V CORPS HISTORY

It Will Be Done

V Corps, known as the “Victory Corps,” was first activated in France in 1918 and fought in major World War I offensives before being demobilized and later reactivated for World War II, where it led the assault on Omaha Beach, captured Cherbourg, and advanced into Germany. During the Cold War, it was headquartered in Frankfurt and served as a key NATO formation responsible for defending the Fulda Gap. After playing a major role in peacekeeping operations in the Balkans during the 1990s, V Corps commanded the main ground invasion during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 and later managed stabilization efforts in Iraq. Inactivated in 2013 and reactivated in 2020 at Fort Knox with a forward command post in Poland, V Corps today oversees U.S. Army operations in Europe, leads multinational training and deterrence missions, and remains a central element of NATO’s readiness and forward presence.

Video by Sgt. Shaun Rajasekar

Download

This is What Combined Deterrence Looks Like

U.S. Army V Corps

June 11, 2026 | 0:30

U.S. Soldiers from the 1st Infantry Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Division along with soldiers from NATO partner nations participated in Strike Back 26 at Koren Training Area, Bulgaria, June 10-11, 2026. The exercise provided an opportunity for U.S. Soldiers to train alongside their NATO partners, improving coordination and strengthening relationships between allied forces, allowing them to provide combined deterrence against threats. Strike Back 26 is a multinational exercise that enhances interoperability, readiness and combined combat capabilities among NATO allies and partner nations.(U.S. Army Reserve video by Sgt. Shaun R. Rajasekar)