is a non-profit outdoor education school based in the United States dedicated to teaching environmental ethics, technical outdoor skills, safety and judgment, and leadership on extended wilderness expeditions...
and The Wilderness Education Association Paul Petzoldt
Paul Petzoldt
Paul Kiesow Petzoldt was one of America's most accomplished mountaineers. He is perhaps best known for establishing the National Outdoor Leadership School in 1965. Paul made his first ascent of the Grand Teton in 1924 at the age of 16, becoming the youngest person at the time to have done so...
, world downhill ski champion Walter Prager
Walter Prager
Walter Prager was a Swiss alpine skier.At the 1931 World Championship in Mürren, Prager became the first World Champion in downhill skiing. He also won the 1933 downhill championship....
, World War II civilian ski instructor and division trainer Johannes Schneider, founder of VAIL Ski Resort Pete Seibert
Pete Seibert
Peter W. Seibert was an American skier and the founder of Vail Ski Resort in Colorado. In 1980 he was inducted into the Colorado Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame....
, member of the famous von Trapp family
Trapp Family Lodge
The Trapp Family Lodge is a , three-and-a-half-star resort located in Stowe, Vermont, United States. The lodge is managed by Sam von Trapp and his father Johannes von Trapp.- History :...
singers Werner von Trapp
Werner von Trapp
Werner Ritter von Trapp was the second-oldest son of Georg Ritter von Trapp and Agathe Whitehead. He was a member of the Trapp Family Singers, whose lives were the inspiration for the play and movie The Sound of Music...
, civilian technical adviser Fritz Wiessner
Fritz Wiessner
Fritz Wiessner was a pioneer of free climbing. Born in Dresden, Germany, he emigrated to New York City in 1929. He became a U.S. citizen in 1935.-Early days:...
, William John Wolfgram
William John Wolfgram
William John Wolfgram was a United States Army Lieutenant during World War II. He served in the army from 1942 until his death in combat in 1945. Wolfgram attended Northwestern Military and Naval Academy in Wisconsin. After graduating, he attended Harvard University for two years until he enlisted...
, Olympic Ski jumper Gordon Wren
Gordon Wren
Gordon Wren was an American ski jumper who competed in the 1940s. He finished fifth in the individual large hill event at the 1948 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz. He died in Steamboat Springs, Colorado of cancer at age 80....
, Massachusetts Congressional candidate Nathan Bech
Nathan Bech
Nathan Bech was the 2008 Republican Party candidate for U.S. Congress from Massachusetts's 1st congressional district. The seat is currently held by Rep. John W. Olver, an Amherst Democrat...
, leader of Chalk 4 during the Battle of Mogadishu Matt Eversmann, Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
analyst, blogger, and author Andrew Exum
Andrew Exum
Andrew Exum is a former US Army officer, an American scholar of the Middle East and a Fellow of the Center for a New American Security . He also participated in General Stanley McChrystal's review of the American strategy in Afghanistan.-Life:...
, and author Craig Mullaney
Craig Mullaney
Craig M. Mullaney is a United States Army veteran and the author of The Unforgiving Minute: A Soldier’s Education . He is currently a Senior Policy Advisor working for the United States Agency for International Development....
., Joseph Yorio
Joseph Yorio
Joseph M. Yorio is an American business executive and the former President and CEO of Xe Services, formerly known as Blackwater Worldwide.Joseph M...
, President and CEO of Xe Services
Additionally, two members of the division have been awarded the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
. John D. Magrath
John D. Magrath
John D. Magrath was a soldier in the U.S. Army who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions and sacrifice of life during World War II for actions occurring in Italy on April 14, 1945. He served in the 10th Mountain Division...
was the first person in the 10th Mountain Division to receive this award during World War II in 1945. The second, Jared C. Monti
Jared C. Monti
Jared Christopher Monti was a soldier in the United States Army who received the United States military's highest decoration for valor, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in Afghanistan....
is the only other person from the 10th Mountain Division to receive the medal, which he did in 2009 for Operation Enduring Freedom.
Organization
Brigade combat team
The brigade combat team is the basic deployable unit of maneuver in the US Army. A brigade combat team consists of one combat arms branch maneuver brigade, and its attached support and fire units. A brigade combat team is generally commanded by a colonel , but in rare instances it is commanded by...
s, a Combat Aviation Brigade
Combat Aviation Brigade
A Combat Aviation Brigade is a multi-functional brigade-sized unit in the United States Army that fields military helicopters, offering a combination of attack helicopters , reconnaissance helicopters , medium-lift helicopters , heavy-lift helicopters , and MEDEVAC capability.- History :Combat...
, and a Special Troops Battalion
Special Troops Battalion
A Special Troops Battalion is an organic unit of a modular brigade, Division , corps or higher echelon United States Army organization...
. The division is the only one in the U.S. Army to specialize in fighting under adverse weather and terrain conditions.
- 10th Mountain Headquarters & Headquarters BattalionSpecial Troops Battalion, 10th Mountain Division (United States)The 10th Mountain Division Special Troops Battalion is a special troops battalion of the United States Army headquartered at Fort Drum, New York. It is the organization for the command elements of the 10th Mountain Division...
