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10th Mountain Division

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10th Mountain Division
10th Mountain Division shoulder sleeve insignia
Active1943-1945
1948-1958
1985-present
CountryUnited States of America
BranchRegular Army United States Army
RoleLight Infantry
SizeDivision
Part ofXVIII Airborne Corps
Garrison/HQFort Drum, NY
Motto(s)Climb to Glory
EngagementsWorld War II
*Kiska
*Italian Campaign
Korean War
War in Southwest Asia
Armed Forces Expeditions - Somalia
Afghanistan Campaign
Iraq Campaign
Commanders
Current
commander		MG Micheal L. Oates

Template:US Infantry The 10th Mountain Division is a modular division of the United States Army currently serving under the XVIII Airborne Corps. The unit's specialty involves fighting effectively in harsh conditions. Like the rest of the corps, it is designed for rapid deployment anywhere in the world. The division is currently based at Fort Drum, New York.

Lineage

  1. Headquarters 1st Brigade was Organized in the Army of the United States as Headquarters Company, Mountain Training Center.
  2. Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team Organized in the Army of the United States as Headquarters Company, Mountain Training Center
  • Headquarters and Tactical Command Posts, 10th Mountain Division Constituted 1943-07-10 in the Army of the United States as Headquarters, 10th Light Division
  • Headquarters Company, Mountain Training Center Reorganized and redesignated 1943-07-15 as Headquarters Company, 10th Light Division
  • Headquarters, 10th Light Division Activated 1943-07-15 at Camp Hale, Colorado
  • On 1944-11-06, the following actions took place:
  1. Headquarters, 10th Light Division Redesignated as Headquarters, 10th Mountain Division
  2. Special Troops Battalion Constituted in the Army of the United States as Headquarters, Special Troops, 10th Mountain Division, and activated at Camp Swift, Texas
  3. Headquarters Company, 10th Light Division Redesignated as Headquarters Company, 10th Mountain Division
  1. Headquarters, 10th Mountain Division was Redesignated as Headquarters, 10th Infantry Division
  2. Headquarters, Special Troops, 10th Mountain Division was Converted and redesignated as the 10th Replacement Company and assigned to the 10th Infantry Division
  3. Headquarters Company, 10th Mountain Division Redesignated as Headquarters Company, 10th Infantry Division
  • 10th Infantry Division Allotted 1948-06-25 to the Regular Army
  • 10th Infantry Division Activated 1948-07-01 at Fort Riley, Kansas.
  • 10th Replacement Company Redesignated 1957-07-01 as the 10th Administration Company
  • 10th Infantry Division Inactivated 1958-06-14 at Fort Benning, Georgia
  • Headquarters, 10th Infantry Division Redesignated 1985-01-22 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 10th Mountain Division
  • Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 10th Mountain Division Activated 1985-02-13 at Fort Drum, New York
  • On 1985-10-02, the following actions took place:
  1. HHC, 2nd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division was Constituted 1985-10-02 in the Regular Army as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, and activated at Fort Benning, Georgia
  2. Special Troops Battalion, 2nd BCT, 10th Mountain Division Constituted 2 October 1985 in the Regular Army as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2d Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, and activated at Fort Benning, Georgia
  • Headquarters Company, 10th Infantry Division Redesignated 1986-04-01 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, and activated at Fort Drum, New York
  • On 2004-09-16, the following actions took place:
  1. Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 10th Mountain Division Reorganized and redesignated as Headquarters and Tactical Command Posts, 10th Mountain Division.
  2. 10th Administration Company Redesignated as Special Troops Battalion, 10th Mountain Division, and activated at Fort Drum, New York
  3. Headquarters, 1st Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, reorganized and redesignated as Headquarters, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Headquarters Company, 1st Brigade, 10th Mountain Division – hereafter separate lineage)
  4. 3rd BCT was Constituted in the Regular Army as Headquarters, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, and activated at Fort Drum, New York
  • STB, 3rd BCT, 10th Mountain Division was Constituted in the Regular Army as Special Troops Battalion, 3d Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, and activated at Fort Drum, New York
  • 4th BCT, 10th Mountain Division was Constituted 2005-01-16 in the Regular Army as Headquarters, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, and activated at Fort Polk, Louisiana
  • On 2005-09-16, the following actions took place
  1. Headquarters, 2nd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, reorganized and redesignated as Headquarters, 2d Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Headquarters Company, 2d Brigade, 10th Mountain Division – hereafter separate lineage
  2. Headquarters Company, 2d Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, reorganized and redesignated as Special Troops Battalion, 2d Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Headquarters, 2d Brigade, 10th Mountain Division – hereafter separate lineage

