United States V Corps
Encyclopedia
The V Corps, also known as the Victory Corps, is a corps-level formation
of the United States Army
and the main land component of United States Army Europe
. The corps headquarters is located at the Wiesbaden Army Airfield
in Wiesbaden
, Germany
. Its organization is similar to a traditional division, with three brigade combat teams
and a single Combat Aviation Brigade
.
, San Juan Hill
, El Caney
and the siege of Santiago
. Due to sickness and disease the corps returned to New York and was officially disbanded in September 1898.
at Remiremont
, France on 7 July 1918, initially organized by Maj.Gen. William M. Wright. Under the command of Maj. Gen. George H. Cameron it fought in the St. Mihiel offensive
. By the end of the war, the Corps had participated in three campaigns and under the command of Maj. Gen. Charles P. Summerall, it carried the main attack in the decisive Meuse-Argonne offensive
. Dubbed the "Victory Corps" in recognition of its rapid advance in the final phase of the war, V Corps returned to the United States in 1919.
, Louisiana
, in October 1940, and took part in the famous Louisiana Maneuvers
of 1941. The organization deployed to Ireland after Germany declared war on the United States, providing the first American soldiers and the first army headquarters deployed to the European theater in World War II
.
V Corps was one of the formations that took part in the D-Day
landings, on 6 June 1944. It landed on Omaha Beach
with the 1st Infantry Division (United States) and 29th Infantry Division (United States) , and many casualties were suffered there due to the strong German defenses. During the Battle of Normandy, and indeed for almost the whole campaign up to the surrender of Germany, V Corps was assigned to First United States Army. The only exceptions were a brief detachment to Seventh United States Army during the autumn of 1944 and being switched to Third United States Army during the very final days before the enemy surrender.
stationed in East Germany, specifically the 8th Guards Army. Along with VII Corps, it was one of the two main US combat formations in Germany. Specifically, it guarded the vital Fulda Gap
against a possible Soviet attack.
With the end of the Cold War
came the Gulf War
. Although units from V Corps took part in the Persian Gulf War
of 1991, the corps headquarters itself did not deploy. They came under the control of VII Corps or XVIII Airborne Corps
.
and Kosovo
. However, as during the Gulf War, the headquarters itself did not deploy. In September 2000, V Corps participated in Operation Victory Strike I, one of the first times American units had ever deployed in Poland. In September 2001, Victory Strike II repeated the exercise. 4000 U.S., Polish, and Italian soldiers took part. The exercise tested a modular plug-in command post system which is expected to be used by U.S. forces in the future.
In March 2002, General Wallace traveled to U.S. Central Command headquarters in Tampa, Florida, to discuss contingency plans for deployment to the Middle East. A year later, for the first time since 1945, V Corps headquarters deployed for combat operations. It had many of the American forces committed to Operation Iraqi Freedom
under its command. The main units under its command were the 3rd Infantry Division, 101st Airborne Division
,and 1st Armored Division
along with a brigade from the 82nd Airborne Division. V Corps then handed control over Iraq to III Corps.
A significant portion of V Corps redeployed from Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as Task Force Victory under the command of Lieutenant General Peter W. Chiarelli
on 12 December 2006. V Corps returned to Germany in 2007. In accordance with the US Army's modularization plan
, V Corps was to have been eliminated in 2009.
This scheduled inactivation was initially postponed, then canceled.
V Corps manned its first Command Post and deployed it to Afghanistan in the summer of 2009, and deployed its second Command Post element in the summer of 2010. In early 2011, the reconstitution and relocation of V Corps to Wiesbaden Army Airfield
(WAAF) were accelerated, and V Corps achieved initial operating capability at WAAF on 1 June 2011. The corps headquarters was officially established at Wiesbaden on 12 August 2011.
Corps
A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
of the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and the main land component of United States Army Europe
United States Army Europe
United States Army Europe and Seventh Army, is an Army Service Component Command of the United States Army and the land component of United States European Command. It is the largest American formation in Europe.-Invasion of Sicily:...
. The corps headquarters is located at the Wiesbaden Army Airfield
Wiesbaden Army Airfield
Wiesbaden Army Airfield or WAAF is located southeast of the city of Wiesbaden, Hessen, Germany. It was selected as the site for Headquarters, United States Air Forces in Europe on 28 September 1945, in large part due to its proximity to Frankfurt am Main, where the U.S. Seventh Army was...
in Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Its organization is similar to a traditional division, with three brigade combat teams
Brigade combat team
The brigade combat team is the basic deployable unit of maneuver in the US Army. A brigade combat team consists of one combat arms branch maneuver brigade, and its attached support and fire units. A brigade combat team is generally commanded by a colonel , but in rare instances it is commanded by...
and a single Combat Aviation Brigade
Combat Aviation Brigade
A Combat Aviation Brigade is a multi-functional brigade-sized unit in the United States Army that fields military helicopters, offering a combination of attack helicopters , reconnaissance helicopters , medium-lift helicopters , heavy-lift helicopters , and MEDEVAC capability.- History :Combat...
