An annual event honoring service members and veteran paratroopers at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, has been cancelled after Pentagon officials confirmed that troops from the base are deploying to the Middle East.
All American Week is hosted every year at Fort Bragg, North Carolina — home to the 82nd Airborne Division. This year’s event, scheduled from May 18 to 21, has been cancelled, Army officials confirmed.
The event was “canceled due to competing requirements,” Maj. Joe Bush, a spokesperson for the 82nd Airborne Division, said in a statement to Task & Purpose. “All American Week will resume in 2027.”
The All American Week’s cancellation comes amid reports that nearly 1,000 paratroopers with the 82nd Airborne Division received deployment orders to the Middle East amid the ongoing war with Iran.
“We can confirm elements of the 82nd Airborne Division HQs, some division enablers and the 1st [Brigade Combat Team] will be deploying to [U.S. Central Command’s Area of Responsibility],” a Department of Defense official confirmed to Task & Purpose on March 25. “Due to operations security we have nothing additional to provide at this time.”
The annual event, hosted by the 82nd Airborne Division Association, is typically put on to celebrate past and present paratroopers and includes a variety of events like an old timers breakfast, runs, memorial ceremonies, military fly overs, and technology showcases.
“Due to Operational Requirements, We Shift Our Focus to Supporting Deployed Paratroopers and Their Families. Thank you for understanding,” the association wrote in Facebook post.
At last year’s event, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth took to the stage to address the latest Pentagon reforms like cuts to the general officer corps, slashes to diversity, equity and inclusion programs, and quality-of-life changes like barracks investment and jump pay increases.
The 82nd Airborne Division Association, which hosts the event, is a membership association for current soldiers and veterans who served in the 82nd and other paratrooper units.
The Pentagon launched Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28 and has struck more than 12,300 targets in Iran, according to U.S. Central Command. U.S. officials have not given a clear timeline about when they believe the war will end and have not ruled out deploying U.S. ground forces. In the interim, the Pentagon has approved special combat pay for troops deployed to countries across the Middle East, and the Army has authorized soldiers to wear combat patches.
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On Wednesday, President Donald Trump said in his address to the nation that it’s “important that we keep this conflict in perspective,” noting varying lengths of U.S. conflicts, from World War I to World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam War and Iraq War.
“We are in this military operation, so powerful, so brilliant against one of the most powerful countries for 32 days. And the country has been eviscerated and essentially is really no longer a threat,” Trump said. “This is a true investment in your children and your grandchildren’s future.”