Honors

CAMPAIGN PARTICIPATION CREDIT

  1. North Apennines;
  2. Po Valley
  1. Afghanistan[1]

DECORATIONS

  1. Streamer embroidered CENTRAL ASIA 2001-2002
  2. Streamer embroidered AFGHANISTAN 2003-2004
  3. Streamer embroidered IRAQ 2004-2005[3]
  4. Streamer embroidered IRAQ 2005-2006[4]

History

The World War II 10th Mountain

The division advancing in Italy in April 1945.
File:10th Mountain Division-covering assault squad.jpeg
Soldiers from the division provide cover for an assault squad.

The 10th Mountain Division was first activated on July 15, 1943. It was one of the last U.S. divisions to enter combat, not starting to fight together as a unit until January 1945.

The development of a specialized unit began before the United States entered World War II. In 1940 the War Department began working with the American Alpine Club and the National Ski Patrol Committee of the National Ski Association to develop equipment and training for winter and mountain warfare. The 87th Mountain Infantry Regiment was activated at Fort Lewis, Washington on November 15, 1941, drawing its initial members from men already in the Army who had previous ski and mountaineering experience. Thereafter the National Ski Patrol recruited volunteers for the unit, under a contract with the War Department. In 1942 and 1943 additional regiments that became part of the division were activated. The 87th Regiment participated in the assault landing on Kiska, August 15–August 17, 1943. The attackers found the island completely deserted by the Japanese, but suffered some casualties from friendly fire and booby traps.

The division was activated on July 15, 1943 at Camp Hale, Colorado as the 10th Light Division (Alpine). It was renamed the 10th Mountain Division on November 6, 1944.

The unit saw its first actual combat in Italy. Elements of the division began arriving in Italy in late December 1944, and after a brief training period entered combat, January 8, 1945, near Cutigliano and Orsigna. Preliminary defensive actions were followed on February 19, 1945 by Operation Encore in conjunction with troops of a Brazilian Expeditionary Force[5]. The unit made concerted attacks on the Monte Della Torraccia-Mount Belvedere sector and the peaks were cleared after several days of heavy fighting[6]. In early March the division fought its way north of Canolle and moving to within 15 miles (24 km) of Bologna. Maintaining defensive positions for the next three weeks, the division jumped off again in April, captured Mongiorgio, April 20, and entered the Po Valley, seizing the strategic points Pradalbino and Bomporto. The 10th crossed the Po River on April 23, reaching Verona April 25, and ran into heavy opposition at Torbole and Nago. After an amphibious crossing of Lake Garda, it secured Gargnano and Porto di Tremosine, April 30, as German resistance in Italy ended. After the German surrender in Italy, May 2, 1945, the division went on security duty, receiving the surrender of various German units and screening the areas of occupation.

The division was deactivated on November 30, 1945. However, it was reactivated on July 1, 1948, after being redesignated as the 10th Infantry Division. Ten years later, on June 14, 1958, it was deactivated.

The modern 10th Mountain

A UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter carries Soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division on a mission in Afghanistan.
File:U.S. Army soldier securing site - Parun, Nuristan - 06-27-2007.jpg
Soldier in Afghanistan.

It was not until the Reagan buildup of the 1980s that the 10th Mountain Division returned to the order of battle of the U.S. Army. On September 11, 1984, the U.S. Army announced that Fort Drum, New York would be the new home of the reactivated 10th Light Infantry Division. The unit was officially activated on February 13, 1985 with the official designation changed to 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry). Leading the unit's historic return was 1SG Robert Cruz who later became Deputy Commandant of the 10th Mountain Division NCO Academy. CW2 John Fraser wrote the 10th Mountain Division Song in 1987 as the Commander of the 10th Mountain Division Band. At that time the new division was to have 2 infantry brigades, with 1 each artillery, support, and aviation brigades. To bring it up to the normal configuration of other Army divisions it was also to have a "roundout" brigade from the national guard. During the 1990s this brigade was the 27th Infantry Brigade of the New York Army National Guard.

File:10th Mountain Div. at Afghanistan.jpg
10th Mountain Soldier in patrol at Afghanistan highlands.

