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      My position is that the 10th Mountain Division military history does not equal or surpass that of the 24th Infantry Division in any category (age, campaign participation, awards and decorations) and therefore should have been disbanded in favor of the Victory Division.
     There is no intention here to dishonor or disrespect the 10th Mountain Division, its history, its accomplishments, or its brave soldiers.  Its contributions in WW II were instrumental in breaking Germany's hold on Italy, and its forces today are part of the outstanding fighting force keeping our nation free.  The 10th had twenty plus less years of service, less days in combat, 14 less campaign streamers, and many less awards and decorations than the 24th.
     Using the argument that a Light Infantry division was to be retained and the 10th was a light division and the 24th ID (Mech.) was not, isn't a valid argument.  We are talking about a simple and often used redesignation and "Patch" swap that has been done throughout Army history. This redesignation and patch swap was done during this very reduction to 10 divisions.  I refer to the 2nd Armored Division being redesignated as the 4th Infantry Division.  This was not an Armored Div. for another Armored Div, or an Infantry Div. for another Infantry Div., it was two different division configurations paper changed and patch swapped.  This should have been the procedure for retaining the 24th ID (Mech.).  The 24th should have been redesignated as light infantry (its origin) and its Flag moved to Fort Drum, NY where it would replace the 10th. To be direct, the 10th should have been reflagged as the 24th Infantry Division (Light).  
     It is clearly evident that the Army Center for Military History is either grossly misinformed about the histories of these two divisions or there was some political tampering with the decision by one or more politicians and Army brass.  I believe the latter to be more correct. Then, Senator Bob Dole, a WWII 10th Division decorated veteran, was very close to this effort and had a chartered aircraft waiting on the runway to fly to Fort Drum, NY if the 10th was retained.  It was, and he flew to address the troops and celebrate the decision that same day. Incidentally, it was a Dole that sold the idea to the War Department to develop a mountain division.
     Considering that Campaign Participation was one of the three major retention criteria, the retention of a division with so little battle history ahead of the storied 24th is a dishonor and slap in the face to every Victory Division soldier who was at Pearl Harbor, fought in 5 WWII, 8 Korea, 3 Persian Gulf campaigns and other hostile operations.  It is dishonorable and disrespectful to the Medal of Honor conferees of the Victory Division who fought so bravely and gave their last measure!  As a point of interest, the 24th began its engagement with Japanese Imperial Forces on 7 December 1941 and was still fighting in the Philippines for a month after the Japanese surrendered on 15 August 1945.  The 10th didn't get into combat until 28 January 1945, the year the war in Europe ended on 08 May 1945.

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     On June 5, 1999 the 24th Infantry Division was again reactivated and made its home at Fort Riley, KS. where it managed a new concept of Infantry operations called the "Integrated Division (IDIV).  The "Victory Division" consisted of an active component headquarters at Fort Riley, a forward headquarters at Fort Jackson, SC, and three enhanced separate brigades: 30th Heavy Separate Brigade at Clinton, NC (best know as the 30th "Old Hickory" Infantry Division), 218th Heavy Separate Brigade at Columbia, SC, and the 48th Separate Infantry Brigade in Macon, GA. This new 24th Infantry Division (MECH) (IDIV) stood ready to deploy to any location to conduct Combat or Stability and Support operations.

     In its new role managing the new concept IDIV, the Victory Division deployed its brigades to Bosnia and Iraq. The 2nd BN, 121st INF, 48th Separate INF BDE took control of Task Force Eagle in Bosnia in 2001. Its 148th Support BN also deployed to Bosnia at this time. The 30th Heavy Separate BDE was deployed to Iraq in February 2004 and the 48th Separate INF BDE was deployed again to Iraq in 2005.
             

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The 24th and 25th Infantry Divisions were the first Army divisions to engage the Japanese in World War II at Pearl Harbor, 7 December 1941.

The Victory Division fought in five campaigns in the Pacific. This is the most campaigns engaged in by any United States division in the Pacific during World War II.  

The U.S. Army Infantry Motto, "Follow Me" was adopted as a result of the rallying cry of Colonel Aubry S. "Red" Newman, Commander, 34th Infantry Regiment, during the assault on Red beach at Leyte.

Japanese Army General Yamashita stated that the Japanese Army's back was broken when it was defeated by the Victory Division's 21st Infantry Regiment at Breakneck Ridge, Philippines.  

General Douglas Mac Arthur, Pacific Theater Commander said of the Victory Division, "No division with which I have been associated with is closer to my heart than the 24^th Division, and none has more distinguished itself."  

The 24th Division was the first combat unit in the world to serve under the United Nations flag when it landed in Korea as "Task Force Smith".  U.S. forces were awarded the United Nations Service medal for the first time.  

The 24th Division’s Airborne component (187th Rakkasan AIR) was the first Army unit awarded the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for deployment to Lebanon in July of 1958 as an Intervention Force.  No previous deployment of U.S. troops ever received this award.

The Victory Division was the leading ground attack element into Iraq when the Desert Storm ground war began at 1500 hours, February 24, 1991. The Division was "The Point of the Spear".  The Mechanized Division’s lightning flanking and encircling attack into Iraq has been called "The Greatest Cavalry Charge in History".  The Division drove faster and farther than any mechanized force in military history to that date.

As part of the 18th Airborne Corps', Rapid Deployment Force, the 24th ID (Mech.), known as "The Iron Fist," was pressed into service on 10 October 1993 to provide security for the withdrawal of the 10th Mountain Division in Somalia after the debacle that killed 18 Army Rangers.

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