10th Mountain Division

10th Mountain Division
10th Mountain Division Shoulder Sleeve Insignia
Active	1943–1945 1948–1958 1985–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army
Type	Light infantry
Size	Division
Part of	XVIII Airborne Corps
Garrison/HQ	Fort Drum, New York
Nickname(s)	The Tenth Legion, The Mountaineers
Motto(s)	Climb to Glory[1]
Colors	Red and Blue
Engagements	World War II Operation Cottage North Apennines Po Valley Battle of Monte Castello Battle of Mount Belvedere Somalia Operation Gothic Serpent Operation Restore Hope Operation Continue Hope Haiti Operation Uphold Democracy War on Terror War in Afghanistan Operation Anaconda Fall of Mazar-i-Sharif Battle of Takur Ghar Battle of Qala-i-Jangi Operation Mountain Resolve Operation Mountain Viper Operation Avalanche Operation Medusa Battle of Kamdesh Battle of Ganjgal Operation Halmazag Pakistan–United States skirmishes Iraq War First Battle of Fallujah Operation Squeeze Play Siege of Sadr City Operation Together Forward Operation Eagle Ares Operation Commando Eagle Operation Inherent Resolve Operation Atlantic Resolve Operation Freedom's Sentinel Operation Allies Refuge
Commanders
Current commander	Major General Scott M. Naumann
Deputy Commanding General – Operations	Brigadier General Kendall J. Clarke
Deputy Commanding General – Readiness	Colonel Matthew W. Braman
Command Sergeant Major	Command Sergeant Major Brett W. Johnson
Notable commanders	George P. Hays James Edward Moore Thomas L. Harrold Philip De Witt Ginder Barksdale Hamlett James L. Campbell Franklin L. Hagenbeck Lloyd Austin Benjamin C. Freakley Michael L. Oates James L. Terry Mark A. Milley
Insignia
Distinctive unit insignia of the Division's Headquarters Battalion
Subdued shoulder sleeve insignia worn on OCP-ACU
Combat service identification badge
Division flag
NATO Map Symbol	10

The 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) is an elite light infantry division in the United States Army based at Fort Drum, New York. Formerly designated as a mountain warfare unit, the division was the only one of its size in the US military to receive specialized training for fighting in mountainous conditions. More recently, the 10th Mountain has advised and assisted Iraqi Security Forces in Iraq and People's Defense Units in Syria.

Originally activated as the 10th Light Division (Alpine) in 1943, the division was redesignated the 10th Mountain Division in 1944 and fought in the mountains of Italy in some of the roughest terrain in World War II. On 5 May 1945, the division reached Nauders, Austria, just beyond the Reschen Pass, where it made contact with German forces being pushed south by the U.S. Seventh Army. A status quo was maintained until the enemy headquarters involved had completed their surrender to the Seventh. On 6 May, 10th Mountain troops met the 44th Infantry Division of Seventh Army.^[2]

Following the war, the division was deactivated, only to be reactivated and redesignated as the 10th Infantry Division in 1948. The division first acted as a training division and, in 1954, was converted to a full combat division and sent to Germany before being deactivated again in 1958.

Reactivated again in 1985, the division was designated the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) to historically tie it to the World War II division and to also better describe its modern disposition. Since its reactivation, the division or elements of the division have deployed numerous times. The division has participated in Operation Desert Storm (Saudi Arabia), Hurricane Andrew disaster relief (Homestead, Florida), Operation Restore Hope and Operation Continue Hope (Somalia), Operation Uphold Democracy (Haiti), Operation Joint Forge (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Operation Joint Guardian (Kosovo), and several deployments as part of the Multinational Force and Observers (Sinai Peninsula).

Since 2002, the 10th Mountain Division has been the most deployed regular Army unit.^[3] Its combat brigades have seen over 20 deployments, to both Iraq and Afghanistan, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. It took the nickname The Tenth Legion while deployed in Afghanistan in late 2001 into 2002.