Modern Army Airborne Uniforms.
101st ABN. DIV. BDUs, of the 1980s-90s:
Seems the Armed forces have been going through uniforms like they’re going out of style, People in high places have a big investment in the Government contracted uniform companies I have to think. While as good, practical, and universal really, the BDU would be phased out too, but many did wear it, even grenadier vests, and flack vests eventually received the pattern, and many wore it into the desert in reaction to the Terrorist Attacks the US, reacted, not necessarily going after the right people, but they went, and there still working at keeping the threat away from America.
Sergeant First Class, 82nd Airborne Division, Gulf War 1 - Infantryman:
This is when we came to see the famous 'Chocolate Chip' pattern uniform when the American Forces went into the desert. The 5 color pattern was interesting the theory was the tan main color, was striped with 2 colors of brown and rust, and...well chocolate color was the shifting sand of the desert, but Deserts were really other hard and rocky- and they sort of sprinkled white sun-bleached rocks over it, and the rock blotches of edged in black-to resemble shade.
The uniform pattern in the way of 'Cut' has stuck around for a long time, but the camouflaged patterns come and go back and forth a couple of different ways. It really made its debut in the now called' First Gulf War, pictures show this, all branches adopting them at the time, but in fact-most soldiers in the Army and Marines never saw them till they were coming home-the did get to look good for that.
One of the big differences in the 'New Helmet' design, was its single structure, it's lighter but thicker, and has ear protection that helps with shock-noise, these are actually now an old-style already, and technology is moving so fast, the helmet itself is a very light affair- and not ballistic proof, not that this will stop a bullet either.:
I think this is the uniform they received for the flight home ... you know it makes complete sense, as it is like new, most wore the standard 4 color BDUs on deployment, and wore these in the parade! and then retired, and the new Desert pattern came out before the next deployment. But think this may be the case with this uniform, but still, that is good to demonstrate as well.
Persian Gulf War, in reverse of Vietnam the M-16 was the weapon they started off with, and the M-14 was the secondary Sharpe shooters rifle, and many received nice scopes. The M-163 was now mounted under the rifle barrel of an M-16, and The M-60 had begun getting phased out, newer versions starting to come to light, and the Light Weight of Assault weapons began to be seen.
Ground operations during Operation Desert Storm, with the 82nd Airborne Division, positioned at the left flank
Seven months later the paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division were again called to war.
Four days after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait on 2 August 1990, the 4th Battalion (Airborne), 325th Infantry was the Division Ready Force 1 (DRF-1) and the initial ground force,] as President George Bush's "Line in the Sand” speech to Saddam Hussein part of the largest deployment of American troops since Vietnam as part of Operation Desert Shield.
The 4/325th INF immediately deployed to Riyadh and Thummim Saudi Arabia. Their role was to guard the royal family as part of the agreement with King Fahd to station troops in and around the kingdom. The DRF 2 and 3 (1/325 and 2-325 INF, respectively) began drawing the "line in the sand" near Al Jubail by building defenses for possible retrograde operations.
Soon after, the rest of the division followed. There, intensive training began in anticipation of desert fighting against the heavily armored Iraqi Army. On 16 January 1991, Operation Desert Storm began when Allied warplanes attacked Iraqi targets. As the air war began, the 2nd Brigade of the 82d was initially deployed near an airfield in the vicinity of the ARAMCO oil facilities outside Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia. While the 1st Brigade and 3d Brigade consolidated at the Division HQ (CHAMPION Main) near Dhahran in Coinciding with the start of the air war, three National Guard Light-Medium Truck companies, the 253d (NJARNG), 1122d (AKARNG), and the 1058th (MAARNG) joined 2d Brigade of the 82d.
In the coming weeks using primarily the 5-Ton cargo trucks of these NG truck companies, the 1st Brigade moved north to "tap line road" in the vicinity of Rafha, Saudi Arabia. Eventually, these National Guard truck units effectively "motorized" the 325th Infantry, providing the troop ground transportation required for them to keep pace with the French Division Daguet during the incursion.
The ground war began almost six weeks later. The 325th INF was the division's spearhead for the ground war which actually took positions over the Iraqi border 24 hours in advance of coalition forces at 0800hrs on 22 February 1991 on Objectives Tin Man and Rochambeau.
