of the battle, the corps was commanded by Major General James M. Gavin of the 82nd Airborne), all American airborne units on the Western Front fell under command of the corps. XVIII Airborne Corps planned and executed Operation Varsity, the airborne component of Operation Plunder, the crossing of the River Rhine into Germany. It was one of the largest airborne operations of the war, with the British 6th and U.S. 17th Airborne Divisions under command. After taking part in the Western Allied invasion of Germany, the XVIII Airborne Corps, still under Ridgway, returned to the United States in June 1945 and was initially to take part in the invasion of Japan, codenamed Operation Downfall. However, the Japanese surrendered just weeks later and XVIII Airborne Corps was inactivated on 15 October 1945 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. World War II units 1st Infantry Division — 26 January 1945 – 12 February 1945. 4th Infantry Division 8th Infantry Division — 26 January 1945 – 10 July 1945. 17th Airborne Division — 12 August 1944 – 1 January 1945; 15 February 1945 – 24 March 1945. 29th Infantry Division 30th Infantry Division — 21 December 1944 – 3 February 1945. 34th Infantry Division 75th Infantry Division — 29 December 1944 – 2 January 1945; 7 January 1945. 78th Infantry Division — 3 February 1945 – 12 February 1945. 82nd Airborne Division — 12 August 1944 – 17 September 1944; 19 December 1944 – 14 February 1945; 30 April 1945 – 3 January 1946. 84th Infantry Division — 20 December 1944 – 21 December 1944. 86th Infantry Division — 5 April 1945 – 22 April 1945. 89th Infantry Division 97th Infantry Division — 10 April 1945 – 22 April 1945. 101st Airborne Division — 12 August 1944 – 21 September 1944; 28 February 1945 – 1 April 1945. 106th Infantry Division — 20 December 1944 – 6 February 1945. 3rd Armored Division — 19 December 1944 – 23 December 1944. 5th Armored Division — 4 May 1945 – 10 October 1945. 7th Armored Division — 20 December 1944 – 29 January 1945; 30 April 1945 – 9 October 1945. 13th Armored Division — 10 April 1945 – 22 April 1945. Cold War The Corps was reactivated at Fort Bragg on 21 May 1951 under the command of Major General John W. Leonard. Since then, the corps has been the primary strategic response force, with subordinate