In the later-half of the 20th Century and well into the 21st Century, airborne operations would evolve, large-scale parachute operations would be replaced by rapidly-deploying air assaults, forever changing the way Airborne units operate.īy the 22nd century, the usage of Airborne forces had been scaled down drastically, quickly becoming obsolete in a time where space-based conflict and orbital deployments took center stage. The war proved the effectiveness of airborne assault, and following the war, paratroop forces would see a number of advances and innovations, as well as changes to their doctrine. The outbreak of the Second World War would again forever alter the way war was waged, this time the utilization of the first ever Airborne operations would play key roles in some of the most significant battles of the conflict. The Interwar period would see a number of experiments regarding the concept of parachuting infantry, with the first ever paratroop jumps taking place in 1927. However, the war would end before the plans could be taken seriously or carried out. Lee was one of the major influences for Airborne operations during World War II and beyond.ĭuring the later years of the war, the Allied Powers devised battle-plans in carrying out paratroop drops behind the lines of the Central Powers to disrupt supply chains and logistics, in hopes that it would break the deadlock. Radical changes and innovations, notably the aeroplane and the advent of aerial warfare provided the prospect of what many thought unthinkable-invasion from the sky.Īmerican General William C. With the onset of the First World War, the world would no longer see warfare the same again. The history of Airborne infantry is deeply rooted in the chaos that gripped and engulfed the first half of the 20th Century. " Where is the prince who can afford so to cover his country with troops for its defense, so that ten thousand men descending from the clouds might not, in many places, do an infinite deal of mischief before a force could be brought together to repel them?" ― Benjamin Franklin, 1784. As the war continued to worsen, the Airborne would remain the vanguard of defense on many colonies, against all odds and low chances of survival, their stories would inspire millions across human space for years to come. The war would test their resolve, as it did many UNSC servicemen and women but for them, they'd suffer one of the highest attrition rates per capita in comparison to other UNSC military departments during the war. But the most significant change of reception would not come until the arrival of the Covenant, where a number of heroic actions and sacrifices would elevate the Army Airborne to legendary status.
Public perception of the Army Airborne would remain mostly unchanged over the centuries, and would not be until the outbreak of the Insurrection before they began to be positively received. Despite this, the Army Airborne would continue to endure, confronting and defeating numerous challenges that faced them throughout its history, whether it was the emergence of a conflict, or the threat to shut down or dissolve the organization.
This reaction by the public only prompted stronger resentment and rivalry between members of the Airborne and ODSTs, culminating in bitter competition between each other, much like their parent organizations. Because of this, the Airborne faced scrutiny by both the civilian and military sector for most of its 400-year existence. Focused on planetary defense, the Airborne specializes in deploying behind enemy lines, infiltration and rapid response anywhere around a planet.įor most of its history, the Army Airborne has been viewed as obsolete and unnecessary, a relic of the past that has been largely replaced by exo-atmospheric shock forces as humanity's primary rapid reaction force. The UNSC Army Airborne, also informally referred as " Airheads", are an elite light infantry component of the UNSC Army that are deployed via fixed-wing or VTOL aircraft within a planet's atmosphere. Fail not, for they are the unforgotten." ―Hymn written by Pastor James Norris Atterbare in memory of the Airborne troopers lost during the Siege of Paris IV. Race thee against the crashing of the tide. Fail not for the unsheltered and the unshielded. " From nowhere, comes Sacrifice, Liberation, Salvation.