Huggins takes command of 82nd Airborne Division

82nd Abn. Div. PAO

Photo by Staff Sgt. Susan Wilt, 82nd Abn. Div. PAO Maj. Gen. James Huggins, left, the incoming commanding general of the 82nd Airborne Division, assumes command of the division as he receives the All American colors from Lt. Gen. Frank Helmick, commander of XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg, during a change of command ceremony at Fort Bragg, Aug. 5. During the ceremony, Maj. Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti relinquished his command of the division after serving as the commanding general since October 2008.

More than 18,000 paratroopers stood on Pike Field as the 82nd Airborne Division hosted a change of command ceremony Aug. 5.

Maj. Gen. James L. Huggins took command of the 82nd Airborne Division from Maj. Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti.

Huggins comes to the All American Division after serving as the director of Operations, Readiness and Mobilization for the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff in Washington, D.C.

“If you had to build a Soldier to command the 82nd Airborne Division, it would look like James Huggins. His unparalleled experience in peace-time and combat will make for a seamless transition as the division prepares for the challenges ahead,” said Lt. Gen. Frank Helmick, commanding general of the XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg.

As commanding general of the 82nd Abn. Div., Huggins will lead more than 22,000 paratroopers, whose mission is to strategically deploy within 18 hours of notification, conduct forcible entry parachute assaults and secure key objectives for follow-on military operations in support of U.S. national interests.

Huggins was commissioned as a second lieutenant of infantry through Reserve Officer Training Corps in 1980.

This is a homecoming of sorts for the new All-American commander, who previously served as a company commander in the 3rd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment; the battalion commander of 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment; and later as the brigade commander for the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment. He also served as the chief of staff, 82nd Abn. Div., and chief of staff, XVIII Airborne Corps.

“I am exceptionally happy to be back at Fort Bragg and Fayetteville, which I believe is the model for the U.S. Army in terms of what ‘right’ looks like for a military and civilian community, ” Huggins said.

The new commander has been afforded many unique professional experiences and opportunities to include tours with the 3rd and 25th Infantry Divisions, as well as two operational deployments and six combat tours in Operation’s Just Cause, Desert Shield/Storm, Enduring Freedom and three Iraqi Freedom tours.

Scaparrotti, who recently led elements of the division Special Troops Battalion on a successful 13-month combat deployment to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, will be leaving the 82nd to serve as the special assistant to the XVIII Airborne Corps commander.

“It has been my greatest honor to lead this historic division and to once again stand among the ranks of the All Americans,” Scaparrotti said.

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