Soldiers from the U.S. Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division ready their gear prior to a mass parachute jump from Air Force C-130J Hercules aircraft (2014).
According to a Pentagon new briefing on December 19, 2014 Secretary Hagel has authorized up to 1,300 more U.S. troops to deploy to Iraq. Approximately 1,000 of them will be soldiers from the US Army’s Third Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
They will begin to deploy to Iraq in late January, and their mission will be to train, advise and assist Iraqi security forces. This deployment is part of the additional, 1,500 troops that the president authorized in November.
The US Army’s 82nd Airborne Division is categorized as a Rapid Deployment Force, which can deploy anywhere in the world within 18 hours of executive notification. The unit has the capability of “Forced Entry” into a territory to seize and secure key terrain, e.g. Drop Zone (DZ), airfield or airport, to accommodate follow on forces.
The 82nd Airborne Division is an elite active duty airborne infantry division of the United States Army, specializing in parachute assault operations into denied areas.
See video: 82nd Airborne Division Rapid Deployment capabilities https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8m-1StSdlM
Note: The Third Brigade Combat Team, 82 ABN Division consists of the following units
- 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment
- 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment
- 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment
- 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment
- 1st Battalion, 319th Field Artillery Regiment
- 307th Brigade Engineer Battalion
- 82nd Brigade Support Battalion
See related video: 3rd Brigade Combat Team then and now video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGW4eYmm-1o
See video: Jump with the 82nd Airborne Division https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZqfN_XzKg4