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National Airborne Day 2023: Date, History, Facts about Air-Based

Using American airborne forces to ambush an enemy by landing behind battle lines has only been a "thing" since the 1940s, in terms of the age of the tactic.

Former President George W. Bush designated August 16 as National Airborne Day in 2002 to honour the past, present, and future contributions of American airborne personnel in all campaigns, theatres, and peacekeeping missions. For instance, the invasion of Normandy during World War II may have failed and resulted in the loss of thousands more lives if not for the Allied soldiers who were dropped behind enemy lines. From the first use of paratroopers by the United States on August 16, 1942 to the 101st “Screaming Eagles,” airborne divisions have been among our finest and most courageous.

The background of National Airborne Day

Using American airborne forces to ambush an enemy by landing behind battle lines has only been a “thing” since the 1940s, in terms of the age of the tactic. Just after World War I, Brigadier General Billy Mitchell came up with a viable version of the concept of “dropping” troops into combat. He may have had superior vision in retrospect. The concept was conceived and evaluated at Fort Benning, Georgia, and first “went live” in the North African campaign of World War II, where it was a resounding success.

During World War II, paratroopers who parachuted into German territory faced disadvantages, such as disorientation and loss of compass sense during a nocturnal paratrooper assault, which were perhaps best portrayed in the film “Saving Private Ryan.” Second was a paucity of readily available supplies. To obtain food, weapons, and ammunition, airborne soldiers were sometimes required to scrounge, be resourceful, and utilise every available resource. And that’s to say nothing of being surrounded on all sides by the adversary!

National Airborne Day is also a time to recognise the rigorous training of Army airborne units, given that paratroopers now leap from aircraft at a rate of approximately 118.5 feet per second. The safety of this training should also be noted. A jumpmaster’s attention to detail is crucial, as is the regular inspection of equipment.

Airborne tactics have progressed alongside other military strategies until 2002, when President Bush declared the anniversary of the first airborne assault to be a national holiday. In 2009, the U.S. Senate supported this position in Senate Resolution 235. Since that time, August 16 has acquired a special aura of patriotism due to the perception that airborne soldiers are the most elite of the elite, receiving the highest honours across the Armed Services.

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5 INCREDIBLE FACTS ABOUT AIR-BASED COMBAT:

During World War II, British airborne soldiers were frequently accompanied on jumps by German Shepherds known as “Para-Dogs,” whose duties included mine detection and guarding.

Because of the nature of airborne deployment, a large number of soldiers can appear seemingly out of nowhere to surprise their adversaries, a strategy known as “vertical envelopment.”

During the D-Day landings of 1944, the Allies dropped thousands of mannequins from above on chutes in an attempt to divert attention away from the actual location of the airborne assault.

Bear Grylls, a TV survival expert, broke three vertebrae when his parachute tore during his tenure in the Special Forces Reserve and he fell 16,000 feet.

As part of the U.S. invasion of Panama in 1989, several M551 Sheridan tanks weighing over 16 tonnes each were air-dropped into combat.