The modern 10th Mountain's first deployment came in 1990 when division units were deployed to support Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. After Hurricane Andrew devastated Florida in August 1992, the division deployed to assist in the recovery effort. 10th Mountain troops set up relief camps, distributed food, clothing, medical necessities and building supplies as well as helping to rebuild homes and clear debris. During 1993, the 10th Mountain Division was deployed to Somalia as part of Operation Restore Hope. 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 2 soldiers KIA in the fighting. The 10th Mountain Division later was deployed to Haiti and Bosnia in the 1990s. Because of the number of deployments, 10th Mountain gained the reputation as the most deployed division in the army.

During the 2000 presidential campaign, the readiness of the 10th Mountain Division became a political issue when then candidate George W. Bush asserted that the division was "not ready for duty". The division's low readiness was attributed on the recent redeployment of division units which had not had the time to refit for future missions.

Since the September 11, 2001 attacks, elite 10th Mountain units have deployed at an even greater frequency. Division units have played significant roles in Afghanistan and Iraq. Amongst these have been the famous rescue of downed Navy SEALs during "Operation Anaconda" in Afghanistan in 2002. However, according to retired U.S. Army Colonel David Hackworth, despite its name, the 10th Mountain Division was not a mountain-warfare capable unit at its deployment to Afghanistan and during Operation Anaconda. One division sergeant was quoted as saying: "We don't do mountains".[7]

The division has also been credited with the successful maintenance of security of Western Baghdad including the exceedingly violent Abu Ghraib neighborhood during the first democratic Iraqi elections of 2004. During this last operation the 2nd Brigade Combat team allowed no successful suicide bomber attacks at polling sites. They have also deployed on a smaller scale to numerous other countries and regions including the Sinai, Bosnia, Kuwait, and Kosovo.

As part of the Army's modular transformation, the divisional structure saw much change during 2004 and 2005. Division Support Command; 3rd Battalion, 62nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment; 110th Military Intelligence Battalion; 10th Signal Battalion; 41st Engineer Battalion; 10th Forward Support Battalion and 710th Main Support Battalion were all deactivated September 2004. The remaining units were reorganized and two new brigade combat teams (BCTs) were added to the division. The 3rd BCT was activated at Ft. Drum in late 2004. The 4th BCT was activated at Fort Polk, LA on January 19 2005. The Army hopes to move the 4th BCT to Fort Drum from Fort Polk between FY 2010 and 2011, if housing is available for the members of the brigade.

Notable veterans


General information

  • Commanding General: MG Michael L. Oates
  • Deputy Commanding General (Operations): BG Jeffrey Buchanan
  • Deputy Commanding General (Support): BG Jeffrey A. Smith
  • Divisional Command Sergeant Major: CSM James W. Redmore
  • Chief of Staff: COL Joseph Dichairo

Organizational structure

World War II Division

Note: Regiments were typically organized by companies, not battalions. Dates following the name of the unit refer to the period it was part of the division; non-divisional units attached at various times during the life of the division (from a few days to several months) are omitted for simplicity.

  • Headquarters and headquarters company, 10th Mountain Division
  • 85th Mountain Infantry Regiment (15 May 1943-26 November 1945)
  • 86th Mountain Infantry Regiment (20 December 1942-23 November 1945)
  • 87th Mountain Infantry Regiment (15 May 1943-20 October 1945)
  • 90th Mountain Infantry Regiment (15 May 1943-22 February 1944)
  • 10th Mountain Division Artillery
    • 604th Field Artillery Battalion (Pack)
    • 605th Field Artillery Battalion (Pack)
    • 616th Field Artillery Battalion (Pack)
  • 10th Mountain Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop (mounted, later motorized)
  • 10th Mountain Infantry Antitank Battalion
    • 727th AAA MG Battalion
    • 576th Antitank Battery
  • 10th Mountain Medical battalion
    • Light and 680th Medical Collection Companies
  • 10th Mountain Quartermaster Battalion
    • 255th, 256th, and 257 Quartermaster Pack
    • 137th Truck
  • 126th Mountain Engineer Battalion
    • 226th and 299th Engineer Combat Pack Companies
  • 710th Mountain Ordinance Company
  • 110th Mountain Signal Company
  • 10th Mountain Military Police Platoon
  • Headquarters Special Troops, 10th Mountain Division
Source: National Roster: 2007 (Bala Cynwyd: National Association of the 10th Mountain Division), p. 20.