On 23 February, 82d Airborne Division paratroopers protected the XVIII Airborne Corps flank as fast-moving armor and mechanized units moved deep inside south-western Iraq. After the second day, the 1st Brigade moved forward to extend the Corps flank along with the 3rd Brigade. In the short 100-hour ground war, the 82d drove deep into Iraq and captured thousands of Iraqi soldiers and tons of equipment, weapons, and ammunition. During that time, the 82nd's band and MP company processed 2,721 prisoners. After the liberation of Kuwait and the surrender of the Iraqi Army, the 82nd redeployed to Fort Bragg between 18 March and 22 April after being deployed for a period of seven months.
One of the big differences in the 'New Helmet' design, was it’s a single structure, it's lighter but thicker, has ear protection that helps with shock-noise, these are actually now an old-style already, and technology is moving so fast, the helmet itself is a very light affair- and not ballistic proof, not that this will stop a bullet either.
The pictures of the beret, show the unit DUI on its 82nd tab, I am not positive that at this time the 82nd had been issued their Burgandy Airborne Berets, but I have nowhere else I can really show the Beret either!
First Sergeant, 101st ABN. DIV. Class ‘A’ 1980s.
The 82nd Airborne Division was called on again in February 2000, through August 2000 3rd Brigade 1/187 deployed to Kosovo and they were to take in the role of a “Peace-Keeping” and was a large part of Task Force Falcon that would be a part of Operation Joint Guardian. By August the 2nd Battalion, with the 327th Infantry Regiment, and elements of the 502nd Infantry Regiment, was securing some peace in peace in Kosovo, and they were there to help make sure the October elections would take place, and create a new government for Kosovo.
Through September and October 2000 they were used to help support and fight fires in Montana. The 3rd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, also fought fires in the Bitterroot National Forest. Finishing up with operations at the Valley Complex near Darby, Montana.
The Screaming Eagles always keep busy, the Airborne is one the main “go-to” options for a quick reaction force, for the US. to respond internationally, When something comes up, and there needed and they go take care of it. But sometimes you have to go back, or continue the work, and they went to War in Afghanistan in 2001, to serve in Operation Enduring Freedom. The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) was the first Army unit deployed in the American War on Terrorism. They were involved in counterinsurgency operations in Afghanistan where they raided outposts, and training posts, performed ambushes, and much patrolling when not actually doing air assaults during the operation.
The 101st Airbornes, 2nd Brigade, "Strike", built with the 502d Infantry, was largely sent to Kosovo to provide peacekeeping operations, along with elements of the 3rd Battalion, 502nd, that deployed after the 9/11 attack. They would be a security element with the U.S. CENTCOM AOR, they would be working with the 5th Special Forces Group out of Fort Campbell. Then the 3rd Brigade “187th Infantry's Rakkasans” as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, where they would be one of the first to get into the Battle. “And battle they did” intensely in the Shoh-I-Khot Mountains in Eastern Afghanistan. They fought Operation Anaconda in operations with elements of the 10th Mountain Division, when these operations ended they came home to Fort Campbell. When they returned the Rakkasans found out the 101st higher command had new deployment orders. In 2008, they went back to Afghanistan, with the 1st and the 2nd Battalions, 506th Infantry.
Elements of the 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, operating with the U.S. Army Special Forces in several places, one being in the Northern province of Kapisa, where they had an outpost Forward Operating Base (FOB) at Kutchsbach. Charlie CO., 2nd BN, 506th Infantry Regiment worked with the 5th Special Forces Group and 20th Special Forces Group in various operations in 2011.
The 101st Combat Aviation Brigade was deployed to Afghanistan. In 2008 With Task Force Destiny they deployed to Bagram Air Base, and the 159th Combat Aviation Brigade deployed a part of Task Force Thunder in early 2009, then again in early 2011. In March 2010, the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade deployed again to Afghanistan as Task Force Destiny to Kandahar Airfield to be the aviation asset in southern Afghanistan.