.
Civil War
V Corps was organized 18 May 1862, while the Army of the Potomac, to which it belonged, was engaged on the Peninsular campaign. During the course of V Corps wartime service, the Corps took part in the battles of Hanover Court House; Mechanicsville; Gaines' Mill; Glendale; Malvern Hill; Manassas; Antietam; Shepherdstown Ford; Fredericksburg; Chancellorsville; Gettysburg; Rappahannock Station; Mine Run; Wilderness; Alsop's Farm; Laurel Hill; Spotsylvania; North Anna; Totopotomoy; Bethesda Church; Cold Harbor; Petersburg Assault; Siege Of Petersburg; Weldon Railroad; Poplar Spring Church; Hatcher's Run; Dabney's Mills; Gravelly Run; White Oak Road; Five Forks; and Appomattox. V Corps was demobilized on 28 June 1865.Spanish-American War
V Corps was assembled at Tampa, Florida and sailed for Cuba on 12 July 1898 under the command of William R. Shafter. It was engaged in the battles of Las GuasimasBattle of Las Guasimas
The Battle of Las Guasimas of June 24, 1898, part of the Spanish-American War, unfolded from Major General "Fighting Joe" Wheeler's attempt to storm a Spanish position in the jungles surrounding Santiago. Commanding a division that included the 1st U.S...
, San Juan Hill
Battle of San Juan Hill
The Battle of San Juan Hill , also known as the battle for the San Juan Heights, was a decisive battle of the Spanish-American War. The San Juan heights was a north-south running elevation about two kilometers east of Santiago de Cuba. The names San Juan Hill and Kettle Hill were names given by the...
, El Caney
Battle of El Caney
The Battle of El Caney was fought on July 1, 1898, during the Spanish-American War.-Background:At El Caney, Cuba, 514 Spanish regular soldiers, together with approximately 100 armed Spanish loyalists under the command of General Joaquín Vara de Rey were instructed to hold the northwest flank of...
and the siege of Santiago
Siege of Santiago
The Siege of Santiago also known as the Siege of Santiago de Cuba was the last major operation of the Spanish-American War on the island of Cuba. This action should not be confused with the naval battle of Santiago de Cuba.-Santiago Campaign:...
. Due to sickness and disease the corps returned to New York and was officially disbanded in September 1898.
World War I
V Corps was re-established during World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
at Remiremont
Remiremont
Remiremont is a commune in the Vosges department in Lorraine in northeastern France.Inhabitants are called Romarimontains.-Geography:Remiremont is located on the Moselle, close to its confluence with the Moselotte, southeast of Épinal...
, France on 7 July 1918, initially organized by Maj.Gen. William M. Wright. Under the command of Maj. Gen. George H. Cameron it fought in the St. Mihiel offensive
Battle of Saint-Mihiel
The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a World War I battle fought between September 12–15, 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Force and 48,000 French troops under the command of U.S. general John J. Pershing against German positions...
. By the end of the war, the Corps had participated in three campaigns and under the command of Maj. Gen. Charles P. Summerall, it carried the main attack in the decisive Meuse-Argonne offensive
Meuse-Argonne Offensive
The Meuse-Argonne Offensive, or Maas-Argonne Offensive, also called the Battle of the Argonne Forest, was a part of the final Allied offensive of World War I that stretched along the entire western front.-Overview:...
. Dubbed the "Victory Corps" in recognition of its rapid advance in the final phase of the war, V Corps returned to the United States in 1919.
