US Army: The 10 Divisions To Note For People Considering Enlisting

US Army: The 10 Divisions To Note For People Considering Enlisting

  • The US Army maintains 10 widely recognised active-duty divisions, each with a distinct combat specialisation and storied history
  • Divisions range from the tank-heavy 1st Armored Division in Texas to the airborne 82nd, which can deploy anywhere in the world within 18 hours
  • The 2nd Infantry Division stands apart as the only US Army division with forces permanently based outside the United States

The United States Army organises its ground combat power around divisions, large self-sustaining units of between 10,000 and 15,000 soldiers commanded by a two-star major general.

US Army, US army division
The US Army maintains 10 widely recognised active-duty divisions. Credit: Chip Somodevilla
Source: Getty Images

Each division maintains its own intelligence, logistics and communications infrastructure, enabling it to conduct independent operations.

While the Army expanded to 11 active-duty divisions following the reactivation of the 11th Airborne Division in 2022, the original 10 remain the most recognised formations in American military history.

The US Army's Historic Heavy Hitters

  1. The 1st Infantry Division, established in 1917 and based at Fort Riley, Kansas, holds the distinction of being the oldest continuously serving division in the Army. Known as "The Big Red One," it fought at Omaha Beach on D-Day and remains a mechanised infantry force today.
  2. At Fort Hood, Texas, the 1st Cavalry Division, nicknamed "The First Team," operates M1 Abrams tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles and maintains ceremonial horse detachments as a nod to its mounted warfare origins.
  3. Also in Texas, at Fort Bliss, the 1st Armored Division, "Old Ironsides," was the first armoured US division to see combat in the Second World War and specialises in heavy manoeuvre operations.
  4. The 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Georgia, earned the name "Rock of the Marne" for holding its position against a German offensive in France during the First World War, before serving as the lead force in the 2003 drive to Baghdad.
  5. At Fort Carson, Colorado, the 4th Infantry Division, the "Ivy Division," has served as the Army's primary testing ground for new digital battlefield systems.
  6. The 2nd Infantry Division is unique in that it operates across two locations: Camp Humphreys in South Korea and Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington State, maintaining a constant high-readiness posture on the Korean Peninsula.
  7. The 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, New York, has been the most deployed division in the Army since the 1990s. Originally formed to fight in the Italian mountains during the Second World War, its soldiers train to operate in extreme terrain and weather conditions without armoured vehicle support.
  8. At Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, the 25th Infantry Division, "Tropic Lightning," focuses on jungle warfare and rapid response across the Asia-Pacific theatre.
  9. The 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, functions as the nation's Global Response Force, able to deploy thousands of paratroopers anywhere in the world within 18 hours of notification.
  10. Its counterpart, the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, specialises in air assault operations using helicopters rather than parachutes. The "Screaming Eagles" earned lasting recognition for their defence of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge in the Second World War.

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Canada names three conditions for military enlistment

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Canada's Department of National Defence detailed the precise circumstances under which permanent residents who have not yet obtained citizenship may join the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), setting out three conditions that must all be satisfied at the same time.

Under the standard enrolment policy, Canadian citizenship is the default requirement for military service.

Permanent residents who acquired their status through the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act are eligible to apply, but only where all three of the specified conditions are met concurrently.

Source: YEN.com.gh

Authors:
Delali Adogla-Bessa avatar

Delali Adogla-Bessa (Head of Current Affairs and Politics Desk) Delali Adogla-Bessa is a Current Affairs Editor with YEN.com.gh. Delali previously worked as a freelance journalist in Ghana and has over seven years of experience in media, primarily with Citi FM, Equal Times, Ubuntu Times. Delali also volunteers with the Ghana Institute of Language Literacy and Bible Translation, where he documents efforts to preserve local languages. He graduated from the University of Ghana in 2014 with a BA in Information Studies. Email: delali.adogla-bessa@yen.com.gh.