The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the forty-first episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by CPT Benjamin Malcolm of 1-509th IN (OPFOR) on behalf of the Commander of Operations Group. Today’s guest is the Deputy Commanding Officer – Operations for the 82nd Airborne Division, COL Andrew Saslav, All American 07. COL Saslav was the COG from 2021-2022 and the commander of 11th DTG  (OPFOR notional higher headquarters).

The 82nd Airborne Division specializes in joint forcible entry operations via vertical envelopment, both airborne and air assault, into denied areas with a U.S. Department of Defense requirement to respond to crisis contingencies anywhere in the world within 18 hours. They have the Hollywood call-sign of “All American” Division and the motto of “In Air, On Land.”

In this episode we discuss how airborne forces would be utilized at the commencement of large-scale combat operations. Specifically, we look at how Airborne forces allow the US Army to set conditions for follow-on operations to meet national objectives anywhere in the world. The individuals that become paratroopers are some of the most versatile, capable, and lethal lightfighters in the world that pride themselves in seizing the initiative and aggressively bringing the fight to the enemy on the complex, dynamic modern battlefield. GEN McGavin, the longest serving CDR of the 82nd ABN said, “You show me a man willing to jump out of an airplane and I’ll show you a man that will fight [and win] for his country.”

An interesting point that is discussed is that previously the DoD’s took for granted that the US would have air supremacy immediately, but lessons from Ukraine has forced the DOD to reevaluate this concept. The 82nd ABN operates under the premise that they will conduct a JFE into a contested environment to seize a key piece of terrain and establish a lodgment for US forces. This can only be done during a set time window along planned air corridors secured through joint suppression of enemy air defense (SEAD) assets. 

Part of S01 “The Leader’s Laboratory” series.

Don’t forget to check-out XVIII Airborne Corps’ social media pages, their handles are ‘82ndAirborneDivision’ on Facebook, ‘82ndABNDiv’ on X, and ‘82ndairbornediv’ on Instagram.

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“The Crucible – The JRTC Experience” is a product of the Joint Readiness Training Center.