- Headquarters and Headquarters CompanyHeadquarters and Headquarters CompanyIn United States Army units, a headquarters and headquarters company is a company sized military unit, found at the battalion level and higher. In identifying a specific headquarters unit, it is usually referred to by its abbreviation as an HHC...
- Network Support Company
- 10th Mountain Division Band
- Headquarters and Headquarters Company
- 1st Brigade Combat Team "Warrior"1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (United States)The 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division is a mountain warfare infantry Brigade Combat Team of the United States Army based at Fort Drum, New York...
- Special Troops BattalionSpecial Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (United States)The 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Special Troops Battalion is a special troops battalion of the United States Army headquartered at Fort Drum, New York. It is the organization for the command elements of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division...
- 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment (United States)The 87th Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment in the United States Army. The regiment's 1st battalion is a light infantry unit assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division located at Fort Drum, New York.-World War II:...
- 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment
- 1st Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment
- 3rd Battalion, 6th Field Artillery Regiment
- 10th Brigade Support Battalion
- Special Troops Battalion
- 2nd Brigade Combat Team "Commandos"2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (United States)The 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division is a mountain warfare infantry Brigade Combat Team of the United States Army based at Fort Drum, New York. It is a subordinate unit of the 10th Mountain Division....
- Special Troops Battalion
- 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment
- 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment
- 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment (United States)89th Cavalry Regiment (United States)The 89th Cavalry Regiment is a Regiment of the United States Army first established in 1940.-Lineage:Constituted 1 June 1940 in the Regular Army as the 10th Antitank Battalion.* Redesignated 99th Antitank Battalion, 11 June 1940....
- 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment (United States)15th Field Artillery Regiment (United States)The 15th Field Artillery Regiment is an Field Artillery regiment of the United States Army first formed in 1916-History:The 15th Field Artillery was Constituted 1 July 1916 in the Regular Army at Syracuse, New York-Lineage:...
- 210th Brigade Support Battalion
- 3rd Brigade Combat Team "Spartans"
- Special Troops Battalion
- 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment
- 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry RegimentThe 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment is a United States Army infantry battalion. Originally formed during World War II, the battalion took part in the Aleutian and Italian campaigns before being deactivated after the war...
- 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment (United States)71st Cavalry Regiment (United States)The 71st Cavalry was originally constituted on 3 December 1941 in the Army of the United States as the 701st Tank Destroyer Battalion.-History:The unit was activated on 15 December 1941 at Fort Knox, Kentucky...
- 4th Battalion, 25th Field Artillery Regiment (United States)25th Field Artillery Regiment (United States)The 25th Field Artillery Regiment is an Field Artillery regiment of the United States Army. first Constituted 5 July 1918 in the National Army -Lineage:...
- 710th Brigade Support Battalion
- 4th Brigade Combat Team "Patriots"
- Special Troops BattalionSpecial Troops BattalionA Special Troops Battalion is an organic unit of a modular brigade, Division , corps or higher echelon United States Army organization...
- 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment
- 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment (United States)The 2nd Battalion 30th Infantry Regiment is a unit of the United States Army, notable for service in World War II, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.-History:...
- 3rd Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment (United States)89th Cavalry Regiment (United States)The 89th Cavalry Regiment is a Regiment of the United States Army first established in 1940.-Lineage:Constituted 1 June 1940 in the Regular Army as the 10th Antitank Battalion.* Redesignated 99th Antitank Battalion, 11 June 1940....
- 5th Battalion, 25th Field Artillery Regiment
- 94th Brigade Support Battalion
- Special Troops Battalion
- Combat Aviation Brigade "Falcons"Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division (United States)The 10th Mountain Division Combat Aviation Brigade is a combat aviation brigade of the United States Army based at Fort Drum, New York. It is a subordinate unit of the 10th Mountain Division....
- 1st Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment10th Aviation Regiment (United States)-Lineage:The regiment was constituted on 21 August 1965 in the Regular Army as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 10th Aviation Battalion, and was activated on 23 August 1965 at Fort Benning, Georgia...
- 2nd Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment10th Aviation Regiment (United States)-Lineage:The regiment was constituted on 21 August 1965 in the Regular Army as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 10th Aviation Battalion, and was activated on 23 August 1965 at Fort Benning, Georgia...
- 3rd Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment10th Aviation Regiment (United States)-Lineage:The regiment was constituted on 21 August 1965 in the Regular Army as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 10th Aviation Battalion, and was activated on 23 August 1965 at Fort Benning, Georgia...
- 6th Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment
- 277th Aviation Support Battalion
- 1st Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment
- 10th Sustainment Brigade "Muleskinners"10th Sustainment Brigade (United States)The 10th Sustainment Brigade is a sustainment brigade of the United States Army. It provides logistical support to the 10th Mountain Division and is located on Fort Drum in Northern New York State.-Origins:...
(attached but not part of the division)- Special Troops BattalionSpecial Troops BattalionA Special Troops Battalion is an organic unit of a modular brigade, Division , corps or higher echelon United States Army organization...
- 620th Movement Control Team
- 548th Combat Service Support Battalion
- 7th Combat Engineer Battalion (ADCON Minus)
- 91st Military Police Battalion (ADCON Minus)
- 63rd Explosive Ordnance Battalion (ADCON Minus)*
- Special Troops Battalion