The 11th ABN will be HQed in Alaska and focus on Arctic dominance.
ARMY RESURRECTS HISTORIC WWII AIRBORNE DIVISION TO DOMINATE THE ARCTIC
The US Army will raise a third airborne division, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth and Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville confirmed at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday, May 5.
The US Army Alaska Headquarters is being remodeled as the 11th Airborne Division in a new strategic plan to focus on Arctic dominance. The deliberate move was made to prepare for future conflicts in cold-weather environments. The newly resurrected 11th Airborne Division will join the 82nd Airborne Division and 173rd Airborne Brigade as the Army’s premier airborne light-infantry units, while the 101st Airborne Division will remain focused on air assault.
“This is a historic development for our Alaska-based military,” Sen. Dan Sullivan said after the hearing. “Redesignating U.S. Army Alaska under the 11th Airborne Division banner presents a dual opportunity for our country — renewing the spirit and purpose of our Alaska-based soldiers by connecting them with this division’s proud and storied history, and better fulfilling America’s role as an Arctic nation.”