Honored Division Week #4: Black Knights face Louisiana Tech, honor 101st Airborne Division with gameday patch

The Army West Point Football team (2-1) meets its rendezvous with destiny as it heads south to face Louisiana Tech at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 3 in Ruston, Louisiana.

The Black Knights take the field this week against the Bulldogs with their players honoring the 101st Airborne Division with division patches on the back of their helmets. The recognition highlights the history, accomplishments and continued service of Army divisions as part of the Honored Division theme featured throughout the 2026 football season.

The 101st Airborne Division represents Soldiers and units stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

101st Airborne Division’s Rendezvous with Destiny As the coined phrase by then division commander, Maj. Gen. William C. Lee, suggests, the Screaming Eagles of the 101st Airborne Division have been fulfilling their “Rendezvous with Destiny” for generations.

The division’s origins began at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, on Nov. 2, 1918, nine days before the Armistice ended World War I. The division was demobilized Dec. 11, 1918, before being reconstituted in the Organized Reserves in Milwaukee on Sept. 10, 1921.

While based in Wisconsin, the division became associated with the legacy of Old Abe, a bald eagle whose story dated back decades earlier to the American Civil War. Old Abe had served as the mascot of Company C, 8th Wisconsin Infantry, and was carried into battle on a modified flag staff with a specially designed perch. His legacy would later help inspire the 101st’s identity as the “Screaming Eagles.”

In 1942, the Army authorized two airborne divisions, and the 82nd and 101st were selected. The Screaming Eagles were reconstituted and reactivated in the U.S. Army on Aug. 15, 1942, and four days later, the first division commander of the 101st Airborne Division, Maj. Gen. Lee, told his Soldiers that their unit, “has no history, but it has a rendezvous with destiny.”

He informed them that like “the great American eagle,” the division “will crush its enemies by falling upon them like a thunderbolt from the skies.”

After a rigorous period of training in the United States that included large scale maneuvers in Tennessee, the division deployed to Europe. While in England, Maj. Gen. Maxwell Taylor took command of the 101st after Lee suffered a heart attack. Afterward, the division participated in three major training exercises that gradually built toward its first combat operations in Normandy.

A 1922 U.S. Military Academy graduate, Taylor would become USMA Superintendent in 1945 and draft the first official Honor Code at West Point. He later served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1962.

On D-Day, the division jumped ahead of the beach landings on June 6, 1944, to seize positions west of Utah Beach, securing four causeway exits to facilitate the onward movement of the 4th Infantry Division. After the D-Day operation, the division jumped into the Netherlands for Operation Market Garden.

While the division successfully captured their assigned bridges, the overall operation was not successful. After Market Garden, the 101st took time to rest and refit at Camp Mourmelon, France, outside of Reims, and it was there that they were alerted for the Battle of the Bulge.

As the 101st raced toward Bastogne packed in open-topped semi-trucks, elements of the 705th Tank Destroyer and the 9th and 10th Armored Divisions joined to provide anti-tank support. When German forces demanded their surrender, Gen. Anthony McAuliffe, the acting division commander, famously replied, “Nuts.”

After the war, the 101st experienced a period where it was inactivated and reactivated before finally returning to active duty at Fort Campbell in 1956 as a pentomic division consisting of five battle groups.

By July 1965, the 1st Brigade deployed to the Republic of Vietnam, which began seven years of combat in Southeast Asia. Following their service in Vietnam, the division served in the Gulf War and later in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The division began operations in Afghanistan post 9/11 with the Fort Campbell-based 5th Special Forces Group. Later, in January 2002, the division deployed its 3rd Brigade, the 187th Infantry Regiment “Rakkasans,” as the first conventional unit to fight as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

From the 101st Airborne Division to West Point Before coming to the Academy, Class of 2027 Cadet William Cameron enlisted as an 11 Bravo infantryman and served with the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 327th Infantry Regiment, for a year before being accepted to West Point where he is currently a management major.

Cameron recalled that when he first arrived at Fort Campbell, he watched several documentaries on the history of the unit during battalion in-processing and saw historical phrases displayed on buildings throughout the brigade. It was that history that made him proud to wear the Screaming Eagle patch.

“The history behind the unit, from World War II to Vietnam to Bosnia to Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria that is what made the unit patch feel important to me,” Cameron explained. “The stories were incredible to hear.”

Cameron said one of the strongest connections he made at Fort Campbell was with his team leader. He recalled finishing a 24-hour staff duty shift when his team leader, knowing Cameron had a truck, asked him to drive an hour to help pick up a table.

“I was (angry) because I would only get six hours of sleep after a 24-hour duty shift, but I did it anyways,” Cameron relented. “However, I got to know him better and learn more about the Army than any of the briefs or classrooms I had before taught me. Also, I was able to see a beautiful part of the state I never thought about driving through.

“But really, it was great to talk and learn about life in a professional way outside of a work setting,” he added.

Cameron said that same mentorship carried into the work environment, where his NCOs pushed him and his fellow Soldiers to do more than expected.

“They gave us instruction even when higher leadership did not tell them to,” Cameron recalled. “They wanted what was best for us, both in the Army and outside of it. Outside of my family, no one ever treated me with greater respect, dignity and with high expectations than the NCOs in my platoon.”

