Eli5. Why do military groups (101st airborne for example) seem to be numbered in random order
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They did make sense at one point in time as the units are numbered in sequence. In this case the 101st airborne division of the US Army is the 101st infantry division in the US Army. In WWI the US Army consisted of 98 divisions, numbered 1 through 98. And when WWII started up they reactivated all the old divisions as well as formed new ones which is how the 101st got their number. The term “airborne” is added to distinguish them from regular infantry divisions or armored infantry divisions. Divisions can change terms over time, for example the famous 82nd infantry division of WWI became the 82nd airborne of WWII of equal fame.
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