[citation needed] The first XVIII Corps was authorized by the National Defense Act of 1920 and constituted in the Regular Army on 29 July 1921.

The headquarters was concurrently initiated at San Antonio, Texas, with Reserve personnel previously assigned to the demobilized XVIII Corps (RAI).

The XVIII Corps was not activated prior to World War II and was located in San Antonio as of 7 December 1941 in an inactive reserve status.

[2] The present XVIII Airborne Corps was constituted in the Regular Army on 14 January 1942, five weeks after the entry of the United States into World War II, as the II Armored Corps, and was activated on 17 January 1942 at Camp Polk, Louisiana, under the command of Major General William Henry Harrison Morris, Jr.

However, the Japanese surrendered just weeks later and XVIII Airborne Corps was inactivated on 15 October 1945 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

The corps was now tasked, in addition, to provide a flexible strike capability that could deploy worldwide, on short notice, without a declaration of an emergency.

[7] The Corps deployed forces to the United States occupation of the Dominican Republic ('Operation Power Pack') in 1965.

In 1967 elements of the Corps were deployed to Detroit to suppress riots, and also to The Congo to support the government there and to rescue civilian hostages as part of Operation Dragon Rouge.

In 1982 the Corps first rotated elements to the Sinai Peninsula as part of the Multinational Force and Observers (UN) to guarantee the Camp David Peace Accords.

[8] In 1983 elements of the Corps were deployed to the island of Grenada as part of Operation Urgent Fury, with the stated goal of reestablishing the democratically elected government.

In 1989 XVIII Airborne Corps, commanded by then LTG Carl Stiner, participated in the invasion of Panama in Operation Just Cause.

The living quarters for these three units were situated between the 82d Airborne Division and the Special Forces at Fort Bragg.

The 5th Battalion, 8th Field Artillery also served in a major support role for 82d and French troops during the Gulf War.

Following its return, XVIII Airborne Corps and its subordinate units began the process of modernization and reorganization.

[47] The mission was to provide a joint task force-capable headquarters in light of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.