JUNE 15, 2026 – Soldiers assigned to the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 11th Airborne Division at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, demonstrated the Army’s commitment to transformation, readiness and joint lethality during Exercise Red Flag-Alaska 26-2, June 10.
Led by Army Lt. Col. Bryson Shipman, the 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment executed a complex joint forcible entry operation onto Donnelly drop zone near Fort Greely, Alaska, from multinational aircraft piloted by crews assigned to the U.S., the Royal Air Force, Canada and New Zealand. The mission included seizing a forward landing strip and conducting an air assault to secure key objectives. The service members also had to integrate live tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided missiles with improved target acquisition systems and conduct drone reconnaissance in a contested environment.
“This is as close as you get without being in combat,” said Shipman, who served as both airborne and ground force commander. “Joint forcible entry to seize an airfield, clear a forward landing strip, and then air assault to secure key infrastructure — this mission mirrors what the 11th Airborne Division would be called to execute in a large-scale combat operation. The standard we set here is the standard we will be held to when it matters.”
The operation was the squadron’s final major training event under the 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment designation. Next month, the unit will reflag as the 1st Battalion, 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment, formalizing its transformation from cavalry to parachute infantry, a process already underway in training and operations.
“Though we’re still designated as a cavalry squadron, we have been training and operating as a parachute infantry battalion,” Shipman said. “Our paratroopers are already living the mission and setting the standard for what 1-511th Parachute Infantry Regiment will be. Their dedication and adaptability are driving this transformation, and I couldn’t be prouder of what they’ve accomplished.”
The exercise provided a unique opportunity for the squadron to build upon its transformation, working through the full joint planning sequence alongside Air Force and multinational partners. The battalion completed deliberate mission planning, cold load training with Army aviation at Bryant Army Airfield, Alaska, airborne timeline rehearsals and rigorous leader back-briefs and wargaming. Every echelon, from staff to squad leaders, was involved in preparing for the scale and complexity of the operation.
“Modern warfare demands seamless integration between air and ground forces,” Shipman said. “The 11th Airborne brings the ground maneuver, paratroopers executing forcible entry, seizing airfields and conducting air assaults, while our Air Force partners deliver the airpower and mobility. Here, they’re not flying scripted missions, but are working alongside soldiers who are jumping, fighting and securing objectives in real time. That level of joint realism and partnership is something neither service can achieve alone.”
The exercise also marked a moment of historical reflection for the unit.
“Last week, on June 6, marked 82 years since 13,000 American paratroopers jumped into Normandy, [France], seizing key terrain and changing the course of the war,” Shipman noted. “And 83 years ago this December, it was this division that proved the airborne concept was worth keeping at the Knollwood Maneuver.”
The Knollwood Maneuver was a critical Army exercise conducted by the 11th Airborne Division near Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in December 1943. It is credited with saving the airborne division concept.
“The doctrine we execute on [June 10, 2026], exists because this division earned it in 1943,” Shipman said.
He added that the scale, realism and joint integration of Red Flag Alaska 26-2 set it apart from other exercises. The operation required seamless coordination between Army and Air Force planners, with every seam between services tested in real time.
“Every repetition here makes timing tighter, decisions faster and coordination sharper,” Shipman said. “And the relationships built with Air Force crews and allied partners are what make the difference in the first hours of a real contingency.”
As the 1-40th Cavalry Squadron transitions to its new identity, its paratroopers continue to set the standard for transformation readiness and partnership in the Indo-Pacific and Arctic theaters.
By Army Maj. Ian Roth
11th Airborne Division