Current Structure

OrBat of the 10th Mountain Division

10th Mountain Division:

  • 10th Sustainment Brigade (attached)
    • Sustainment Brigade Special Troops Battalion
    • 548th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion
    • 10th Soldier Support Battalion
    • 7th Engineer Battalion
    • 91st Military Police Battalion
  • 7th Sustainment Brigade "Resolute" (attached)
    • 6th Transportation Battalion "Doers" (Truck)
    • 7th Special Troops Battalion "Resolute Warriors"
    • 10th Transportation Battalion "Waterborne" (Heavy Watercraft)
    • 11th Transportation Battalion "Over the Shore" (Terminal)
    • 24th transportation Battalion "Dragons" (Light Watercraft / Cargo)

Past commanders

Taken from 10th Mountain Division past commanders

  • MG Lloyd E. Jones Jul 1943 - Nov 1944
  • MG George P. Hays Nov 1944 - Nov 1945
  • MG Lester T. Whitlock Aug 1948 - Oct 1950
  • MG James Edward Moore Nov 1950 - May 1951
  • BG Marcus B. Bell May 1951 - Nov 1951
  • MG George D. Shea Nov 1951 - Jan 1953
  • MG Thomas L. Harrold Feb 1953 - Jun 1954
  • MG Phillip Dew. Ginder Jun 1954 - Mar 1955
  • MG George Martin Apr 1955 - Mar 1956
  • MG Barksdale Hamlett Apr 1956 - Jun 1957
  • MG Walter B. Yaeger Jul 1957 - Apr 1958
  • MG Miller O. Perry May 1958 - Jun 1958
  • MG William S. Carpenter, Jr. Feb 1985 - Apr 1988
  • MG Peter J. Boylan Apr 1988 - Sep 1990
  • MG James R. Ellis Sep 1990 - Sep 1991
  • MG S. L. Arnold Sep 1991 - Aug 1993
  • MG David C. Meade Aug 1993 - Jul 1995
  • MG Thomas N. Burnette, Jr. Jul 1995 - Jun 1997
  • MG Lawson W. Magruder III Jun 1997 - Mar 1999
  • MG James L. Campbell Mar 1999 - Aug 2001
  • MG Franklin L. Hagenbeck Aug 2001 - August 2003
  • MG Lloyd Austin Sep 2003 - Aug 2005
  • MG Benjamin C. Freakley Aug 2005 - Apr 2007
  • MG Michael Oates Apr 2007 - Present

In the movie Manticore (2005) 10th Mountain division is the unit featured in the movie. "During Operation Iraqi Freedom, a US Army Squad is sent to a small Iraqi town to locate a missing news crew, only to find the residents of the town dead and a living Weapon of Mass Destruction, a Manticore, awaken from its long slumber by a terrorist leader wanting to rid his land of the American invaders at any price".

Conspiracy Theory

Canadian conspiracy thinkers believe the 10th Mountain Division's training and basing are primarily intended to spearhead a future invasion of Canada.[8]

Bibliography

  • R.Brooks, Thomas (2003). The War North of Rome (June 1944-May 1945). Da Capo Press. ISBN 978-0306812569.
  • Moraes, Mascarenhas (1966). The Brazilian Expeditionary Force By Its Commander. US Government Printing Office. ASIN: B000PIBXCG.

See also

References and Notes

  1. ^ Except 1st Brigade Combat Team
  2. ^ Except Special Troops Battalion
  3. ^ 2nd Brigade Combat Team only
  4. ^ 1st Brigade Combat Team only
  5. ^ R.Brooks, The War North of Rome, p.354 to 359
  6. ^ Moraes, "The Brazilian Expeditionary Force By Its Commander"
  7. ^ http://www.military.com/Resources/ResourceFileView?file=Hackworth_070302.htm
  8. ^ The Invasion of Canada
  • Fire on the Mountain. (Video) Produced and directed by Beth and George Gage. First Run Features, 1995.
Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Slideshows of 10th Mountain Division:

http://watertowndailytimes.com/section/multimedia?objdir=drum_homecoming&objw=620&objh=503

http://watertowndailytimes.com/section/multimedia?objdir=climbtoglory&objw=620&objh=503

Syracuse basketball team at Fort Drum:

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