Today saw a milestone moment in the lifespan of one of our Army’s reliable, rock-steady organizations: the blue-and-white colors of the @10MTNDIV changed hands for the 30th time.
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Over its lifespan, some of our Nation's most important leaders and most memorable characters commanded the 10th Mountain Division.
Let's consider some of the Soldiers who have led the Climb To Glory Division.
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LLoyd Jones, the first commander, assumed the 10th Light Division (Alpine) in July, 1943.
Lloyd Jones, set in motion this grand institution, developing a division of tough Soldiers.
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Lloyd was a champion skier who saw the ski, the snowshoe, and the hard-nose mountaineer as critical to gaining an advantage in the European mountains.
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Lloyd Jones whipped his boys through what George Marshall later called the toughest sustained training undergone by the American Soldier in preparation for WWII.
The culminating event of the trainup: the miserable, freezing 5-week D Series maneuvers ["D" = Divisional]
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A young private named Harris Dusenberry wrote home to his mom that “those of who did not quit during D Series gained something in the misty realm of the spirit the Army calls morale.”
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Jones contracted bronchitis during the D Series and was soon too sick to continue to lead this division. He was replaced by George Price Hays, a WWI Medal of Honor recipient.
Hays completed the training for war and reflagged the unit the 10th Mountain Division.
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Like 10th MTN leaders today, Hays lead from the front. One example:
December 1944: On a 27-mile road march on Camp Swift, Colorado in M29 "Weasel" cargo carriers. George told his leaders that he would drive the M29s off a mountain if they didn’t lead their men on foot
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Barksdale Hamlett, the 10th Climb To Glory 6, commanded the division from 1956 to 1957, back when this division was in Würzburg, Germany, just as the Cold War was gaining steam there.
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Barksdale went on to serve as Vice Chief of Staff of the Army in the Johnson Administration.
In 1964, while serving in that role, he had a heart attack.
Two days later, Admiral Claude V. Ricketts, Vice Chief of the Navy, died of a heart attack.
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The next day, this man, William McKee, Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force, sensing a trend, immediately retired.
(Our man Barskdale survived his heart attack and returned to duty)
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The thirteenth Climb To Glory 6, Bill Carpenter, brought the division out of deactivation in 1985. Bill Carpenter was a hero of the Vietnam War, earning a Silver Star for leading a patrol through Dak To while wounded in 1964.
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Two years later, he earned a Distinguished Service Cross for directing a napalm strike on his own position to relieve an infantry company being overrun.
Bill rebuilt this division in Lloyd Jones’ image.
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In February, 1986, during a 12-mile road march in a snowstorm on Fort Drum, Bill walked up to a group of freezing Soldiers and told them: no matter the conditions, no matter the terrain, always keep moving. Whatever you do, keep moving.
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Lawson Magruder was the 19th commander of the 10th Mountain Division, Lawson Magruder, (1997 - 1998) was a tough leader who focused on the battalion and below.
Lawson's father landed on Utah Beach on D Day with 4th Inf Division & later fought in Korea and Vietnam.
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The 22nd commander of the 10th Mountain Division, Lloyd Austin, from 2003 - 2005, is now the US Secretary of Defense.
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Secretary Austin is joined at the top of the Pentagon by the 26th commander (2011 - 2012), General Mark Milley.
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General Milley's successor, General Stephen Townsend, the 27th commander (2012 - 2015), now commands U.S. Africa Command.
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Now under new leadership, the 10th Mountain Division will maintain the legacy of Lloyd Jone's ski Soldiers.
And, no matter the future global security environment, the hardship, or the enemy, the Climb To Glory Soldiers will keep going up.
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