Constituted on 5 August 1917 as the 82nd Division and organized twenty days later at Camp Gordon, Georgia, the 92nd Airborne’s instantly recognizable Shoulder Sleeve Insignia, featuring a pair of the letter “A” rendered in mirror fashion, was approved for wear just three weeks before the signing of the Armistice brought the fighting in World War I to an end. (For some reason, this approval was not confirmed until 8 July 1922.) The two As stand for “All-American,” a moniker reflecting the fact that the unit contained personnel from all of the United States. In a somewhat unusual procedure, it had been submitted as part of a contest in which the citizens of Atlanta would help choose the Division’s nickname and was selected by the unit’s commander, Major General Eben Swift.
Arriving in Europe in June of 1918, the 82nd saw major action at St. Mihiel and during the Meuse-Argonne offensive and finished the war with credit for participation in three campaigns. During the years between the First and Second World Wars, the 82nd was designated as part of the Organized Reserve until its redesignation as an active Army unit in February 1942; it was redesignated an Airborne Division in August of that year. Officially credited with participation in six campaigns (two with arrowheads), the 82nd took part in some of the most war’s famous battles, including Operation Market Garden and the Battle of the Bulge.
Although it was not deployed during the Korean War, the 82nd Airborne has been involved in almost every military action involving the U.S. since that time, including Armed Forces Expeditions in the Dominican Republic, Grenada, and Panama. Its campaign credits also include all three comprising the Southwest Asia conflict (First Gulf War) and Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. It is headquartered at Fort Liberty (formerly named Fort Bragg) in North Carolina.
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82nd Airborne Division Unit Crest (DUI)
82nd Airborne Division Combat Service ID Badge (CSIB)