From early morning runs down Ardennes to late night crawls down Bragg Boulevard, the life experience of an 82nd Airborne Paratrooper is one that will stay with you for the rest of your life. The blood, sweat, and sometimes a little vomit that is spilled is the price of manhood that takes you from being a cherry to being a high-speed, low-drag, super-duper Paratrooper. That All-American patch sewn on your shoulder and imprinted into your soul is the source of pride that one could never lose. Humping the mountains of Afghanistan, battling in the streets of Iraq, and surviving the city of Fayetteville give you the knowledge that you can now survive anywhere. The brothers to your left and right, all of those that have stood there before you, and those that will stand there after you instill that sense of camaraderie that only those who have experienced it will ever truly understand.

Sicily and Salerno, the drop zones of our airborne ancestors remind us that the 82nd Airborne has the distinction of being the first airborne division in the U.S. Army. The brothers we have served with from all across this great nation remind us that the 82nd Airborne was originally made up of members that came from all 48 states giving the unit the nickname All-American; thus the “AA” patch. The maroon beret and jump boots remind us that we are set apart from dirty nasty leg units.

Whether those airborne ancestors jumped before their scheduled "h-hour" earning their motto "H-minus;” accomplished every mission without ever relinquishing any ground it had once occupied earning their motto “Strike Hold;” or demoralized the Germans to the point where a German officer referred to them as "Devils in Baggy Pants", the 82nd Airborne has made its presence known in the history books of the greatest country this world has ever known.

Once you have had the honor of serving in the 82nd Airborne, you have honor that you can carry with you for the rest of your life. No matter where you are, whether it is a war zone or your home town, when it comes time to stop evil, all you have to do is stand up and say:

“I'm the 82nd Airborne, and this is as far as the bastards are going."