Fort Bragg History
Fort Bragg history begins with it’s namesake, Braxton
Bragg, a native North Carolinian who was born in Warren County on March 22,
1817. After he graduated from West Point at the early age of 20, he served
in the Seminole War for three years as a Second Lieutenant. In the
war against Mexico, as a member of General Zachary Taylor's staff, he won
distinction as an officer and was promoted to the rank of Captain for "gallant
and distinguished conduct." His able leadership and superb strategy at the
brilliant Battle of Buena Vista won for him the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
At the outbreak of the Civil War, he was called from private life into the
Confederate Army and was made a Brigadier General. Actively engaged in the
two day Battle of Shiloh, in April, 1862, he further exemplified his military
Early in 1864 he was entrusted with the conduct of military operations as
Commander-in-Chief of the Confederate Army under the direction of President
Jefferson Davis, a distinction of considerable magnitude, and in November of the
same year he was placed in command of the Department of North Carolina.
His defeat at Bennett's Place, near Durham, North Carolina, where he and General
Joseph E. Johnston endeavored to defeat General Sherman, marked the cessation of
Confederate action in this section.
After the war he was for some time Chief Engineer for the state of Alabama and
as such had charge of the improvements in Mobile Bay. The remaining years
of his life were spent as an inspector for a large railroad in Galveston, Texas,
where he died on September 27, 1876.
In 1918, Congress established Camp Bragg, an Army field artillery site named for
the Confederate General Braxton Bragg, and Fort Bragg history began. An aviation landing field named after 1st
Lt. Harley H. Pope, whose JN-4 Jenny crashed in the Cape Fear River, was added a
year later. After five years, Camp Bragg became a permanent Army post renamed
Fort Bragg. Today, Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base comprise one of the
world's largest military installations.
Today the XVIII Airborne Corps - the Army's largest warfighting organization -
is the only airborne corps in the defense establishment of the United States and
exercises control over approximately 88,000 thousand soldiers assigned to the 3d
Infantry Division (Mechanized), Fort Stewart, Georgia; 10th Mountain (Light),
Fort Drum, New York, 82d Airborne Division, Fort Bragg; 101st Airborne Division
(Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky; XVIII Airborne Corps Artillery; 2d
Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Polk, Louisiana; 108th Air Defense Artillery,
Fort Bliss, Texas; 18th Aviation Brigade; 229th Aviation Regiment; 20th Engineer
Brigade; 525th Military Intelligence Brigade; 16th Military Police Brigade; 35th
Signal Brigade; 1st Corps Support Command; 44th Medical Brigade; 18th Finance
Group; 18th Personnel Group; and Dragon Brigade, all located at Fort Bragg. The Corps capability for rapid deployment and reputation as the premier power projection force continues to be tested. It's operational tempo remains the highest in the Army and it's resolve as a quick reaction force has been the key to success in numerous crisis situations throughout Fort Bragg history.
Operation Power Pack, Dominican Republic, 30 April 1965
The Corps served as the headquarters for US forces personnel sent to restore law
and order, prevent a communist takeover of the country, and protect American
lives.
Operation Urgent Fury, Grenada, 25 October 1983
At the request of President Reagan, the Corps provided the bulk of land forces
sent to rescue medical students and other stranded Americans and participated
with our Caribbean neighbors in an international peacekeeping effort.
Operation Golden Pheasant, Honduras, 1988
When the borders of Honduras were threatened, elements of two Corps divisions
exercised a show of force to ensure sovereignty of Honduran territory would be
respected.
Operation Nimrod Dancer, Panama, 1989
A security reinforcement was sent to protect American citizens, facilities and
treaty rights following the elections.
Operation Hawkeye, U.S. Virgin Islands, September 1989
Following Hurricane Hugo, the Corps was on the ground, in St. Croix, within 13
hours, with the first elements of a Joint Task Force, to restore law and order,
to provide emergency relief, and rebuilding efforts for the devastated island.
Operation Just Cause, Panama, 20 December 1989
The XVIII Airborne Corps in operational command of Joint Task Force South struck
27 targets simultaneously and conducted two night parachute assaults to seize
critical terrain and set the stage for a freely-elected government to be
established in the country.
Operation Desert Shield, Saudi Arabia, 9 August 1990
Rapidly deployed as the first ground force in theater to spearhead efforts to
deter aggression and assist in the defense of friendly nations, the largest
American military deployment since WWII.
Operation Desert Storm, Saudi Arabia, February 1991
XVIII Airborne Corps launched the first ground assault into Iraq with the 82d
Airborne Division and the attached French 6th Light Armored Division, the
largest air assault in history by the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), and
an airborne thrust by the 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized) and the 3d Armored
Cavalry Regiment, in less than a 100 hours the Corps had effectively sealed off
the occupying Iraqi Army and destroyed major elements of the elite Republican
Guard.
Operation GTMO, Cuba, November 1991
The Corps established a humanitarian support center at Guantanamo Naval Base to
receive, transport, detain, control and process Haitian migrants. The Corps
quickly began the massive task of building and supporting a humanitarian center
for more than 12,000 Haitians. By early December the Corps had deployed over
2,000 soldiers to the Guantanamo Naval Base. The operation officially ended in
June 1993.
Operation Hurricane Andrew, Florida, 27 August 1992
On 27 August 1992 major units throughout the XVIII Airborne Corps began their
deployment to Dade County, Florida, to assist in disaster relief operations in
the aftermath of the storm. At peak strength the Corps had 16,000 soldiers
deployed to South Florida. The mission of the Corps was to provide immediate
emergency relief including food, water, shelter and medical aid. During
subsequent phases the Corps conducted debris removal operations, repaired
schools, established relief supply distribution centers and assisted the local
government in establishing sustained recovery operations. All disaster relief
functions were eventually turned over to civilian contractors, and Corps units
returned to Fort Bragg by 21 October 1992.
Operation Restore Hope, Somalia, 13 December 1992
In support of Joint Task Force Somalia, Army forces secured an airfield and key
installations, and provided security to ensure safe passage of food and
humanitarian supplies throughout the country.
Operation Uphold/Maintain Democracy, Haiti, September 1994
To ensure the Haitian Armed Forces compliance with Carter-Cedras accords,
protect US citizens, restore civil order, assist in the reorganization of
Haitian Armed Forces, and assist in the transition to and maintenance of a
democratic government.
Vigilant Warrior, Kuwait, October 1994
Nearly four years after Desert Storm the 24th Infantry Division returned to
Kuwait to deter further Iraqi aggression, when Iraqi forces moved south to the
border. They withdrew shortly after the arrival of the division.
The XVIII Airborne Corps is superbly
trained in tactical operational and strategic levels of war and is capable of
exercising the nation's ability to conduct strategic forced entry operations,
any where in the world on 18 hours notice. They have been widely recognized as a
superbly trained force capable of operating from peace operations to
general-purpose war and capable of conducting large-scale joint and combined
operations.
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