Fort Bragg Cancels 2026 All American Week as 82nd Airborne Deploys More

Fort Bragg scrapped All American Week 2026, as nearly 1,000 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division received orders to ship out to the Middle East as the war with Iran drags on. The yearly gathering was set for May 18 through 21.

Officials "canceled due to competing requirements," Maj. Joe Bush, a spokesperson for the 82nd Airborne Division, said in a statement per Task & Purpose. "All American Week will resume in 2027."

A Department of Defense official confirmed pieces of the 82nd Airborne Division headquarters will ship out, along with some division support units and the entire 1st Brigade Combat Team headed to U.S. Central Command's Area of Responsibility. That confirmation dropped on March 25.

All American Week happens each year at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. That's where the 82nd Airborne Division calls home. The gathering honors paratroopers from decades past and those serving now, with an old-timers breakfast, runs, memorial ceremonies, military flyovers, and tech displays.

Last year's gathering brought Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who discussed Pentagon reforms.

The Pentagon kicked off Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28. Since then, strikes have pounded more than 12,300 targets in Iran, per U.S. Central Command. Officials haven't laid out a timeline for when they expect this war to wrap up and haven't ruled out sending U.S. ground forces.

President Donald Trump said in his address to the nation on Wednesday that the military operation has been running for 32 days.

The Pentagon approved special combat pay for troops deployed to countries across the Middle East. The Army has authorized soldiers to wear combat patches.