| 10th Mountain Division | |
|---|---|
10th Mountain Division shoulder sleeve insignia |
|
| Active | 15 July 1943 – 30 November 1945 1 July 1948 – 14 June 1958 12 February 1985—Present |
| Country | United States of America |
| Branch | United States Army |
| Type | Light infantry |
| Role | Mountain Warfare Arctic Warfare |
| Size | Division |
| Part of | XVIII Airborne Corps |
| Garrison/HQ | Fort Drum, New York |
| Motto | Climb to Glory[1] |
| Engagements | World War II |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Major General Mark A. Milley |
| Notable commanders |
George P. Hays (1944—1945) James Edward Moore (1950—1951) Thomas L. Harrold (1953–1954) Philip De Witt Ginder (1954—1955) Barksdale Hamlett (1956—1957) James L. Campbell (1999—2001) Franklin L. Hagenbeck (2001—2003) Lloyd Austin (2003—2005) Michael L. Oates (2007–2009) James L. Terry (2009–2011) |
| Insignia | |
| Distinctive Unit Insignia | |
| Combat Service Identification Badge | |
| US infantry divisions (1939–present) | |
|---|---|
| Previous | Next |
| 9th Infantry Division (Inactive) | 11th Airborne Division (Inactive) |
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. Created as a unique mountain warfare unit, 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.[2] 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.
Contents |
|
|||||
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 Funston, 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.[3]
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.[4] The conflict caught global attention as the outnumbered and outgunned Finnish soldiers were able to use the difficult local terrain to their advantage,[5] severely hampering the Soviet attacks and embarrassing their military.[6] 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. The Army, prompted by fears its standing force would not perform well in the event of a winter attack on the Northeastern coast, as well as knowledge that the German Army already had three mountain warfare divisions, approved the concept for a division.[7] This reqired an overhaul of US military doctrine, as the concept of winter warfare had not been tested in the Army since 1914.[8] At first planners envisioned ten mountain divisions, but personnel shortages revised the goal to three. Eventually, the 10th Mountain Division would be the only one brought to active duty.[7] Military leaders continued to express concern of the feasibility of a division-sized mountain warfare unit until fall of 1941[9] when they received reports that Greek mountain troops had held back superior numbers of unprepared Italian troops in the Albanian mountains during the Greco-Italian War. The Italian military had lost a disastrous 25,000 men in the campaign because of their lack of preparedness to fight in the mountains.[10][11] On 22 October 1941, Marshall decided to form the first battalion of mountain warfare troops for a new mountain division.[12] The Ski Patrol would assist in its training.[13]
On 8 December 1941, the Army activated its first mountain unit, the 87th Mountain Infantry Battalion (which was later expanded to the 87th Infantry Regiment) at Fort Lewis, Washington.[12] It was the first mountain warfare unit in US military history.[14] The National Ski Patrol took on the unique role of recruiting for the 87th Infantry Regiment and later the division, becoming the only civilian recruiting agency in military history.[12] Army planers favored recruiting experienced skiiers for the unit instead of trying to train standing troops in mountain warfare, so Dole recruited from schools, universities and ski clubs for the unit.[15] The 87th trained in harsh conditions, including Mount Rainier’s 14,411-foot (4,392 m) peak, throughout 1942 as more recruits were brought in to form the division.[16][17] Initial training was conducted by Olympian Rolf Monsen.[18] A new garrison was built for the division, Camp Hale, Colorado, at an elevation of 9,000 feet (2,700 m).[19][20] The Army Mountain Warfare School was eventually established at nearby Camp Carson in late 1942, and began to oversee mountain warfare training.[21]
The 10th Light Division (Alpine) was constituted on July 10, 1943[22] and activated five days later at Camp Hale under the command of Brigadier General Lloyd E. James. The the time, the division had a strength of 8,500 out of the 16,000 planned, so the military transferred troops from the 30th, 31st, and 33rd Infantry Division to fill out the remainder of the division.[23] This lowered morale and the division faced many difficulties in the new training, which had no established Army doctrine.[20] The 10th Light Division was centered around regimental commands; the 85th Infantry Regiment, 86th Infantry Regiment, and 87th Infantry Regiment.[24] 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.[25][24] The 10th Light Division was unique in that it was the only division in the Army with three field artillery battalions instead of four.[24] It was equipped with vehicles which specialized in snow operation such as the M29 Weasel,[21] and winter weather gear such as white camouflage and skis specifically designed for the division.[26][27]
On 22 June 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.[28] On November 6, 1944, the 10th Division was redesignated the 10th Mountain Division.[29] That same month the blue and white "Mountain" tab was authorized for the division's new shoulder sleeve insignia.[1]
