What to expect at 82nd Airborne Division's All American Week at Bragg
FORT BRAGG — This year’s All American Week — which celebrates the 82nd Airborne Division’s heritage and its past and present paratroopers — is Sept. 26-29 at Fort Bragg.
Through events, sporting competitions, and a memorial, the week is dedicated to maintaining close ties with the division's veterans, families, and the Fort Bragg community.
Hundreds of veterans and visitors are expected to be at Fort Bragg later this month to take part in the festivities.
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Here are some things you should know if you plan to attend:
What is All American Week?
The first All American Week was held by the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg in 1986. In its inaugural year, the week began with a Division Run and ended with a Division Review. It also included sporting competitions and a memorial.
In recent years, an Airborne Review has been held to demonstrate airborne operations, air assaults, and battle techniques with aircraft and equipment.
The division's Hall of Fame to honor past paratroopers started in 2018.
The event was canceled in 2003, 2007, and 2010, when most of the division’s paratroopers were deployed and was canceled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A smaller scale observance called All American Days was held in November last year because of the pandemic, and the deployment of the Immediate Rapid Response Force to Poland delayed this year’s observance.
How to attend
Anyone with access to Fort Bragg can attend All American Week events. For most events, visitors without military identification will need a visitor’s pass that can be obtained at the All American Visitor’s Center, 3550 All American Freeway.
— Jump!
All American Week guests and family members are invited to jump from one of the Advanced Airborne School’s 34-foot training towers any time during the three-day observance.
— Runs
All American Week will start with the 82nd Airborne Division Run at 6:30 a.m., Sept. 26.
The bulk of the division’s 18,000-plus soldiers are expected to run 4 miles on Long Street, starting near Ardennes Street, and circling Hedrick Stadium before ending where it began.
The next opportunity to run is 6:30 a.m., Sept. 27 for the All-American Week 10-Miler at Simmons Airfield. The run will feature individual, team, and unit awards.
Paratroopers and their families are invited to participate in the Family Fun Run from 5:50 to 8 p.m., Sept. 27 on Ardennes Street.
Breakfasts
The Division will hosts an Old Timers Breakfast for former paratroopers at 9 a.m. Sept. 26 in the 2nd Brigade Combat Team’s Falcon Café.
A prayer breakfast with the division chaplain is 7 a.m. Sept. 27 at the Iron Mike Conference Center.
Division Memorial
Paratroopers and their families will pay tribute to those who died in combat or training accidents during the annual 82nd Airborne Division Memorial from 11 a.m. to noon on Sept. 27 at the 82nd Airborne Division War Memorial Museum.
The memorial pays tribute to fallen paratroopers and their gold star families.
— All American Hall of Fame
The 82nd Airborne Division will induct its fifth class into the All-American Hall of Fame at 10 a.m. Sept. 28 at the division’s Hall of Heroes on Ardennes Street.
The nine inductees are Gen. Curtis "Mike" Scaparrotti; Lt. Gen. Raymond Mason; Col. Benjamin H. Vandervoort; Capt. John B. Sauls; Capt. Gerald A. Wolford; 1st Lt. Waverly Wray; Command Sgt. Maj. Wolf Amacker; Command Sgt. Maj. Bryant Lambert; and Cpl. John S. Gilbertie.
Division Review
The division conduct its first Division Review with the entire Division in several years at 10 a.m. Sept. 29.
Following the review, the division will hold an awards ceremony to recognize the Jumpmaster of the Year and the All-American Week competition winners.
Staff writer Rachael Riley can be reached at rriley@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3528.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: All American Week to be hosted at Fort Bragg this month
