Some of y'all are so focused on our history that you didn't know we have a Signal Battalion (the 51st ESB) in Washington State, supporting the Pacific while keeping America's Contingency Corps globally-connected and on the knife's edge of mission command & comms tech.

[1 of 8]
[2 of 8]

Another thing you probably overlooked while obsessing on our history: we've got more than 40 boats and a ton of off-shore capability in our 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary) in Virginia.
[3 of 8]

In fact, for a land force, we have a lot going on in the water.

We also have divers...some of the best, most experienced people operating in deep sea anywhere in the world.

They build, blow up, and fix things underwater, clearing waterways for our contingency forces.
[4 of 8]

We've got tanks, Bradleys, light infantry, sappers....the largest combat capability mix in DoD.
[5 of 8]

We've also got the largest air assault capability within the US military.
[6 of 8]

America's Contingency Corps is global, ready to go anywhere in the world at any time.

We're also massive: spread out over 14 major installations, we're about one-fifth of the operational Army.
[7 of 8]

So, while some of you are infatuated with our past, we're focused on the future, building data analytics teams, AI capability at echelon, and introducing cutting-edge technology across all units.
[END]

Epilogue: we do have a cool podcast that talks about history: apple.co/2MlL94E.

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More from @18airbornecorps

18 Jan
[1 of 7]

On this #MLKDay, we pay homage to the original Black Panthers, the 761st Tank Battalion who liberated more than 30 towns and villages during WWII.
[2 of 7]

Formed in April of 1942 at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana, the 761st was among a number of all-black units with white leaders formed within a segregated US military.

With 593 black enlisted men & 36 black officers but white company CDRs the 761st was designated for Europe
[3 of 7]

The 761st, a separate battalion of M4 Sherman medium tanks, trained hard in Louisiana, despite facing segregation and racism both on post and off.

The battalion called itself the Black Panthers & developed an aggressive identity around its motto: “Come out fighting.”
Read 7 tweets
17 Jan
[1 of 8]

Back to our ongoing commemoration of the Battle of the Bulge.

It's Day 33 and we cannot overstate how bad the situation is for the Germans.
[2 of 8]

First of all, in the Ardennes, the First Army (from the North) meets the Third Army (from the South) in the middle of the bulge and starts plowing through Panzer forces west of Bastogne.

The Allies have also sealed off any escape route to the east.
[3 of 8]

But along the eastern front, things are even worse.

You see, the Red Army is an absolute steamroller, smashing through German forces there with 180 divisions and more than 9,000 aircraft.

In some fights, the Soviets outnumber the Germans 5 to 1.
Read 8 tweets
16 Jan
[1 of 7]

Battle of the Bulge, Day 31:

Morning Jan 16, 1945, Patton's 3rd Army finally pulls into Houffalize after a 13-day push NE from Bastogne (slowed by ice, bad roads, and German artillery).

We had absolutely pounded the Belgian town from the air the two preceding days.
[2 of 7]

Patton wrote that Houffalize was "completely removed" by the thousands of tons of Allied bombs targeting the Germans in recent days.
[3 of 7]

Soldiers of the 44th Inf Division found & inspected this German Flammpanzer 38 (a Jagdpanzer 38 modified with a flamethrower in place of the main gun) abandoned by German forces outside Houffalize

[apparently the Nazis didn't live the "death before dismount" motto"]
Read 7 tweets
13 Jan
[1 of 25]

By Jan 13, 1945, the Allies entered the final (and most historically overlooked) phase of the Battle of the Bulge
[2 of 25]

By midday 75 years ago, all final Allied offensive actions were in motion.
[3 of 25]

So, to set the table, let's remember who is who here.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

In the South, Patton's 3rd Army is still slowly making its way northeast to Houffalize (remember, they've been making progress that way since Jan 3rd).
Read 25 tweets
10 Jan
[1 of 20]

So many lessons for today's Army from the Battle of the Bulge (we've been covering many of them).

This one is about dealing with media.
[2 of 20]

Specifically, this story is about the dangers of bad public affairs (we know, you've made it easy for @rickdicksonreal to tweet "yeah, 18th Corps knows all about bad public affairs")
[3 of 20]

On January 5, 1945, at a time when Ike established a tenuous partnership between Patton in the North and Monty in the South, Eisenhower is just trying to keep the peace between the two and keep them moving against the bulge.
Read 20 tweets
9 Jan
1 of 19: TANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE

You crazy for this one, #TankTwitter

The Battle of the Bulge was among the largest tank battles in US history.

[If you are here seeking something other than straightforward analysis of a historical event, please look elsewhere] Image
2 of 19:

After the war, a narrative developed that American tank units (7th, 9th, 10th Armored Divisions, in particular) overcame a German tank superiority in the Battle of the Battle. Image
[3 of 19] We'd like to put that idea to the test.

We've discussed Kampfgruppe Peiper outmaneuvering our tanks early on with the newest German tank, the 70-ton Tiger II.

The remaining German forces had the Tiger I and Panzers. Image
Read 19 tweets

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