The division sailed for Italy in two parts, with the 86th Infantry and support leaving Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia on 11 December aboard the SS Argentina and arrived in Naples, Italy on 22 December. The 85th and 87th Infantry left Hampton Roads, Virginia on 4 January 1945 aboard the SS West Point arriving on 13 January 1945.[30] By 6 January, its support units were preparing to head to the front lines.[31] It was attached to IV Corps of the Fifth United States Army.[32] By 8 January, the 86th Infantry had moved to Bagni di Lucca near Mount Belvedere in preparation for an offensive by the Fifth Army to capture the mountain along with surrounding high ground, which allowed the Italians to block advances to Po Valley. Starting 14 January, the division began moving to Pisa as part of the Fifth Army massing for this attack.[30]
It entered combat near the town of Cutigliano on 16 February.[33] Preliminary defensive actions in mid February were followed on 19 February 1945 by Battle of Monte Castello in conjunction with troops of the Brazilian Expeditionary Force.[34] The unit made concerted attacks on the Mount Belvedere area, climbing nearby Riva Ridge during the night 18 February and attacking Monte Della Torraccia on 20 February. The peaks were cleared after four days of heavy fighting, as Italian troops launched several counterattacks on the 10th Mountain Division in these positions.[35]
In early March, the division fought its way north of Canolle and moving to within 15 miles (24 km) of Bologna.[33] On 5 March the 85th Infantry captured Mount Della Spe as the 87th Infantry took Castel D'Aiano, cutting the Italian routes of resupply and communication into Po Valley, setting the stage for the next Fifth Army offensive.[35] The division maintained defensive positions in this area for three weeks, anticipating a counteroffensive by the Nazi German forces.[33]
The division resumed its attack on 14 April, attacking Torre Iussi and Rocca Roffeno to the north of Mount Della Spe. On 17 April it broke through the German defenses, which allowed it to advance into the Po Valley area.[35] It captured Mongiorgio on 20 April and entered the valley, seizing the strategic points Pradalbino and Bomporto.[33] The 10th crossed the Po River on 23 April, reaching Verona April 25, and ran into heavy opposition at Torbole and Nago.[33] After an amphibious crossing of Lake Garda, it secured Gargnano and Porto di Tremosine, on 30 April, as German resistance in Italy ended.[33] After the German surrender in Italy on 2 May 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 on 8 May, the end of the war in Europe.[33] The division moved to Udine on 20 May and joined the British Eighth Army in preventing further westward movement of ground forces from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.[36]
Originally, the division was to be sent to the Pacific theater to take part in Operation Downfall, the invasion of mainland Japan. However, Japan surrendered in August 1945 following the Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.[37] The division returned to the US two days later.[31] It was demobilized and inactivated on November 30, 1945 at Camp Carson, Colorado.[38] During World War II, the 10th Mountain Division suffered 992 killed in action and 4,154 wounded in action in 114 days of combat.[39] 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 Medals, and 7,729 Bronze Star Medals.[31] The division itself was awarded two campaign streamers.[31]
In June 1948, the division was rebuilt and activated at Fort Riley, 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.[40]
In 1954, the division was converted to a combat division once again, though it did not regain its "Mountain" status.[40] 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.[40]
On 13 February 1985, the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) was reactivated at Fort Drum, New York.[40] 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.[41] The division was also assigned a round-out brigade from the Army National Guard, the 27th Infantry Brigade.[42] 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.[40] The division also received a distinctive unit insignia.[1]
In 1990, the division sent 1,200 soldiers to support Operation Desert Storm.[43] 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.[40]
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.[43] 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.[40]
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 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.[43]
Due to 10th Mountain Division efforts, humanitarian agencies declared an end to the food emergency and factional fighting decreased.[45] 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.[44] 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.[45]
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.[43] More than 8,600 of the division's troops deployed during this operation.[44] 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.[45]
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.[44]
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 Herzegovina.[44] 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.[44]
