About this Unit
The 11th Air Assault Division (Test) was an experimental unit of the United States Army, activated in 1963 at Fort Benning, Georgia. Its primary mission was to test and evaluate the concept of rapid troop movement and assault using helicopters, a revolutionary tactic at the time. Over two years, the division developed and refined air mobility tactics, which proved highly effective and laid the groundwork for future operations. In 1965, the division was inactivated, and its assets were used to form the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), which soon deployed to Vietnam and demonstrated the effectiveness of air assault operations in combat.
Historical Facts
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Experimental Formation: The 11th Air Assault Division (Test) was an experimental division of the United States Army, created in 1963 to test and develop the concept of air mobility using helicopters.
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Birthplace of Airmobile Warfare: The division's main task was to prove that helicopters could be used for rapid troop movement, resupply, and medevac, which laid the groundwork for modern air assault operations.
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Fort Benning, Georgia: The unit was activated and based at Fort Benning, serving as the Army’s primary organization for air mobility experimentation.
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First Large-Scale Helicopter Assault Exercise: In 1964, the division conducted Exercise Air Assault II, the largest helicopter-borne exercise in military history at that time, involving thousands of troops transported by hundreds of helicopters.
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Transformation into 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile): In 1965, after proving the viability of air assault tactics, the 11th Air Assault Division was inactivated and its assets were merged with the 2nd Infantry Division to form the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile).
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Key Aircraft: The division utilized the UH-1 "Huey" helicopter, which became the iconic symbol of U.S. Army airmobile operations in Vietnam.
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Doctrine Development: The division was instrumental in developing the air assault doctrine, tactics, and organizational structure that are still used by modern air assault units.
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Influence on Vietnam War: The air assault tactics developed by the 11th were first employed in combat by the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) during the Battle of Ia Drang in 1965, the first major engagement of U.S. forces in Vietnam.
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Innovative Leadership: Notable commanders included Major General Harry W. O. Kinnard, a World War II veteran who helped shape the division’s experimental ethos and air assault doctrine.
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Legacy: Although the 11th Air Assault Division (Test) was a temporary unit, its pioneering work fundamentally transformed Army operations and is regarded as the birthplace of modern air assault forces.