Maj. Travis Barker currently is an assistant professor and deputy core program director in the Department of Physics and Nuclear Engineering. Barker, along with his wife, Lt. Col. Cathleen Barker, graduated from West Point in 2008. They initially began their careers as Military Intelligence (Cathleen) and Infantry (Travis) branch officers.

Both later served with 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, which is also known as the 502nd Infantry Regiment. They deployed as part of the division, Cathleen with the 526th Brigade Support Battalion as its S-2 and Travis as the Team executive officer (XO) for 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment. They later served as Division S-2 and commander of D Company, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, respectively.

For Travis Barker, wearing the 101st patch was an absolute honor for him.

“Every unit I deployed with has its own unique climate, but I was in awe of the professionalism of the leaders and Soldiers I had in 2/101,” Barker said.

One of his best memories at Fort Campbell was conducting a company Air Assault as a commander following a readiness drill for the division.

“My Soldiers and NCOs had worked hard to achieve a 99% Air Assault qualification rate,” Barker stated. “A company air assault followed by a company attack was the culmination of that year’s work.”

During a deployment to Afghanistan, Barker served on two advisory teams supporting efforts to put Afghan forces in the lead. While developing an operation order that included engineer support for route clearance, he found himself working alongside several familiar faces from his time as a cadet at West Point.

“The Engineer’s commanding officer was my Beast squad leader during Cadet Basic Training, who was later replaced by an ‘07 USMA graduate, and the battle captain was another ‘07 graduate who was from my home state of North Carolina,” Barker explained of his experience in Afghanistan. “On top of it, my team was led by an ‘06 graduate who was best friends with another one of the squad leaders from my Beast platoon. And Col. Rance Lee, the USMA director of admissions, was on that deployment as well. It shows the Army is a small world, but our connections make it seem even smaller some days.”

Lt. Col. Eric Gutierrez, who is an assistant professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Science and Engineering, served as the 101st Division engineer and also the battalion S-2 and XO for the 21st Engineer Battalion from 2020-22.

Gutierrez arrived at Fort Campbell following time in the 11th Infantry Division and completion of Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He sought an assignment to a unit with a proud history and a reputation for excellence.

“Few units possess the storied history of the 101st Airborne Division, known for its constant presence in major conflicts, demanding operational tempo and unparalleled esprit de corps,” Gutierrez stated. “The opportunity to wear the ‘Old Abe’ patch on my left shoulder instilled a profound sense of pride, purpose and responsibility to uphold the standards established by generations of Screaming Eagles before me.”

Some of Gutierrez’s best memories with the 101st came from his time with 3rd Brigade Combat Team, which he calls the “Legendary Rakkasans,” of the 187th Infantry Regiment.

“Few formations in the Army can match the brigade’s esprit de corps, pride and warrior ethos,” Gutierrez declared. “The Rakkasans consistently approached every mission with an aggressive, disciplined and no-quit attitude that inspired excellence at every level. Serving within the brigade reinforced the importance of standards, toughness and the unwavering commitment to mission accomplishment that has defined generations of Rakkasan Soldiers.”

During his time in the brigade, Gutierrez said he worked directly for Col. Mark Federovich, then Rakkasan 6, whose leadership and mentorship had a lasting influence on his professional development. Federovich now serves as the director of Military Instruction at West Point.

Gutierrez recalled Federovich’s leadership during training exercises and preparation for the brigade’s deployment. When Gutierrez shared his goal of pursuing a Ph.D., Federovich offered his support and encouragement.

“His unwavering support was instrumental in preparing me for graduate studies and ultimately for service as a faculty member at the U.S. Military Academy,” Gutierrez said. “His investment in my professional growth remains one of the most consequential influences on my career.”

More than a Patch on Gameday For Cameron, watching the Army football players grace the gridiron with the Screaming Eagle patch on their helmets is about honoring those who wore the patch in times of conflict.

“There are incredible stories veterans have shared that people wouldn’t believe,” Cameron said. “There’s even more stories of heroism that’ll never be known or shared, but what’s most important is hearing the history of the unit, listening to the stories of those men who put their lives on the line while wearing that patch.”

Winning is not always guaranteed on gameday; however, Barker said the wearing of the patch is a reminder of the bigger picture of winning on the battlefield.

“In the 2/101, we had a saying, ‘I am a Strike Soldier. I fight where I’m told, and I win where I fight,’” Barker said. “The fields of friendly strife is where we hone that mentality.”

Gutierrez said that Army Football honoring the 101st Airborne Division is much more than simply recognizing the unit’s storied history through its patch.

“The Screaming Eagles have answered the nation’s call for generations, from their activation and service in World War II to today’s operations around the world, and they continue to represent the Army’s commitment to readiness, discipline and service,” Gutierrez said. “For the Corps of Cadets, wearing ‘Old Abe’ on gameday serves as a reminder that the profession they are preparing to enter is rooted in a legacy of service, sacrifice and excellence.

“Many of today’s cadets will one day serve in divisions like the 101st Airborne Division, leading Soldiers under demanding conditions,” he concluded. “Honoring the division helps connect them to that responsibility and reinforces that they are part of something larger than themselves.”

(Editor’s note: 101st Airborne Division historical knowledge was provided by Dave Siry, the Director for the Center of Oral History at the U.S. Military Academy.)

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