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.[46] 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."[47] 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.[47] 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.[48] Still, the Army moved the 10th Mountain Division down on the deployment list, allowing it time to retrain and refit.[46]
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.[49]
Following the 11 September 2001 attacks, elements of the division, including its special troops battalion 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.[29] 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.[50]
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.[51] The 1st Brigade also undertook a number of humanitarian missions.[45]
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.[52]
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,[53] while the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division was activated for the first time.[54] In January 2005, the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division was activated at Fort Polk, Louisiana.[55] 2nd Brigade Combat Team would not be transformed until September 2005, pending a deployment to Iraq.[56]
In late 2004, 2nd Brigade Combat Team was deployed to Iraq supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.[56] The 2nd Brigade Combat Team undertook combat operations in western Baghdad, returning to the US in late 2005.[45] Around that time, the 1st Brigade Combat Team deployed back to Iraq, staying in the country until 2006.[53]
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.[45] The division and brigade served in the eastern region of the country, along the border with Pakistan, fulfilling a similar role as it did during its previous deployment.[57] 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.[58]
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.[59]
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.[60]
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.[61] 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.[62]
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.[63] The 1st Brigade Combat Team was scheduled to deploy to Iraq in late 2009, but deployed instead to Afghanistan in March 2010.[64]
The 3rd Brigade Combat Team deployed to Afghanistan in March 2011
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.[29]
| Ribbon | Award | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) | 2001–2002 | for service in Central Asia | |
| Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) | 2003–2004 | for service in Afghanistan | |
| Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) | 2008–2009 | for service in Iraq[65] |
| Conflict | Streamer | Year(s) |
|---|---|---|
| World War II | North Apennines | 1945 |
| World War II | 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 |
The 10th Mountain Division was the subject of the 1996 film Fire on the Mountain, 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.[66] Among the division's other appearances are the Tom Clancy novel Clear and Present Danger,[67] and the SCI FI 2005 film Manticore.[68]
Skiing associations subsequently contend that veterans of the 10th Mountain Division had a substantial effect in the post-World War II development of skiing as a vacation industry and major sport. Ex-soldiers from the 10th laid out ski hills, designed ski lifts, became ski coaches, racers, instructors, patrollers, shop owners, and filmmakers. They wrote and published ski magazines, opened ski schools, improved ski equipment, and developed ski resorts. Up to 2,000 of the division's troops were involved in skiing-related professions after the war, and at least 60 ski resorts were founded by men of the division.[69]
Soldiers who served with the 10th Mountain Division later went on to achieve notability in other fields. Among these are anthropologist Eric Wolf,[70] mathematician Franz Alt,[71] avalanche researcher and forecasting pioneer Montgomery Atwater,[72] Congressman Les AuCoin, noted mountaineer Fred Beckey,[73] United States Ski Team member and Black Mountain of Maine resort co-founder Chummy Broomhall,[74] former American track and field coach and co-founder of Nike, Inc. Bill Bowerman,[75] former Executive Director and Sierra Club leader David R. Brower,[76] former United States Ski Team member World War II civilian mountaineer trainer H. Adams Carter, former Senate Majority Leader and Presidential candidate Bob Dole,[77] ski resort pioneer John Elvrum,[78] Olympic equestrian Earl Foster Thomson, founder of the National Ski Patrol Charles Minot Dole,[44] painter Gino Hollander, Paleoclimatologist John Imbrie,[79] theoretical physicist Francis E. Low,[80] US downhill ski champion Toni Matt,[81] falconer and educator Morley Nelson, comic book artist Earl Norem,[82] 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,[83] member of the famous von Trapp family singers Werner von Trapp,[84] civilian technical adviser Fritz Wiessner,[85] William John Wolfgram,[86] Olympic Ski jumper Gordon Wren, Massachusetts Congressional candidate Nathan Bech,[87] leader of Chalk 4 during the Battle of Mogadishu Matt Eversmann,[88] Middle East analyst, blogger, and author Andrew Exum, and author Craig Mullaney.,[89] 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.[90][91] 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.[92]
The 10th Mountain Division contains four subordinate Brigade Combat Teams, a Combat Aviation Brigade, and a Special Troops Battalion.[93]