Fort Bragg, North Carolina, is known as "The Home of the Airborne." One of the most famed installations in the country began in 1918. The rugged, forested terrain was only about seven percent occupied, and there were a grand total of 170 families in the area. Pilots landing on the airstrip had to make a preliminary pass to scare off the deer.

What a difference a few decades can make! Today, Fort Bragg is home to 42,000 soldiers, covers almost 161,000 acres and has an operating budget of more than $400 million. The 18th Airborne Corps stands ready to be deployed at a moment's notice, and the Special Operations Command and US Army Parachute Team are also in residence.

The 82nd Airborne Division
The 82nd is the largest paratrooper force anywhere in the free world, with approximately 14,000 troops. Every soldier in the Division is airborne qualified, no matter what his or her job may be. If you need a clerk, a cook or a computer expert dropped somewhere, the 82nd can do it. The planes primarily used by the 82nd division are the C-130 Hercules, the C-141 Starlifter and the C-17 Globemaster III.

The 82nd's Advanced Airborne School is also located at Fort Bragg. Here soldiers can learn to become Jumpmasters and earn their black hats. The standards of the Advanced Airborne School are very high, but as their manual reminds you, that's because it's a matter of life or death every time you jump.