Eli5. Why do military groups (101st airborne for example) seem to be numbered in random order
In: 1833
In WW1, the War Department set aside division numbers based on their origin. Active Army divisions were to be numbered 1-25, National Guard divisions 26-75, and Reserve divisions 76 and up.
In the end, only active divisions 1-20, Guard divisions 26-42, and Reserve divisions 76-102 were ever organized, 64 infantry divisions in total, plus one Cavalry division. And the 102nd was never fully organized.
In WW2, they began activating divisions along the same numbering system. They decided to limit the divisions to 100, but didn’t quite make that, as they decided to stop organizing new divisions in favor of providing replacements for existing divisions.
The War Department decided to take 82nd and 101st and convert them to Airborne divisions and at the same time bring them into the Active Army.
Units are generally deactivated and reactivated based on a points system based on the number of campaigns they have participated in and the type of division. So 101st remains in existence despite the high number.
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