108th Division (United States)

108th Training Command (IET)
108th Division shoulder sleeve insignia
Active	1946 – present
Country	United States of America
Branch	United States Army Reserve
Type	Initial entry and leader training
Garrison/HQ	Charlotte, NC
Nickname(s)	Golden Griffins
Motto(s)	Princeps Excerendo
Colors	Red and gold
Engagements	War in Southwest Asia
Commanders
Current commander	Major General Mark T. McQueen

The 108th Training Command (Initial Entry Training) is a United States Army Reserve unit headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. At its activation, the unit was designated as the 108th Airborne Division, but in 1952 was redesignated the 108th Infantry Division. In 1956, the division was again reorganized, this time to the designation as the 108th Division (Institutional Training). Under the U.S. Army Reserve Transformation of 2005, the 108th was reorganized to is current structure as the 108th Training Command (Initial Entry Training (IET)). The command is currently one of the largest in the Army Reserve, commanding and coordinating 9,000 soldiers.

The 108th Training Command (IET) is a subordinate unit in the United States Army Reserve (USAR) which is a federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components (RC) of the United States Army.

Over its 60-year history, the 108th Division frequently has been called upon to pilot several new missions for the Army and Army Reserve. Over the years, the division has played an important role in pioneering and developing several training methods and policies still in use today.

The 108th Division was activated in 1946 as the 108th Airborne Division of the United States Army Reserve and was headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Manning during this period was relatively small and funding for airborne training, equipment, and airlift support was minimal.

In 1952, the division was reorganized into an infantry division and its headquarters was moved to its present location in Charlotte, North Carolina with all its subordinate units located in either North or South Carolina. In 1954, the division helped test a new method of rifle qualification known as "trainfire." In 1956, the division was selected to serve as a prototype for an Army Training Division. This meant reorganizing again to conduct basic and advanced individual training, should the division be called to active duty.

Note: In 1952 the 108th Airborne Division was reorganized and redesignated as the 108th Infantry Division. The 519th, reorganized as infantry, was reassigned to the 81st Infantry Division and the 485th, also reorganized as infantry, was reassigned to the 87th Infantry Division. Concurrently, the 321st and 323d Infantry Regiments were reassigned from the 81st to the 108th. Source: U.S. Army Center of Military History, Fort McNair, Washington, DC

In the 1960s, the division established its own drill sergeant school patterned after the active component school. In 1968, the 108th Division was restructured under its current brigade concept. During the Vietnam era, 108th Division soldiers during annual training were used to conduct interim training for soldiers waiting to begin basic training. In the 1980s the division developed an updated and more practical mobilization plan. During those same years the division began conducting basic training by themselves at Fort Jackson under new Mobilization Army Training Center and Provisional Training concepts.