The 82nd Airborne Division and the 1st Infantry Division are gearing up for a deployment abroad, the Army announced on Friday.
The 82nd Airborne Division’s Combat Aviation Brigade is scheduled to deploy to the Middle East in the first quarter of fiscal year 2024, where they will replace the Army National Guard’s 185th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade. This will be the second rotation of forces for the Guard unit, which deployed roughly five months ago.
Meanwhile, the 1st Infantry Division’s Combat Aviation Brigade is also set to deploy, this time to Europe. In the first quarter of fiscal year 2024, the Big Red One’s aviation wing will join thousands of other U.S. troops in Europe as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, and replace the 3rd Infantry Division’s Marne Air.
These deployments echo the Army’s strategy of forward presence. Deploying a credible force of the best-trained personnel and most modern equipment helps protect U.S. interests and minimizes the likelihood of flare-ups and miscalculations.
Not only will these deployments bolster deterrence in Europe and the Middle East, but they will also fortify the capabilities of the joint force. Combat aviation brigades often provide integral support in air operations, such as offensive strikes, reconnaissance, medical evacuation, fire support, and airlift.
Army officials have yet to disclose the exact mission or destination of the 82nd Airborne Division’s Combat Aviation Brigade. However, they have said that the two aviation brigades are part of an effort to “support the United States’ commitment to NATO allies and partners.”
The 82nd Airborne Division and the 1st Infantry Division are no strangers to foreign deployments. In the decades since the end of the Cold War, they have each deployed four times on peacekeeping missions, humanitarian operations, counter-intelligence operations, and, most recently, in Operation Inherent Resolve to combat ISIS.
The two brigades will continue this tradition as they take on their respective missions in the months ahead. Facing a rapidly changing security environment, it’s more important than ever for the U.S. military to secure our interests and adhere to our commitments to our allies and partners.