Which division was designated to counter air force criticisms of air mobility and later became the 1st Cavalry Division in Vietnam?

• A. 9th Infantry Division
• B. 11th Air Assault Division
• C. 3rd Armored Cavalry Division
• D. 7th Infantry Division

Answer: (B)

Air mobility is about moving troops and heavy equipment quickly using helicopters, letting ground forces strike and maneuver from the air as well as on the ground. To prove this concept and answer Army and Air Force concerns about relying on helicopters for decisive operations, a dedicated division was created to develop and showcase air assault tactics. That unit began as the 11th Air Assault Division, designed specifically to train and execute helicopter-borne operations and to demonstrate how air mobility could shape modern warfare. In 1965 it was redesignated as the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) and sent to Vietnam, becoming the Army’s premier test bed and operating force for airborne horse cavalry-style air mobility. This direct lineage—from an air assault division built to validate the concept to the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) in Vietnam—is why it’s the best fit. The other divisions were conventional formations and did not undergo that transition or adopt the airmobile designation.