![]() In March, Brigade '76 arrived in Wiesbaden, Germany. Long hours of training and planning, the combined armored and infantryĪttacks of Pathfinder units pushed back, surrounded, and capturedĪn "enemy" force that included the 101st Airborne Division. The Bicentennial year witnessed the first of the highly successfulĪnnual REFORGER training exercises, GORDIAN SHIELD. With the unique opportunity to perform missions utilizing the combined Participation into training, the pitting of battalion-sized taskįorces against an opposing force unit provided battalion staffs While injecting increased realism and maximum individual In USAREUR during March and April 1975 when six mechanized and fiveĪrmored battalions participated in the first ARTEP evaluations conductedĪt Hohenfels. In March 1974, the 8th Division pioneered the introduction of ARTEPs With the reassignment of the 1st Battalion, 509thĪirborne Battalion Combat Team, SETAF accepted the missions of maintainingĪnd deploying the battalion on its own or as part of the Alliedįollowing an equally impressive and successful Division-size FTX Inf (Abn) was assigned to the US Army Southern European Taskįorce (SETAF). The 2nd Battalion,ĥ09th Inf (Abn) was inactivated and the 1st Battalion, 509th It is believed to be the only full division-sizedĬrossing of the Rhein ever attempted during maneuvers.Īlso in 1973, the division lost its airborne mission. On May 10, with about ten thousand men and three thousand vehiclesįrom the 8th Division, as well as hundreds of Germans, Scottish,Īnd Belgian troopers. In 1973 LARAMIE GOLDEN ARROW was the high point of the 8th Division's LION in 1971, and GOLDEN STEP in Italy in June of 1972. Many joint airborne operations, including BOLD LEAP IV and FIRM To the Commander-in-Chief, USAREUR's statement that USAREUR was In February of 1972 the Pathfinders conducted KARNIVAL KING, theįirst FTX of division size in USAREUR since 1966, giving credence Of the PATHFINDER EXPRESS exercises was held in December 1968 in Into Turkey during the exercise DEEP FURROW in September. In Spain, and airborne units from the 8th Division also parachuted ![]() Troops from the division and Spanish Forces. SOUTHERNĪRROW, conducted in May, was one of the largest joint-service airborneĪ joint exercise, PATHFINDER EXPRESS, was held in 1967 which involved The most important events in 1966's training calendar. ![]() Exercise WINTER ARROW and SOUTHERN ARROW were The training highlight of 1965 was Exercise NORDIC AIR, in whichĭivision airborne units made a parachute assault into the Jutland Military air movement ever conducted up to that time. Of organizing, the "Hell on Wheels" from Texas conductedĪ relief operation with the 8th Division. In OPERATION BIG LIFT, Pathfinder elements moved into "battle ![]() ![]() In early November, as the 2nd Armoredĭivision was arriving at Rhein-Main Air Base from Fort Hood, Texas, Overland to reinforce the Berlin garrison. One of the division's battle groups, the 18th Infantry, moved In August 1961, when the East Germans erected the Berlin Wall, Maintained by the assignment of the 1st and 2nd Battalions, These two battle groups were relieved from assignment to theĨth in April 1963, but the Division's airborne capability was On January 15, 1959, the 1st Airborne Battle Group,ĥ05th Infantry was also assigned to the Division. With the assignment of the 1st Airborne Battle Group, 504th In 1958 the 8th Infantry Division (M) gained an airborne capability Headquarters became operational at Bad Kreuznach, Germany. Within a year the 8th Division participated in GYROSCOPE, reorganizationĪnd BIG SWITCH operations, and on December 14, 1957, the division Its place among the NATO forces in Germany under the US Seventh On October 9, 1956, the 8th Infantry Division officially took November 1955 the Department of the Army named the 8th DivisionĪn OPERATION GYROSCOPE unit and announced that it wouldĬhange places with the 9th Infantry Division in Germany. ![]()
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