82nd Airborne Division

Lore & Background

The 82nd Division was first activated on 25 August 1917 at Camp Gordon, Georgia, as an infantry division in the National Army. It acquired the nickname "All American" because its initial members came from all 48 states. The division fought in World War I, taking part in the Battle of Lorraine 1918 and the campaigns of St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne 1918. It was demobilized in May 1919 at Camp Mills, New York. In the summer of 1921, it was reconstituted and placed into the Organized Reserves as Headquarters, 82nd Division, later transferred to the Federal Building at Columbia, South Carolina. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the 82nd was reconstituted as the first airborne division of the US Army on 15 August 1942 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, under the command of Major General Matthew Ridgway.

Reader's Guide

The 82nd Airborne Division is a US Army airborne infantry division specializing in parachute assault. Its shoulder sleeve insignia features an arched red banner with the letters "AA" behind a blue background, with a white-on-blue "Airborne" tab worn above. The division's history includes service in World War I and World War II.

Did You Know?

• The division's nickname "All American" was chosen in April 1918 by Major General Eben Swift to reflect that it had soldiers from all 48 states.
• The 82nd Division suffered 995 killed and 7,082 wounded in World War I.