11th Airborne Division to celebrate National Airborne Day

National Airborne Day, celebrated annually on August 16, honors the first official Army parachute jump, which took place in 1940. The observance not only celebrates the bravery and skill of paratroopers but also highlights the evolution of airborne operations and their crucial role in modern military strategy.

For the 11th Airborne Division, what better way to honor the day than going airborne?

The 2nd Brigade of the 11th Airborne Division is inviting the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson community to watch over 200 soldiers jump from planes on Friday, Aug. 16, as they celebrate National Airborne Day.

“It's a call out to what we’ve been doing up here in Alaska and we've been doing across the world. With the 11th Airborne Division back in the late 30s, they were the spearhead of creating airborne operations for the commanders prior to World War II. So this is a call out to that, honoring that legacy,” Public Affairs Sgt. 1st Class Ian Morales said.

The event is open to all Service Members, families, guests, and friends of the 2/11 Infantry Brigade Combat Team. Everyone attending must have base access.

The weather call will be at 9 a.m. If all goes well, the jump will be scheduled for 12 p.m., and the event will end around 2 p.m.

Those who want to attend may park at the 2/11 Infantry Brigade Combat Team Brigade Parking lot near 786 D Street.

Buses will then take everyone to the Malemute Drop Zone starting at 10:30 a.m. No personally owned vehicles are allowed in the drop zone.

While families and airborne lovers wait for the jumpers, there will be static displays of military equipment, so people can get hands-on with some of the equipment paratroopers deal with when they jump.

Food trucks will also be on-site at the Drop Zone so people can get food and drinks while waiting. The timeline for the jump is not exact, it will depend on the weather and the aircraft, so people may have to wait a while before that first batch of paratroopers leave their plane.

Morales says the 11th Airborne Division paratroopers are unique because they jump in the most extreme climates, which means they can take on any climate, anywhere in the world.

“Jumping out of an aircraft when it's, let's say, in the negatives. Say negative 15, 20 on the ground is probably closer to negative 50 in the air when those paratroopers exit the plane. They're also carrying more than their normal combat load because they have, what they call, Arctic sustainment. So that's what's going to keep them warm and alive once they get on the ground in a tundra area or some Arctic area, or even potentially above the Arctic Circle, as we've done in Europe,” Morales said.

For anyone interested in attending, they should RSVP by clicking here.