The Airborne Times

The Raid on Los Banos

Under the cover of the dark, before sunrise, on Feb. 23rd, 1945, the U.S. 11th Airborne paratroopers waited to launch a daring surprise attack and rescue on the Los Banos...

Under the cover of the dark, before sunrise, on Feb. 23rd, 1945, the U.S. 11th Airborne paratroopers waited to launch a daring surprise attack and rescue on the Los Banos Japanese war camp in conjunction with Filipino guerillas. 2,148 civilian prisoners at the camp, most of them American and European...

Welcome Back Angels: Reactivation of the 11th A...

The newest unit of the US Army is all set to form on June 6 as the 11th Airborne Division, out of an assortment of soldiers in Alaska to dominate...

Welcome Back Angels: Reactivation of the 11th Airborne Division

The newest unit of the US Army is all set to form on June 6 as the 11th Airborne Division, out of an assortment of soldiers in Alaska to dominate and direct the Arctic warfare. It may be said that the strategic plan was thoroughly formulated to remain irrepressible and...

British Paratroopers train with 4GD simulators

The recent buzz has it that the British Army is soon to be training with humanoid robotic targets that can come alive in virtual reality. While what seemed to be...

British Paratroopers train with 4GD simulators

The recent buzz has it that the British Army is soon to be training with humanoid robotic targets that can come alive in virtual reality. While what seemed to be a far-fetched idea a couple of years ago with respect to the incorporation of virtual reality in military training by...

We are Fort Liberty: The renaming of Fort Bragg

It was unveiled on Tuesday 24th May 2022 how the name Fort Bragg and the North Carolina base’s memorial and remembrance of the Confederate officer was going to become a...

We are Fort Liberty: The renaming of Fort Bragg

It was unveiled on Tuesday 24th May 2022 how the name Fort Bragg and the North Carolina base’s memorial and remembrance of the Confederate officer was going to become a matter of the preceding as a result of a long-expected process of public recommendations to rename it to Fort Liberty....

Operation Market Garden: A Bridge Too Far

As one of the largest operations in history containing joined Allied operations, Operation Market-Garden was conducted in hopes of ending the war before the holidays hit. However, unfortunately—as we all...

Operation Market Garden: A Bridge Too Far

As one of the largest operations in history containing joined Allied operations, Operation Market-Garden was conducted in hopes of ending the war before the holidays hit. However, unfortunately—as we all know now, this date was only a dream, one that would never come to be. Late in 1944, deep into...

Operation Alamo: 503rd Landing At Nadzab

As the first American airborne unit to operate in the Pacific, Operation Alamo was carried out by a team nicknamed "The Rock." As a successfully unopposed mission near Nadzab, New...

Operation Alamo: 503rd Landing At Nadzab

As the first American airborne unit to operate in the Pacific, Operation Alamo was carried out by a team nicknamed "The Rock." As a successfully unopposed mission near Nadzab, New Guinea, the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment opened the floodgates to allow the Australian infantry forces to seize the necessary airfields...

Operation Dragoon: The 1st Airborne Task Force ...

Having joined together a powerful alliance of several battalions, Operation Dragoon was set to invade southern France on August 15, 1944. Limited to only a few days of training before...

Operation Dragoon: The 1st Airborne Task Force (ABTF) Jumps Into France

Having joined together a powerful alliance of several battalions, Operation Dragoon was set to invade southern France on August 15, 1944. Limited to only a few days of training before the big day, the Allies worked to mobilize and configure a vast team of 10,000 airborne troops, set to jump...

Operation Husky: The 505th Brave The Storm Into...

From one battle to the next, the leading Allied powers—the US and Great Britain—went from winning in the North African Campaign to looking to occupied Europe, strategizing on how to...

Operation Husky: The 505th Brave The Storm Into Sicily

From one battle to the next, the leading Allied powers—the US and Great Britain—went from winning in the North African Campaign to looking to occupied Europe, strategizing on how to finally take down Nazi Germany. With a joint invasion, the Allies hoped that targeting Italy and causing a diversion to...

Operation Table Tennis: The 503rd Jumps Into Ne...

On Independence Day, many years after the Revolutionary War took place, Colonel George M. Jones of the 503rd Parachute Infantry found himself and his crew in the midst of battle....

Operation Table Tennis: The 503rd Jumps Into New Guinea

On Independence Day, many years after the Revolutionary War took place, Colonel George M. Jones of the 503rd Parachute Infantry found himself and his crew in the midst of battle. However, this time, it was in World War II, many days after the nation signed the Declaration of Independence, and...

