Any 101st abn historians?

[Devildoc]

Over lunch I went down some rabbit trails out of boredom which led me to reading the Wiki page on the 101st airborne. Until it became an airmobile unit in Vietnam, was it a jump unit? Did it have any airborne/unique (i.e., non-standard infantry division) capability in the 50s and early 60s?

 

[Muppet]

Over lunch I went down some rabbit trails out of boredom which led me to reading the Wiki page on the 101st airborne. Until it became an airmobile unit in Vietnam, was it a jump unit? Did it have any airborne/unique (i.e., non-standard infantry division) capability in the 50s and early 60s?

My pop was 101st in Nam. 101st was an Airborne Division in WW2, rich jump history. Korea and Nam, jump status but soon after Nam, dropped jump status, changed to air mobile.

I had a few high school friends in 101st including PFC Rob Hicks that died in a helo crash in 1996 at Campbell.

 

[Topkick]

My pop was 101st in Nam. 101st was an Airborne Division in WW2, rich jump history. Korea and Nam, jump status but soon after Nam, dropped jump status, changed to air mobile.

I had a few high school friends in 101st including PFC Rob Hicks that died in a helo crash in 1996 at Campbell.

Served in 101st, 3rd Brigade, Iraq.

 

[Devildoc]

My pop was 101st in Nam. 101st was an Airborne Division in WW2, rich jump history. Korea and Nam, jump status but soon after Nam, dropped jump status, changed to air mobile.

I had a few high school friends in 101st including PFC Rob Hicks that died in a helo crash in 1996 at Campbell.

My uncle was in the 101st in WW2, a combat engineer. Thanks to Mr's. Ambrose and Spielberg along with The Longest Day I know all about them in WW2, and I know about VN. That period in between I don't know anything. So it was an airborne unit (requiring jump school) until after VN when it was designated air mobile?

I got looking up bases that closed over the years, BRAC and all, and how units were moved all around. That got me going down some holes.

 

[Muppet]

My uncle was in the 101st in WW2, a combat engineer. Thanks to Mr's. Ambrose and Spielberg along with The Longest Day I know all about them in WW2, and I know about VN. That period in between I don't know anything. So it was an airborne unit (requiring jump school) until after VN when it was designated air mobile?

I got looking up bases that closed over the years, BRAC and all, and how units were moved all around. That got me going down some holes.

Yes, jump school during WW2, Korea and Nam, my pop went to jump school.

I'm sure Top, @Topkick can elaborate more in that history after Nam.

 

[Devildoc]

Yes, jump school during WW2, Korea and Nam, my pop went to jump school.

I'm sure Top, @Topkick can elaborate more in that history after Nam.

I am fascinated how the army will just take a piece of 'that' unit and stand up a whole new unit and give them numbers that make historical and lineage sense but no organizational sense, like 1st Cav turning into 11th airborne --> air assault --> 1st Cav (air mobile), but the remainder of 1st Cav was turned into 2nd ID.

 

[Topkick]

101st was redesignated to Air mobile during Vietnam 68-69 due to the extensive use of helicopters in the jungle environment. They refer to Vietnam as "The Helicopter War."

 

[Devildoc]

101st was redesignated to Air mobile during Vietnam 68-69 due to the exgensive use of helicopters in the jungle environment. They refer to Vietnam as "The Helicopter War."

Thanks. I was aware of 1st Cav and 101st being air mobile in VN but not much other history of the intrawar period.

 

[Devildoc]

Related in my rabbit hole I was looking at the bases closed by BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure - Wikipedia). I remember some of these; some I have never heard of.

I was talking recently with a friend from HS who graduated a couple years ahead of me and joined the army. That was the heyday of Reagan's era (mid 80s) and the size of the military was just nuts. Three armored divisions, 15 more infantry divisions, etc.

 

[Topkick]

was looking at the bases closed by BRAC

I did a bunch of training at Ft Ord in the late 80s and early 90s. I loved that place, and fuck them for closing it.

 

[Gunz]

One of the misconceptions among the Marines I served with in VN was that anybody with a Screaming Eagle patch on their sleeve was a paratrooper. Apparently, you could be a non-airborne, non-air mobile pogue and still wear the fabled patch if you were assigned to the division. Correct me if I'm wrong, as I often am about Army stuff.

 

[Topkick]

One of the misconceptions among the Marines I served with in VN was that anybody with a Screaming Eagle patch on their sleeve was a paratrooper. Apparently, you could be a non-airborne, non-air mobile pogue and still wear the fabled patch if you were assigned to the division. Correct me if I'm wrong, as I often am about Army stuff.

You are correct. Its not required to go to Air Assault school to serve in the 1O1st. I knew several 11B's in platoons not AA qualified.

 

[Muppet]

I did a bunch of training at Ft Ord in the late 80s and early 90s. I loved that place, and fuck them for closing it.

My mom and pop were at Ord. He proposed to mom in front of the hospital there.

 

[Muppet]

If I'm not mistaken, @policemedic was at Ord.

 

[policemedic]

If I'm not mistaken, @policemedic was at Ord.

Yup.

It was a great place, when you were there. We were often at the Hungry Lizard or out of state. Except for post support rotation we were pretty much in the field.

 

[Muppet]

I was not. Parents were.

 

[Topkick]

Yup.

It was a great place, when you were there. We were often at the Hungry Lizard or out of state. Except for post support rotation we were pretty much in the field.

7th ID (Lightfighters) was a great, hardcore unit and Ord was a fantastic place to live and train. I'll never understand why we off'ed the 7th ID and FT Ord. it was peanut butter and jelly. Now, most of that place is a college and civilian housing. But the PX is stll there for retirees and DLI students.

 

[Muppet]

7th ID (Lightfighters) was a great, hardcore unit and Ord was a fantastic place to live and train. I'll never understand why we off'ed the 7th ID and FT Ord. it was peanut butter and jelly. Now, most of that place is a college and civilian housing. But the PX is stll there for retirees abd DLI students.

I watched some you tube videos from 90s/7th ID. Fuckers looked strac with their camo netting kpots.

 

[DA SWO]

7th ID (Lightfighters) was a great, hardcore unit and Ord was a fantastic place to live and train. I'll never understand why we off'ed the 7th ID and FT Ord. it was peanut butter and jelly. Now, most of that place is a college and civilian housing. But the PX is stll there for retirees and DLI students.

California Environmental laws killed Ft Ord.
Make it difficult to train and DoD will eventually leave.
Three (?) AF Bases closed and others downsized.

 

[Topkick]

California Environmental laws killed Ft Ord.
Make it difficult to train and DoD will eventually leave.
Three (?) AF Bases closed and others downsized.

I lived in Victorville when George AFB was closing. I don't remember which other AFBs closed.