Episode 43: Air Assault! The History of Army Air Mobility

Today, helicopter assault offers American ground forces an advantage on the battlefield. In any part of the world in which warfare is waged, air assault is a pivotal capability for our Army. So it has for more than 50 years. The air mobile concept is not simply a legacy, it's critical to overcoming the tyranny of terrain and distance. But, in the mid-1950s, the idea was revolutionary, rejected by bureaucratic Army officers and outdated thinkers.  Episode 43 of the 18th Airborne Corps podcast reveals how a group of inspired strategists fought through interservice rivalry, plowed through bureaucracy and politics, and changed the way the Army thinks about maneuvering ground troops. This is the story of the development of the air mobile concept and how that concept is manifest in our Army today. Sometime co-host and friend of the 18th Airborne Corps podcast Matt Visser joins host Joe Buccino from location on Fort Campbell, where much of the Army's air assault capability resides. Matt augments the history lesson with wisdom from some of the veterans who helped pioneer Army air assault.  Anyone interested in revolutionizing the way the Army thinks, trains, or prepares for combat will find insight in Episode 43 of the 18th Airborne Corps podcast.