Thousands of spectators waited at Fort Bragg’s Sicily Drop Zone on Thursday as hundreds of paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division approached from the skies in C-17s.
FAYETTEVILLE, N. C. (Tribune News Service) — Thousands of spectators waited at Fort Bragg’s Sicily Drop Zone on Thursday as hundreds of paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division approached from the skies in C-17s.
But Maj. Gen. Erik Kurilla and other jumpers would have to wait until they were under parachute canopies before they could see the crowds.
“When they opened the doors, you couldn’t even see the ground,” said Kurilla, the commanding general of the 82nd Airborne Division.
With an onboard computer calculating release points based on weather and winds, soldiers leapt through the clouds on their way to the drop zone.
The jump — amid the division’s annual Airborne Review — was part capabilities demonstration, part training and part celebration, according to officials.
“it’s a microcosm of the capability the division has,” Kurilla said.
The smaller scale exercise was a rare peek at the 82nd Airborne Division by members of the community.
Thousands filled into bleachers at Sicily Drop Zone, including families, veterans and other members of the public. Next to the drop zone, paratroopers and their vehicles and equipment were on display. There were events for children, photo opportunities, band performances and concessions on sale by family readiness groups.
Army recruiters brought at least 300 future soldiers from across the state to the Airborne Review, to provide a look at their future careers.
Meanwhile, the demonstration served as the culminating event for All American Week, an annual event that celebrates paratroopers, veterans and their families.
All American Week began with Monday’s Division Run and also included numerous sports competitions, the inaugural All American Hall of Fame induction and a Division Memorial.
“This whole week basically is really a celebration of our culture,” Kurilla said.
But Thursday’s Airborne Review was also a dress rehearsal for the 82nd Airborne Division’s mission to deploy anywhere in the world on short notice.
While war and the threats facing the country continue to evolve, Kurilla said the division’s unique capabilities are needed now more than ever.
That includes the division’s airborne skillsets, which allow the country to deploy a brigade-sized element, along with vehicles, fuel and howitzers, in the same amount of time that it would take to unload a single C-17.
“American has a capability that no one else has,” Kurilla said. “We have a mission to be ready to go. We have elements on two-hour alerts, on four-hour alerts and we have to be ready to go, wheels up… between 18 hours and 96 hours.”
Kurilla was the first paratrooper out the door from the C-17s. And he led a formation of thousands of soldiers as they marched across the drop zone, where they were greeted by veterans of every conflict since World War II, who themselves marched in front of the waiting paratroopers.
All American Week was a rare opportunity to bring the entire 82nd Airborne together in celebration. And for the first time in years, the vast majority of the division’s 18,000-plus soldiers were at home for the week, save for approximately 135 soldiers who are deployed to the Middle East.
The Airborne Review included a mock door demonstration and a series of events that would typically be part of a real-world airborne operations, including partner forces that would support the 82nd Airborne Division.
F-15E Strike Eagles from the 4th Fighter Wing at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base flew above the clouds, simulating a preemptive attack on air defense positions, command and control elements and enemy forces.
The F-15Es were followed by C-17s from the 437th Airlift Wing out of Charleston, South Carolina and the 62nd Airlift Wing out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.
Hundreds of paratroopers jumped from the planes before the mission was cut short due to weather.
Once soldiers were on the ground, they worked to seize key facilities, cut lines of communication and establish blocking positions for the assault force.
A CH-47 Chinook helicopter-led gun raid delivered M119A3 howitzers to the drop zone.
And 10 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters delivered more soldiers to the demonstration as part of an air assault.
AH-64 Apache helicopters provided suppressive fires, while the howitzers and High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems launched volleys away from the drop zone.
Eventually, the ground force maneuvered to their target using gun trucks and light all-terrain vehicles known as MRZRs. Soldiers launched an assault on makeshift building, which engineers breached before blowing to pieces.
Officials said the 82nd Airborne Division is the only military unit of its magnitude that can conduct simultaneous airborne and air assault operations.
Kurilla said the 82nd Airborne Division is focused on preparing for a fight against a near peer adversary.
“We have been laser focused,” he said. “We train at a very, very high level.”
In recent months, paratroopers have jumped wearing chemical suits to prepare for such an attack. And at combat training centers, its enemy force has the modern capabilities of a near peer, including the ability to attack American satellite and GPS signals.
The 82nd Airborne Division’s ability to deploy on short notice, whether by parachute or any other means, gives it “long strategic legs,” Kurilla said.
In short, the division could be tasked with going anywhere in the world. And leaders must be prepared to do just that.
“I go to bed at night thinking about Korea and I wake up in the morning thinking about Korea because I know that is a very, very tough fight,” Kurilla said.
This year’s All American Week celebrated the 101st year in the 82nd Airborne Division’s history and carried a theme of “The next century begins.”
On Thursday, Kurilla told the crowd of gathered paratroopers, veterans and family members that the division’s first 100 years were now behind them.
“We must always cherish the men and women who have come before us. Those who have sacrificed greatly by conducting or preparing to conduct combat operations for this nation. Our ancestors paved the way to the present,” he said.