Since the 1990s they served in the Persian Gulf War(s), Humanitarian aid, Kosovo, Montana forest fires, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Second deployment to Iraq, Return to Afghanistan, 2010 Afghanistan, 2011 Afghanistan, Operation United Assistance with 5th Special Forces Group, 2016 Iraq, Operation Freedom's Sentinel, Operation Inherent Resolve, Somali Civil War (2009 to present) And I’m sure the is more here I can add as of recent. Recently, the 101st Airborne has been performing foreign internal defense and counterterrorism operations within Iraq and Afghanistan.
*2nd Lieutenant, 101st ABN. DIV. (Ranger), Desert Camouflage of the Late 1990s Conflict:
The 101st Airborne Division mission, during Operation Desert Storm, was on the left flank. And on the 17th of January 1991, the 101st Aviation Regiment made up of eight AH-64 helicopters, fired the first shots of the war when they lead the way, by successfully destroying two Iraqi early warning radar sites.
In February 1991, the 101st called on for an “Air Assault”, but it wouldn’t be by Parachuting out of high-flying aircraft, but by helicopters, and not the proven but old Hueys, but by Black-Hawk helicopter, they were the new breed, a nice platform like the old Troop Ships, but with all the newest goodies, with new electronics and wheels, they would fly in at high speed, the nap of the earth, into Iraq in a combat air assault formation, into enemy territory, to strike 155 miles behind enemy the lines, it is the deepest air assault operation in history.
About 400 helicopters inserted 2,000 battle-ready soldiers into Iraq destroying columns of Iraqis fleeing westward trying to escape, they didn’t get to and were overcome by the American Airborne Forces. Then, they continued to move forward another 50 - 60 miles into the enemy’s area. The 101st had cut off the use of Highway 8one of the vital supply routes running between Basra and the Iraqi forces. The 101st lost 16 soldiers in action during the 100-hour war.
Then in early 2016, the U.S. Army sent 500 soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) to Iraq and Kuwait as advisers, to assist the Iraqi Security Forces. They have continued to train and develop other states' military and security forces and counter-terrorism operations. known in the special operations community as foreign internal defense and counterterrorism. Since January 2016 US 101st Airborne Soldiers have been doing rotations to Iraq, training members of the Iraqi ground forces in preparation for action against the Islamic State.
“Defense Secretary” Ash Carter, told the 101st Airborne that "The Iraqi and Peshmerga forces” you will train, advise and assist, have proven their determination, their resiliency, and increasingly, their capability. But they need you to continue building on that success, to prepare them for the fight today, and the long hard fight for their future, they will need your skills and they need your experience."
On 26 June 2016, it was announced that Iraq had successfully taken back full control of Fallujah from the Islamic State of Iraq (ISIS). They also supported Iraq to help establish and run a logistics hub at Qayyarah Airfield West, about 40 miles south of Mosul, to support Iraqi and coalition troops in the Battle of Mosul. On 17 October 2016, an article from The Leaf-Chronicle stated that the 101st Airborne was leading a coalition of 19 nations to support the liberation of Mosul from ISIL, including the liberation of Hit, Fallujah, and Qayyarah.
Through November 101st troops supported 6,900 strikes, trying to destroy ISIS hideouts and staging areas. Next, some 1,400 soldiers from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team deployed to Afghanistan in the fall of 2016, to be a part of Operation Freedom's Sentinel, the U.S. counter-terrorism operation against what was remaining of al-Qaeda, and other terror groups.
There has been a Civil War in Somaliland since 2009, and in mid-April 2017, reportedly, 40 soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division were deployed to Somalia on 2 April 2017 to improve the capabilities of the Somali Army in combating Islamist militants. The 101st just don’t quit, and recently served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria, as part of Operation Inherent Resolve. "Rendezvous with Destiny" is the 101st motto. and they continue to do so.
*I think the Airborne / Ranger Rockers are in reverse order here. double Damn-it and the flag on the right sleeve should flow back! I have seen pictures of them on the right sleeve, and no regulation at the time saying otherwise, but in the '90s, the coming ASU Blue Dress Uniforms did not use any divisional or prior deployment unit identity there, now, it’s on the right chest, using a metal DUI. with 3 other uniforms being….upgraded at the moment.