The 82d Division was originally constituted as an “All American” division for the first world war at Camp Gordon, Georgia, in 1917. After the chaos of mobilizing for the Spanish-American war, the military moved from the militia system to the National Guard/Reserve system, still, most divisions were state or regionally based. The 82d pulled soldiers from everywhere, thus the nickname.They deployed to France and participated in the St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne campaigns. After the WWI, they became part of the army reserve.In early 1942, it began airborne training and was redesigned as the 82d Airborne Division. They deployed to the Mediterranean to participate in the assault on Sicily under the command of MG Matthew Ridgeway, where they did their first two parachute assaults. Elements of the division went on to participate in the assault at Anzio, Italy. On June 5th, 1944, the 82d parachuted and glidered into Normandy, France in support of the allied invasion of France. After 33 days of continuous combat in France, the division was pulled from the line and began preparations for the invasion of the Netherlands as part of operation Market Garden. In December 1944, the 82d, as theater reserve, was committed to the “bulge” to counter the last ditch effort of the wehrmacht. They proceeded into Germany where they ended the war. In all of their operations, they distinguished themselves.Through out the cold war and continuing today, the 82d Airborne Division was the quick reaction force of the United States Military, able to insert troops anywhere in the world within 24 hours.In 1965, the 82d deployed to the Dominican Republic in Operation Power Pack, a year later, the division moved to the Republic of Vietnam where they remained for two years, and continued tenant unit rotations in RVN through the end of the war.In October 1983, the 82d deployed to the island nation of Grenada as part of Operation Urgent Fury.In December of 1989, the 82d deployed to Panama as part of Operation Just Cause.When the Iraqi army invaded Kuwait, the 82d were the first troops on the ground in Saudi Arabia to prevent them from going any farther. In February of 1991, the 82d participated in the successful assault on Kuwait and southern Iraq to evict the Iraqi army from Kuwait.The division has participated in multiple deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom from 2003 to the present.They have stood in defense of America as her honor guard for a century.