| The 101st Airborne Division |
On June 25, 1940, the United States War Department issued a directive for the formation of a parachute test platoon. After seeing the positive results the German forces had with the assault from the sky by their Fallschirmjäger, the US military powers realized this type of warfare may be the way of the future. At the very least it was something that should be looked at with greater detail. Less than 60 days after the directive was issued, the first official parachute jumps were made by the test platoon. A short time later, on August 29, 1940, the first mass jump was successfully made by the platoon, thereby securing the potential capabilities of the US Army to conduct a military assault by air. Less than a month later, the first US military airborne unit was established - the 501st Parachute Battalion.
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During the next 18 months, there was a lot of activity at the new home of the US Airborne, Fort Benning, Georgia. A parachute school was created, an additional battalion was established, regiments were formed, equipment and aparatus was invented and perfected. Additionally the US Airborne Command was established on March 21, 1942. The U.S. Airborne was moving full speed ahead.
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