XVIII Airborne Corps

II Armored Corps XVIII Corps XVIII Airborne Corps
The distinctive unit insignia of the XVIII Airborne Corps.
Active	1942–1945 1951–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army
Type	Corps
Part of	U.S. Army Forces Command
Garrison/HQ	Fort Bragg, North Carolina, U.S.
Motto(s)	Sky Dragons
Colors	Blue and white
Engagements	World War II Battle of the Bulge Western Allied invasion of Germany Persian Gulf War Global War on Terrorism War in Afghanistan Iraq War Operation Inherent Resolve
Website	https://www.army.mil/xviiicorps
Commanders
Current commander	LTG Stephen J. Townsend
Notable commanders	Matthew Ridgway John W. Leonard James J. Lindsay Thomas J. H. Trapnell William C. Westmoreland Henry E. Emerson Hugh Shelton
Insignia
Combat service identification badge
Flag
Beret flash
Background trimming

World War II

Persian Gulf War
Global War on Terrorism

The XVIII Airborne Corps is a corps of the United States Army that has been in existence since 1942 and saw extensive service during World War II. The corps is designed for rapid deployment anywhere in the world and is referred to as "America's Contingency Corps". Its headquarters are at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Its command group includes:

The corps was first activated on 17 January 1942, five weeks after the entry of the United States into World War II, as the II Armored Corps at Camp Polk, Louisiana, under the command of Major General William Henry Harrison Morris, Jr.. When the concept of armored corps proved unnecessary, II Armored Corps was re-designated as XVIII Corps on 9 October 1943 at the Presidio of Monterey, California.

XVIII Corps deployed to Europe on 17 August 1944 and became the XVIII Airborne Corps on 25 August 1944 at Osbourne, St. George, England, assuming command of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions, as part of the preparation for Operation Market Garden. Prior to this time the two divisions were assigned to VII Corps and jumped into Normandy during Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Normandy, as part of VII Corps. Major General Matthew Bunker Ridgway, a highly professional, competent and experienced airborne commander who had led the 82nd Airborne Division in Sicily, Italy and Normandy, was chosen to command the corps, which then consisted of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions and was part of the newly created First Allied Airborne Army.