XVIII Airborne Corps instance of Airborne Corps
The XVIII Airborne Corps is a corps of the United States Army that has been in existence since 1942 and saw extensive service during World War II. The corps is designed for rapid deployment anywhere in the world and is referred to as "America's Contingency Corps." Its headquarters are at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.XVIII Airborne Corps returned to Fort Bragg in October 2022 after a nine month deployment to Germany, in support of NATO and European Allies and partners. The mission was to provide a joint task force-capable headquarters in light of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.History
World War II
The corps was first activated on 17 January 1942, five weeks after the entry of the United States into World War II, as the II Armored Corps at Camp Polk, Louisiana, under the command of Major General William Henry Harrison Morris, Jr. When the concept of armored corps proved unnecessary, II Armored Corps was re-designated as XVIII Corps on 9 October 1943 at the Presidio of Monterey, California.XVIII Corps deployed to Europe on 17 August 1944 and became the XVIII Airborne Corps on 25 August 1944 at Ogbourne St. George, England, assuming command of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions, as part of the preparation for Operation Market Garden. Prior to this time, the two divisions were assigned to VII Corps and jumped into Normandy during Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Normandy, as part of VII Corps.Major General Matthew Bunker Ridgway, a highly professional, competent and experienced airborne commander who had led the 82nd Airborne Division in Sicily, Italy and Normandy, was chosen to command the corps, which then consisted of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions and was part of the newly created First Allied Airborne Army.
The corps headquarters did not see service in Operation Market Garden, with the British I Airborne Corps being chosen instead to exercise operational command of all Allied airborne forces in the operation, including the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions.
Following the Battle of the Bulge, in which the corps played a significant part (and which, during the early stages of the battle, the corps was commanded by Major General James M. Gavin of the 82nd Airborne), all American airborne units on the Western Front fell under command of the corps. XVIII Airborne Corps planned and executed Operation Varsity, the airborne component of Operation Plunder, the crossing of the River Rhine into Germany. It was one of the largest airborne operations of the war, with the British 6th and U.S. 17th Airborne Divisions under command.After taking part in the Western Allied invasion of Germany, the XVIII Airborne Corps, still under Ridgway, returned to the United States in June 1945 and was initially to take part in the invasion of Japan, codenamed Operation Downfall. However, the Japanese surrendered just weeks later and XVIII Airborne Corps was inactivated on 15 October 1945 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, North CarolinaHeadquarters & Headquarters Company
18th Personnel Group
18th Finance Group
1st Battalion, 2nd Air Defense Artillery, Fort Stewart
10th Mountain Division (Light), Fort Drum, New York
24th Infantry Division (Mechanized), Fort Stewart, Georgia
82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina
101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky
XVIII Airborne Corps Artillery, Fort Bragg
18th Field Artillery Brigade (Airborne), Fort BraggHeadquarters & Headquarters Battery
3rd Battalion, 8th Field Artillery (24 × M198 155mm towed howitzer)
5th Battalion, 8th Field Artillery (24 × M198 155mm towed howitzer)
3rd Battalion, 27th Field Artillery (27 × M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System)
1st Battalion, 39th Field Artillery (Airborne) (24 × M198 155mm towed howitzer)
1st Field Artillery Detachment (Target Acquisition)
18th Aviation Brigade (Airborne), Fort Bragg
Headquarters & Headquarters Company
1st Battalion, 58th Aviation (Air Traffic Control)
1st Battalion, 159th Aviation (General Support)
2nd Battalion, 159th Aviation (Medium Lift)
3rd Battalion, 159th Aviation (Attack)
2nd Battalion, 229th Aviation (Attack) (former 2nd Battalion, 101st Aviation)
20th Engineer Brigade (Airborne), Fort Bragg27th Engineer Battalion (Airborne)
30th Engineer Battalion (Topographic)
37th Engineer Battalion (Airborne)
175th Engineer Company
264th Engineer Company (Bridge)
362nd Engineer Company
16th Military Police Brigade (Airborne), Fort Bragg
503rd Military Police Battalion (Airborne)
35th Signal Brigade (Airborne), Fort Bragg25th Signal Battalion (Corps Area)
50th Signal Battalion (Corps Command Operations) (Airborne)
327th Signal Battalion (Corps Radio)
426th Signal Battalion (Corps Area)
525th Military Intelligence Brigade (Airborne), Fort Bragg
224th Military Intelligence Battalion (Aerial Exploitation), Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia
319th Military Intelligence Battalion (Operations)
519th Military Intelligence Battalion (Tactical Exploitation) (Airborne)
1st Corps Support Command (Airborne), Fort Braggsubordination formations and units
type of example of manifestation of representation of