Four Hours Of Fury

"Tracers flashed up from the 20mm cannons. The first shots hit the aircraft to our right, blowing the number two engines off completely. They veered left 20 feet above in...

Four Hours Of Fury

"Tracers flashed up from the 20mm cannons. The first shots hit the aircraft to our right, blowing the number two engines off completely. They veered left 20 feet above in an almost vertical left bank and disappeared from view. The cannons next hit the lead aircraft and blew off the...

THE BATTLE FOR MUSA QALA

𝘋𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝟽𝘵𝘩, 𝟸𝟶𝟶𝟽. That evening some 600 American paratroopers from the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division were airlifted to the north of the town in Chinooks and Blackhawks escorted...

THE BATTLE FOR MUSA QALA

𝘋𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝟽𝘵𝘩, 𝟸𝟶𝟶𝟽. That evening some 600 American paratroopers from the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division were airlifted to the north of the town in Chinooks and Blackhawks escorted by Apache Helicopters, 19 helicopters in total. During the night the paratroopers fought through the Taliban defensive trenches to clear...

MORE THAN JUST A JUMP

After receiving the notorious DD214, the stress of the Army starts to fade away. From the never-ending details to the early no reason work calls, this trivial stress becomes something...

MORE THAN JUST A JUMP

After receiving the notorious DD214, the stress of the Army starts to fade away. From the never-ending details to the early no reason work calls, this trivial stress becomes something of the past. As the new chapter of life begins, and that beginning will swiftly occur no matter how many...

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE PARAMARINES

The Paramarines were a short-lived specialized combat unit of the United States Marine Corps, trained to be dropped from planes by parachute to capture critical points like airfields and conduct...

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE PARAMARINES

The Paramarines were a short-lived specialized combat unit of the United States Marine Corps, trained to be dropped from planes by parachute to capture critical points like airfields and conduct reconnaissance. Though like all Airborne forces, though it will never be admitted, the Paramarines would have to rely on follow...

HOW TO BECOME LICENSED SKYDIVER

Becoming airborne qualified takes a different type of person. One who doesn’t fear jumping out of a perfectly good airplane! But static line jumps come with a few set backs....

HOW TO BECOME LICENSED SKYDIVER

Becoming airborne qualified takes a different type of person. One who doesn’t fear jumping out of a perfectly good airplane! But static line jumps come with a few set backs. There’s a reason we always joke about bad back and knees! When jumping static line you jump from 800-1500 AGL,...

HAVE A PLAN

When I decided to leave the military in 2013, I had no plan. After my service I wanted nothing more than to be free of the regimented and authoritarian lifestyle...

HAVE A PLAN

When I decided to leave the military in 2013, I had no plan. After my service I wanted nothing more than to be free of the regimented and authoritarian lifestyle the military provides.I was certain life outside would be easy. Going to college, hanging out with girls and partying on...

A Brief History Of Glider Infantry In World War II

A revolutionary development in the realm of airborne forces, glider infantry were first introduced to warfare by the Germans in World War II. This innovative method of inserting soldiers and...

A Brief History Of Glider Infantry In World War II

A revolutionary development in the realm of airborne forces, glider infantry were first introduced to warfare by the Germans in World War II. This innovative method of inserting soldiers and their heavy equipment into enemy-controlled territory proved to be a crucial development for the war and the use of glider...

Five Years Ago, we were “Lying to Ourselves.” I...

In February 2015, the Strategic Studies Institute and the U.S. Army War College Press published a report that sent shockwaves throughout the officer corps. Lying to Ourselves: Dishonesty in the Army...

Five Years Ago, we were “Lying to Ourselves.” Is the Army still doing it?

In February 2015, the Strategic Studies Institute and the U.S. Army War College Press published a report that sent shockwaves throughout the officer corps. Lying to Ourselves: Dishonesty in the Army Profession outlined in brutal detail a “culture of dishonesty” within the Army and the organizational failures that nurtured it. For years...

How To Speak With a Civilian Employer

You sat at Green Ramp for hours. After harnessing, JMPI, and more waiting, you waddled to the bird, sat down, and flew to the DZ. Your chalk got up on...

How To Speak With a Civilian Employer

You sat at Green Ramp for hours. After harnessing, JMPI, and more waiting, you waddled to the bird, sat down, and flew to the DZ. Your chalk got up on the 2nd pass and exited. After a safe landing (although you bumped your head a bit on the ground), you...