The following year, October 1964, Air Assault II was conducted and by comparison, an exercise on a far grander scale.Īir Assault II sprawled across two states, the Carolinas, encompassing some 4,000,000 plus acres. In September 1963, Air Assault I exercises, held at Fort Stewart in Georgia, saw the Airmobility Concept put through its paces on the battalion level of operations. And the 11th Air Assault Division (Test) was activated at Fort Benning, Georgia on Febru– BG Harry W.O. And the living embodiment of the criteria set forth by the Howze Board… the 11th Air Assault Division (Test).ĭefense Secretary Robert McNamara authorized an expansion of the Army, from 960,000 to 975,000 for fiscal year 1964 so as to accommodate the building of the air assault formation from scratch. These findings were based on computer wargame simulations and actual field exercises and the vehicle of choice to carry forward the concept… the helicopter. On August 20, 1962, the Army’s Tactical Mobility Requirements Board, a.k.a., the Howze Board, released its findings on what would come to be known as the Airmobility Concept.

The 11th Air Assault Division, 1954 Outstanding Aviation Unit

Air assault 2