World War II
V Corps was reactivated at Camp BeauregardCamp Beauregard
For the American Civil War site, see Camp Beauregard Memorial in Water Valley.Camp Beauregard is a U.S. Army installation located northeast of Pineville, Louisiana, primarily in Rapides Parish, but also extending northward into Grant Parish. It is currently operated by the Louisiana National Guard...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, in October 1940, and took part in the famous Louisiana Maneuvers
Louisiana Maneuvers
The Louisiana Maneuvers were a series of military exercises held all over north and west-central Louisiana, including Fort Polk, Camp Claiborne and Camp Livingston, in August and September 1941...
of 1941. The organization deployed to Ireland after Germany declared war on the United States, providing the first American soldiers and the first army headquarters deployed to the European theater in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
V Corps was one of the formations that took part in the D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
landings, on 6 June 1944. It landed on Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach is the code name for one of the five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II...
with the 1st Infantry Division (United States) and 29th Infantry Division (United States) , and many casualties were suffered there due to the strong German defenses. During the Battle of Normandy, and indeed for almost the whole campaign up to the surrender of Germany, V Corps was assigned to First United States Army. The only exceptions were a brief detachment to Seventh United States Army during the autumn of 1944 and being switched to Third United States Army during the very final days before the enemy surrender.
Cold War
After the war, V Corps remained in Germany until 1946 and then returned to South, then North Carolina. V Corps returned to Germany in June 1951 as part of the American occupation forces and the activation of the two corps US Seventh Army in USAREUR. V Corps' role then evolved into that of countering Soviet forcesSoviet Army
The Soviet Army is the name given to the main part of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union between 1946 and 1992. Previously, it had been known as the Red Army. Informally, Армия referred to all the MOD armed forces, except, in some cases, the Soviet Navy.This article covers the Soviet Ground...
stationed in East Germany, specifically the 8th Guards Army. Along with VII Corps, it was one of the two main US combat formations in Germany. Specifically, it guarded the vital Fulda Gap
Fulda Gap
The Fulda Gap is a region of lower elevation between the former East German border and Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Named for the town of Fulda, the Fulda Gap was strategically important during the Cold War...
against a possible Soviet attack.
With the end of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
came the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
. Although units from V Corps took part in the Persian Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
of 1991, the corps headquarters itself did not deploy. They came under the control of VII Corps or XVIII Airborne Corps
U.S. XVIII Airborne Corps
The XVIII Airborne Corps is the corps of the United States Army designed for rapid deployment anywhere in the world. It is referred to as "America's Contingency Corps". Its headquarters are at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.-World War II:...
.
Modern day
After the Persian Gulf War, VII Corps was withdrawn back to the United States and disbanded, leaving V Corps as the only major US combat field headquarters in Europe. Various peacekeeping operations during the 1990s took V Corps units to Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
and Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
. However, as during the Gulf War, the headquarters itself did not deploy. In September 2000, V Corps participated in Operation Victory Strike I, one of the first times American units had ever deployed in Poland. In September 2001, Victory Strike II repeated the exercise. 4000 U.S., Polish, and Italian soldiers took part. The exercise tested a modular plug-in command post system which is expected to be used by U.S. forces in the future.
In March 2002, General Wallace traveled to U.S. Central Command headquarters in Tampa, Florida, to discuss contingency plans for deployment to the Middle East. A year later, for the first time since 1945, V Corps headquarters deployed for combat operations. It had many of the American forces committed to Operation Iraqi Freedom
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
under its command. The main units under its command were the 3rd Infantry Division, 101st Airborne Division
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
,and 1st Armored Division
1st Armored Division (United States)
The 1st Armored Division—nicknamed "Old Ironsides"—is a standing armored division of the United States Army with base of operations in Fort Bliss, Texas. It was the first armored division of the U.S...
along with a brigade from the 82nd Airborne Division. V Corps then handed control over Iraq to III Corps.
A significant portion of V Corps redeployed from Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as Task Force Victory under the command of Lieutenant General Peter W. Chiarelli
Peter W. Chiarelli
Peter W. Chiarelli is a United States Army General who is serving as the 32nd and current Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army. He previously served as commander, Multi-National Corps—Iraq under General George W. Casey, Jr. He assumed his current assignment on August 4, 2008...
on 12 December 2006. V Corps returned to Germany in 2007. In accordance with the US Army's modularization plan
Transformation of the United States Army
Army Transformation describes the future-concept of the United States Army's plan of modernization. Transformation is a generalized term for the integration of new concepts, organizations, and technology within the armed forces of the United States....
, V Corps was to have been eliminated in 2009.
This scheduled inactivation was initially postponed, then canceled.
V Corps manned its first Command Post and deployed it to Afghanistan in the summer of 2009, and deployed its second Command Post element in the summer of 2010. In early 2011, the reconstitution and relocation of V Corps to Wiesbaden Army Airfield
Wiesbaden Army Airfield
Wiesbaden Army Airfield or WAAF is located southeast of the city of Wiesbaden, Hessen, Germany. It was selected as the site for Headquarters, United States Air Forces in Europe on 28 September 1945, in large part due to its proximity to Frankfurt am Main, where the U.S. Seventh Army was...
