; Whereas, in December 1943, the 555th Parachute Infantry Company, later redesignated as Company A, 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, the first African-American parachute unit, which was known as Triple Nickles , was activated at Fort Benning; Whereas, after World War II, Fort Benning continued to play a vital role in training soldiers for every conflict involving the United States; Whereas the Ranger Training Center was established October 12, 1950, which trained personnel for the Korean War; Whereas, during the second longest conflict involving the United States, the Vietnam War, Fort Benning reopened the Officer Training School for Infantry and trained thousands of officers who participated in the war; Whereas the 11th Air Assault Division was activated at Fort Benning on February 7, 1963, to test and develop the air mobile concept; Whereas the 11th Air Assault Division was inactivated on July 1, 1965, and replaced by the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) and deployed to Vietnam on September 11, 1965, specializing in flying troops in and out of combat zones via helicopter; Whereas Fort Benning served as a major staging ground for troops sent to the Middle East during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm, and later during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom; Whereas, in 2009, tanks from the Armor School at Fort Knox arrived at Fort Benning, combining infantry and armor at 1 post and forming the Maneuver Center of Excellence; Whereas the Maneuver Center of Excellence consists of— (1) the Capabilities Development and Integration Directorate; (2) the United States Army Infantry School; (3) the 199th Infantry Brigade; (4) the United States Army Armor School; (5) the Directorate of Training and Doctrine; and (6) additional tenant units; Whereas some of the most respected United States military leaders in the 20th century were stationed at Fort Benning, including— (1) General Omar Bradley; (2) General Dwight Eisenhower; (3) General George Marshall; (4) General George Patton