Above: Maj. Gen. John F. Campbell
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Above: Maj. Gen. James L. Huggins, Jr.
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Washington–It is a rare occasion, indeed, when the stars align so that the U.S. Army’s two legendary Airborne divisions are each commanded by a Japanese American, further proof that minorities in America have come a long way.

The 82nd Airborne Division and the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) are two of the Army’s most legendary combat units.

Maj. Gen. John F. Campbell is the commanding general of the 101st Airborne Division, based in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. His Japanese ancestry comes from his mother’s side. The Fairfield, California native is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, class of 1979. He joins the ranks of other famous commanders of the 101st “Screaming Eagles,” to include Generals Maxwell Taylor, William C. Westmoreland and David H. Petreaus.

Maj. Gen. James L. Huggins, Jr. is the commanding general of the 82nd Airborne Division, based in Fort Bragg, N.C. His mother is also a Japanese American. The Honolulu, Hawaii native, a Leleihua High School graduate, entered the Army via Reserve Officer Training Corps program at the University of Georgia. He follows in the footsteps of famous former 82nd “All-American” commanders such as Generals Taylor, Matthew B. Ridgeway, James M. Gavin, Taylor, and Omar N. Bradley.

Having Japanese heritage isn’t the only thing these commanders have in common. They both have impeccable credentials for their respective positions. They are close friends, having once served as Brigade Commanders in the 82nd Airborne at the same time. They are known for their outstanding leadership qualities and caring for the welfare of their men, women and their families. The two officers are well-respected by their subordinates, peers, and superiors.

The older of the two airborne divisions is the 82nd Airborne, which was activated on August 5, 1917, while the 101st Airborne Division was activated on August 16, 1942.

During World War II, both elite divisions launched a massive air invasion, the largest air assault in history, to secure landing zones for the infantry forces on June 6, 1944, Normandy Invasion. They both contributed to Germany’s defeat in the historic Battle of the Bulge.

In the post-WWII era, neither division was deployed during the Korean War. But both divisions would serve in the Vietnam War, the 82nd Airborne deployed there for 22 months and the 101st Airborne (Air Assault) spending seven years in country.

In August 1990, both divisions were dispatched to Kuwait where they launched the invasion of Iraq on January 16, 1991 (Desert Storm/Desert Shield).

Since the September 11, 2001 tragic event, both divisions have faced multiple deployments in both Iraq and Afghanistan. More recently, the 82nd and 101st have swapped command of the International Security Assistance Force Regional Command-East headquarters at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, back-to-back from each other for at least one year deployments since summer 2007.