This unit, the XVIII Airborne Corps, was established toward the end of WWII for a single purpose: to command and control all the airborne forces during the final airborne assaults planned to strike into Holland and Berlin and end the war.
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Once the Germans surrendered, this Corps was no longer needed and was promptly deactivated.
By 1951, however, the world was once again in conflict.
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A new war was raging in Korea that required an enormous commitment of forces. Even more ground troops were needed to keep the Soviet Union in check.
For this latter requirement, 70 years ago this month the XVIII Airborne was reborn on Fort Bragg.
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So, throughout this current month, May 2021, world leaders and the global community will gather to celebrate 70 years of the XVIII Airborne Corps.
Amidst this international party, we here on Twitter will capture for you the greatest moments from the last 7 decades.
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So, this🧵is a roadmap for the Twitter commemoration of this monumental anniversary. To follow the story arc of the Corps, we've created a Twitter history book with 5 chapters, each covering a specific period
All 5 chapters are defined on this graphic.
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We'll start each chapter with a 2-minute documentary film.
Chapter 1: Rebirth, focuses on the period between 1951 and 1958. This was a bit of a sleepy time for the Corps. We were kept out of Korea and did not have a clear mission.
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Chapter 2: Restructure, focuses on the period between 1958 and 1962 when the Corps was restructured as a Pentomic formation (5 battlegroups in each Division vs. 3 Regiments).
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Chapter 3: Skilled, Tough, Ready Around the Clock, focuses on the period between 1962 and 1973 during which the Corps was, for the first time, given the Immediate Response Force mission it holds today.
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Chapter 4: 1973 to 1991, All Volunteer Force, tells the story of the Corps leading the Army out of the dark days of the Vietnam War, out of a conscription-based service, and into a new All Volunteer Force.
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Chapter 5: 1991 to today, Global Response Force, takes us through the Gulf War and into the Corps mission and structure today.
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So, we hope you'll stay with us all month. We're going to have MANY celebrities and heads of state giving testimonial about the Corps and we'll tell, once and for all, the full story of the XVIII Airborne Corps.
This is history you've never heard before.
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