(WAAF) were accelerated, and V Corps achieved initial operating capability at WAAF on 1 June 2011. The corps headquarters was officially established at Wiesbaden on 12 August 2011.
Command and staff
- Acting Commanding General: BGBrigadier GeneralBrigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Ricky Gibbs - Command Sergeant Major: CSM William M. JohnsonWilliam M. JohnsonWilliam M. Johnson was a U.S. politician.He was president of the New Jersey Senate in 1900....
- Chief of Staff: COLColonelColonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Matthew Mattner
Components
V Corps has 24,000 personnel and consists of the following formations:- V Corps
- 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment (organized as a Stryker Brigade Combat Team)
- 170th Infantry Brigade170th Infantry Brigade (United States)The of the United States Army was reestablished 15 July 2009 at US Army Garrison Baumholder in Germany as part of the Grow the Army plan. The 170th Infantry Brigade was formed by reflagging the 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division. The soldiers and equipment will remain in place but the 2d Brigade...
- 172nd Infantry Brigade
- 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team
- 12th Combat Aviation Brigade12th Combat Aviation Brigade (United States)The 12th Combat Aviation Brigade is a Combat Aviation Brigade of the United States Army. It was first organized as the 12th Aviation Group at Fort Benning, Georgia, on 18 June 1965.-Vietnam:...
Commanders
Over the course of its history, V Corps has had fifty-four commanders
|
James H. Polk James Hilliard Polk was a United States Army four star general who served as Commander in Chief, United States Army Europe from 1967 to 1971... 1 September 1964 to 27 February 1966 George R. Mather George Robinson Mather was a United States Army four star general who served as Commander in Chief, United States Southern Command from 1969 to 1971.-Military career:... 28 February 1966 to 31 May 1967 Donn A. Starry General Donn Albert Starry was a United States Army four star general who served as Commanding General, United States Army Training and Doctrine Command from 1977 to 1981; and as Commander in Chief, U.S... 16 February 1976 to 17 June 1977 Willard Warren Scott, Jr. Willard Warren Scott Jr. was a Lieutenant General in the United States Army. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1948. He was commissioned upon his graduation from West Point and assigned to the artillery... 27 February 1980 to 15 July 1981 David M. Maddox David M. Maddox is a retired United States Army four star general who served as Commander in Chief, United States Army Europe/Commander, Central Army Group from 1992 to 1993; Commander in Chief, U.S. Army Europe from 1993 to 1994. He is a 1960 graduate of Virginia Military Institute... 9 November 1990 to 17 June 1992 Jerry R. Rutherford Jerry Rex Rutherford retired as a Lieutenant General in the United States Army, where he served as Commander of V Corps.-Eary Life:Jerry Rutherford is a native of Joplin, Missouri. He graduated from Pittsburg State University in 1962 with a BA in Journalism... 17 June 1992 to 6 April 1995 John N. Abrams John Nelson Abrams is a retired United States Army four star general who commanded the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command from 1998 to 2002. He is the son of former Army Chief of Staff Creighton Abrams.-Military career:... 6 April 1995 to 31 July 1997 John W. Hendrix John Walker Hendrix is a retired United States Army four star general, and served as Commander, United States Army Forces Command from 1999 to 2001.-Military career:... 31 July 1997 to 16 November 1999 William S. Wallace William Scott Wallace, is a retired four-star general in the United States Army who served as Commanding General, United States Army Training and Doctrine Command at Fort Monroe, Virginia from September 5, 2005, to December 8, 2008. He retired from the Army on December 8, 2008.-Biography:Wallace... 18 July 2001 to 14 June 2003 James D. Thurman James David Thurman is a United States Army general who serves as the current Commander, United Nations Command which he concurrently serves as Commander, R.O.K.-U.S. Combined Forces Command and as Commander, U.S. Forces Korea. He previously served as the 18th Commanding General, U.S. Army Forces... 19 January 2007 to 8 August 2007 Michael A. Ryan Brigadier General Michael A. Ryan is a General Officer in the United States Army.-Military service:BRIGADIER GENERAL RYAN received a Regular Army commission in Armor in 1981 upon graduating with a Journalism degree from Arizona State University as a Distinguished Military Graduate... 8 August 2009 to 3 November 2010 |
See Also
- U.S. I Corps
- U.S. III Corps
- U.S. XVIII Airborne Corps
- United States Army Corps of EngineersUnited States Army Corps of EngineersThe United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...