Honored Division Week #3: Black Knights head to Philadelphia for first road game, honor 11th Airborne Division with gameday patch against Temple

The Army West Point Football team (1-1) takes to the road for the first time this season to face Temple at 4 p.m. on Sept. 25 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

As the Black Knights challenge the Owls on the gridiron, the players will honor the 11th Airborne Division with division patches on the back of their helmets to recognize the history, accomplishments and continued service of Army divisions as part of an Honored Division theme featured throughout the season.

The 11th Airborne Division represents Soldiers and units stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) and Fort Wainwright, Alaska.

11th Airborne Division History Now known as the “Arctic Angels,” the 11th Airborne Division was first activated on Feb. 25, 1943, at Camp Mackall, North Carolina, now a part of the greater Fort Bragg installation.

The first division commander, Lt. Gen. Joseph Swing, U.S. Military Academy Class of 1915 graduate, commissioned as an Artillery officer and served in Gen. John J. Pershing’s Punitive Expedition against Pancho Villa.

After serving in World War I, Swing was temporarily assigned as an airborne advisor to Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower for Operation Husky, the combined airborne and seaborne invasion of Sicily during World War II. In that role, Swing helped plan the operation and observed firsthand the challenges paratroopers faced. Complications during jumps into Sicily resulted in significant disorganization on the ground, raising questions about the viability of future airborne operations.

Swing was appointed to lead a board to test whether the airborne concept had a future in the U.S. Army. The “Swing Board” put the 11th and 17th Airborne Divisions to the test in the Knollwood Maneuver near what is now Fort Bragg.

The 11th Airborne Division was dropped by parachute and glider around the Knollwood Army Auxiliary Airfield and conducted follow-on operations, including airfield seizure, aerial resupply, casualty evacuation and continued combat operations. Lt. Gen. Lesley McNair considered the maneuver a success and reported the results to Eisenhower, who approved the continued use of airborne divisions.

The division deployed to the Pacific in May 1944 and participated in combat operations in New Guinea and the invasion of the Philippines, fighting at Leyte and Luzon. The division also jumped at Tagaytay Ridge and during the raid on the Los Banos Internment Camp.

At the end of World War II, the division occupied Japan and was stationed there until May 1949, when it returned to Camp Campbell in Kentucky. It was during the Japanese occupation that the 187th Airborne Infantry Regiment was nicknamed the “Rakkasans,” which loosely translated to “falling umbrella.”

During the Korean War, the 187th Airborne Infantry Regiment was deployed as a separate Airborne Regimental Combat Team and conducted two combat jumps at Sukchon/Sunchon and at Munsan-ni.

Following the Korean War, the 11th Airborne Division deployed to Germany in 1956 as part of Operation Gyroscope, replacing the 5th Infantry Division. Two years later, on July 1, 1958, the division was inactivated and reflagged as the 24th Infantry Division.

The 11th was reactivated on Feb. 1, 1963, as the 11th Air Assault Division (Test), charged with developing air assault and airmobile doctrine for the Army. On July 3, 1965, the division was again inactivated, with its personnel and equipment used to form the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), which deployed to Vietnam later that year.

More than five decades later, in June 2022, the 11th Airborne Division was reactivated as the “Arctic Angels.” The division’s current commander, Maj. Gen. John Cogbill, a USMA Class of 1994 graduate, also previously commanded the 187th Infantry Regiment, now part of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, at Fort Campbell.

From the 11th Airborne Division to West Point Class of 2029 Cadet Michael Pidgeon is an Operations Research major at USMA, but he began his military career as a Joint Fire Support Specialist, for two years with the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team in the 11th Airborne Division. He achieved the rank of sergeant before his acceptance into the Academy.

Long before Pidgeon served with the 11th Airborne Division, his grandfather served the unit when it was located at Fort Campbell in 1955, which made it a “profound honor and privilege” for him to serve the same division.

“Realizing I had the opportunity to serve in the same division nearly 70 years later as my grandfather gave me a greater appreciation for the unit’s history, especially with its critical role throughout the Pacific during World War II,” Pidgeon said. “Every day, I was inspired to live up to the legacy of all the Soldiers who made the 11th Airborne Division what it is today.”

Reflecting on his time in the division, Pidgeon recalled the challenges and unique experiences that shaped him.

“Whether it was conducting airborne operations in the hot, humid conditions of Thailand or training in the cold, harsh and unforgiving conditions of the Arctic in Alaska, every experience pushed me outside my comfort zone and helped me learn something valuable about myself that I otherwise never would have discovered,” Pidgeon explained. “Through each of those experiences, I grew closer to the people to my left and right who were going through the same situations, forming long-lasting relationships that are difficult to find elsewhere.”

One officer who influenced Pidgeon during his time with the “Arctic Angels” was 1st Lt. Caden Foster, a 2022 USMA graduate, who served as the Fire Support Officer in his platoon at the time. Pidgeon regarded the impact Foster had on himself and the organization as “immense.”

“He always led by example and is responsible for a great deal of my development as a Soldier, both militarily and physically,” Pidgeon remarked. “Watching the way he carried himself and interacted with others made me realize the quality of leaders that West Point produces, so when he first floated the idea to me of applying, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.”

