Frijoles Salterines

Formed during World War I in 1917, the 82nd Airborne Division earned its famous "All American" moniker—symbolized by the iconic "AA" patch—because its initial draftees hailed from all 48 states. It made history in 1942 when it was reconstituted as the U.S. Army's first airborne division, going on to cement its legendary status during World War II with daring combat jumps into Sicily, Normandy on D-Day and the Netherlands. Earning the post-war title of "America's Guard of Honor," the division has subsequently served in almost every major U.S. conflict, including Vietnam, Panama, the Gulf War, and the Global War on Terror in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Among the legendary veterans of the 82nd, Lt. Gen. James "Jumpin' Jim" Gavin (1907–1990) became a pioneering 82nd Airborne commander in WWII, renowned as the Army's youngest division commander at age 36 and the highest-ranking officer to jump on D-Day. The West Point graduate was the only American general to make four combat jumps: Sicily, Salerno, Normandy and Market Garden.

The longtime home of the 82nd Airborne originated in 1918 as Camp Bragg, an artillery training ground initially named after Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg. The installation expanded massively during World War II, evolving into a premier staging and training center, and officially became the permanent home of the 82nd Airborne Division in 1946. Over the decades, it grew into one of the largest military installations in the world by population, serving as the command nucleus for both U.S. Army Airborne and Special Operations forces.

In 2023, the installation was officially renamed Fort Liberty as part of a Department of Defense initiative to remove Confederate names from military bases before Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed an order in early 2025 restoring the name to Fort Bragg.

Today, the 82nd Airborne Division remains stationed at Fort Bragg and serves as the strategic tip of the spear for the U.S. Armed Forces. Operating as the nation's Immediate Response Force (IRF), the division maintains a grueling, round-the-clock readiness posture. They are tasked with the critical mission of being able to rapidly deploy a combat-ready paratrooper task force anywhere in the world within 18 hours to conduct forcible entry operations, secure objectives or respond to sudden humanitarian crises.

In Iraq, the 82nd fought through blinding sandstorms to secure critical infrastructure during the 2003 Battle of Samawah, battled through intense urban combat during the 2007 "Surge," and later provided pivotal artillery and intelligence support to Iraqi forces liberating Mosul from ISIS in 2017.

In Afghanistan, the division faced some of the fiercest fighting of the war, frequently deploying to the country's most volatile and contested regions to clear notorious Taliban strongholds like the Arghandab River Valley. In 2021, the division participated in the Kabul Evacuation, arguably their most historically significant modern mission, facilitating the massive airlift of over 120,000 Americans and allies; their commanding general serving as the very last American service member to step off Afghan soil.