U.S. 10th Mountain Division

The 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) is an infantry division of the United States Army currently serving under the XVIII Airborne Corps. It has fought in many battles and actions, including the October 3, 1993 Battle of Mogadishu and many of the actions fought by its corps. The unit's specialty involves moving across mountainous terrain and fighting effectively in harsh conditions. Like the rest of the corps, it is an elite unit that can be transported (albeit in an unlikely case) through airborne means. The division is currently based at Fort Drum, New York.

History

Distinctive unit insignia of the 10th Mountain Division.

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 as a unit until January of 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 of 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 a concerted attack on the Silla-Mount Belvedere sector, and the peak was cleared after several days of heavy fighting. In early March the division fought its way north of Canolle, taking several more peaks, and moving to within 15 miles 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. It was not until the Reagan buildup of the 1980s that the 10th Mountain Division made a reappearance in the order of battle of the U.S. Army. It was reactivated on February 13, 1985 at Fort Drum, New York, as the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), which included the 27th Infantry Brigade of the New York Army National Guard as its third, "roundout" brigade.

During 1993 the 10th Mountain Division was deployed to Somalia as part of Operation Restore Hope. When Task Force Ranger got pinned down during the Battle of Mogadishu, the 10th Mountain Division was part of the UN Task Force deployed to help pull them out.

The 10th Mountain Division later was deployed to Haiti and Bosnia in the 1990s.

Since the September 11, 2001 attacks, 10th Mountain Division units have played significant roles in Afghanistan and Iraq.

A famous veteran of the 10th Mountain Division is former Senate Majority Leader and presidential candidate Bob Dole.

General information

• Commander: Brigadier General Lloyd J. Austin III
• Chief of Staff: Colonel Arthur Bartell

Subordinate Units

• 1st Brigade Combat Team "Warriors"
  • HHC 1st Brigade
  • 1-87th Infantry Regiment
  • 2-22nd Infantry Regiment
  • 1-71 Cavalry (RSTA)
  • 3-6 Field Artilery (Strike)
  • 10th Brigade Support Battalion
  • 1st Brigade Special Troops Battalion

• 2nd Brigade Combat Team "Commandos"
  • HHC 2nd Brigade
  • 2-14 Infantry Regiment
  • 4-31 Infantry Regiment
  • 2-71 Cavalry (RSTA)
  • 2-15 Field Artilery (Strike)
  • 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion

• 3nd Brigade Combat Team "Spartans"
  • HHC 3rd Brigade
  • 1-32 Infantry Regiment
  • 2-87 Infantry Regiment
  • 3-71 Cavalry (RSTA)
  • 4-25 Field Artilery (Strike)
  • 710th Brigade Support Battalion
  • 3rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion

• 4th Brigade Combat Team
  • HHC 4th Brigade
  • 2-4 Infantry Regiment
  • 2-30 Infantry Regiment
  • 3-89 Cavalry Regiment (RSTA)
  • 5-25 Field Artilery (Strike)
  • 94th Brigade Support Battalion
  • 4th Brigade Special Troops Battalion

• 10th Aviation Brigade
  • HHC 10th Aviation Brigade
  • 3-17 Air Recon Squadron (Cavalry)
  • 1-10 Aviation Regiment
  • 2-10 Aviation Regiment
  • 3-10 General Support Aviation Battalion

• 10th Support Command
  • HHC 10th Support Command
  • Brigade Special Troops Battalion
  • 548th Corps Support Battalion
  • 10th Soldier Support Battalion

Related topics

• Military of the United States
• Military unit
• Paratroopers
• Ski warfare

External links

• Fort Drum and the 10th Mountain Division Home Page (http://www.drum.army.mil) - official site.
• GlobalSecurity.org: 10th Mountain Division (http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/10mtn.htm)
• 10th Mountain Division Association, Inc. (http://www.10thmtndivassoc.org/)
• "Packs On" memoirs of the 10th Mountain Division WWII (http://www.greenwood.com/books/BookDetail.asp?dept_id=1&sku=C7784&imprintID=I1)sl:10. gorska divizija (lahka pehota)