Another mentor who was important to Pidgeon’s growth in the 11th Airborne Division was his squad leader, Staff Sgt. Clifford Martin. When Pidgeon shared his goal of attending West Point to his squad leader, Martin was immediately supportive and helped him in every step of the process.

“What stood out most to me was his selflessness and genuine investment in the development of his Soldiers,” Pidgeon replied. “He always went out of his way to help others succeed … and those qualities motivated me to emulate that same leadership style in my own career as a newly promoted NCO and is something I continue striving toward here at West Point.

“(Foster and Martin) inspired me to continually grow as a Soldier, leader and, more importantly, a person,” he added. “My only hope is that I can impact those around me in the same manner that they did for myself.”

Pidgeon is not the only member of the West Point community with ties to the division.

Maj. Gregory Bremser, who currently is a senior instructor in Math 103 – Data Driven Modeling and the course director of the Senior Thesis course – Math 498, served as a lieutenant from 2015-16 with 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division at Fort Richardson before it was reflagged as the 11th Airborne Division.

As a Rifle Company Platoon Leader and a Heavy Weapons Platoon Leader, Bremser was proud to carry on the legacy of those who served in the unit, where he jumped into the Arctic Circle with the Canadian Army and “put our Arctic survivability to the test.”

“I was also fortunate enough to be a part of ‘Talisman Saber,’ in which we loaded aircraft in Alaska and then flew 18 hours to jump into Australia,” Bremser said.

Capt. Timothy Blickle, currently a Company D-2 tactical officer at West Point, served as a second and first lieutenant at Fort Wainwright. He began as a Distribution Platoon Leader in 2019 with 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, which is now a part of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 11th Airborne Division.

He deployed with them to Mosul, Iraq, in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, before transitioning to another unit for the remainder of his time in the division.

“As part of the Army’s premier Arctic force, at a time when the military’s Arctic strategy was first being published, it was a unique experience that will stick with me forever,” Blickle explained. “The simple act of getting to training, or conducting PT, is so much more demanding in the Arctic environment, which you develop a deeper level of appreciation for the grit and resilience that your Soldiers bring to everything they do.”

Blickle also recalled the relationships forged during his time in Alaska, including with his first company executive officer, Capt. Joe Neir, a 2015 USMA graduate.

“When I first came to H FSC, 1-24th IN, I was as new as you could be,” Blickle stated. “He took me in, mentored me, and helped me grow into a better version of myself. It is partly because of his example that I am a faculty member at West Point today.”

Lt. Col. Eric Gutierrez, who is an assistant professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Science and Engineering, served as an assistant S-3 and then Bravo company commander with 6th Brigade Engineer Battalion from 2013-17.

The engineer officer chose to serve in the Army’s only Arctic Airborne Division because he wanted to serve alongside “motivated, disciplined and physically fit Soldiers who had volunteered for a uniquely demanding mission set.”

“Wearing the 11th Airborne Division patch carried special significance,” Gutierrez explained. “It represented a commitment to serving alongside professionals willing to operate in some of the world’s harshest environments and undertake some of the Army’s most challenging missions. The patch symbolized not only individual commitment, but also the shared hardship, resilience and esprit de corps that is unique to an airborne formation.”

More Than A Patch As Army Football players take the field with the 11th Airborne Division patches on their helmets, Pidgeon sees it as a good reminder to everyone within and working with the Corps of Cadets that there is a “greater purpose to why we’re here.”

“Many have come before us serving, with some paying the ultimate sacrifice for our country,” Pidgeon said. “The patch on the helmet serves not only as a reminder for the cadets watching and playing of their future service but instills a great deal of motivation to be the best possible leader for the Soldiers in organizations like the 11th Airborne Division.”

Bremser believes teaching cadets about the legacy of those who came before them helps them understand the “sacrifices made to secure and preserve the freedoms we enjoy today.”

“The 11th Airborne Division earned distinction through its combat operations in the Pacific Theater during World War II, and continues to serve as an elite formation today,” Bremser said. “The 11th Airborne’s continued success reinforces the responsibility cadets will assume as future Army officers and the high standards of leadership, selfless service and commitment that the nation expects from them.”

Blickle said it is important to honor divisions that are not only historically significant but continue to play a role in current Army operations.

“This link between past and present is synonymous with the nature of service that our Corps of Cadets will bring when they commission as leaders of character,” Blickle replied. “Their mission may be shaped by current needs and requirements of the American people, but they will carry with them daily the pride and history of their unit.”

Gutierrez said honoring the division recognizes its place in history, the essential role it plays today within extreme conditions while maintaining “airborne proficiency and global readiness.”

As for the cadets, Gutierrez feels the division’s representation on game day serves as a reminder that the “Army requires leaders who are prepared to serve wherever the nation needs them, often under the most austere and challenging conditions.”

“It helps bridge the gap between the Academy and the operational Army,” he concluded. “It reminds the future officers that they are preparing to lead Soldiers in organizations built upon shared hardship, resilience and service.”

(Editor’s note: 11th Airborne Division historical knowledge was provided by Dave Siry, the Director for the Center of Oral History at the U.S. Military Academy.)

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