ABOUT
The 108th Griffon Association is a 501(c)19 charitable non-profit military organization.
We provide assistance to families of deployed Soldiers who may be having financial difficulties, support to Soldier recognition programs within the 108th Training Command (IET) and support to various charitable organizations which support Service Members and Veterans across the spectrum including the USO and local Veterans organizations.
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Established in 1999, The 108th Griffon Association consists of current and former members of the 108th Training Command (including it's predecessor and subordinate units).
108TH TRAINING COMMAND
"FIRST IN TRAINING"
Origins
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1946 - The 108th was activated in 1946 as the 108th Airborne Division in the United States Army Reserves. Its headquarters was originally located in Atlanta, GA with its nickname being the “Golden Griffons” to reflect its original air/ground mission and thus the Griffon Association. Griffons were in Greek mythology half lion and half eagle known for their courage and ferocity.
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1952 The 108th becomes an Infantry Division and is re-headquartered in to Charlotte, NC.
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1956 - The 108th is selected to serve as the prototype of an Army Training Division, serving as a model for basic, advanced, and individual training.
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1960s - The 108th establishes a Drill Sergeant School
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1968 - The 108th was restructured into its current Brigade concept and begins conducting interim training for Soldiers waiting to attend Basic Training and assisted Active Army Basic Training Units in the training of new Soldiers.
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1980s - 1990s The 108th conducted Basic Training and One Station Unit Training by itself under the new Mobilization Army Training Center and Provisional Training concepts at numerous Army installations including, Fort Jackson, SC and Fort Benning, GA
Expansion
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1991 - The 108th mobilized more than 300 Soldiers to support Operation Desert Storm. Soldiers from the 108th assisted in retraining individual Soldiers at Ft Jackson, SC who had been called back to active duty.
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1993 - The 108th accepted the mission to pilot the Army’s Future Army Schools Concept Twenty-first Century. This concept gave the Division additional missions beyond Initial Entry Training and added 10 new Army Reserve Forces Schools conducting advanced training for both enlisted Soldiers and officers in the Army Reserve and National Guard.
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1998 - The 108th was also conducting training for ROTC cadets at several colleges and universities in the Southeast. Also in 1998, the 108th expanded its footprint from its original AOR in North and South Carolina to include Georgia, Florida and Puerto Rico. By 2004, Alabama and Mississippi were added to the mix.
Recent Decades
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2001 and 2007 over 2,000 Soldiers from the 108th along with several hundred attached Soldiers from other units were deployed in support of the Global War on Terrorism. In addition, almost 1,000 108th Soldiers and many attached from other units from across the United States were deployed to Iraq and Kuwait to help train, maintain, and sustain Iraqi Security and Police Forces as part of the military’s exit strategy from Iraq.
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Since 2007, the 108th has provided Soldiers on Active Duty in support of Army missions at Ft Jackson, SC and in some cases other parts of the world. It has also continued to conduct its Initial Entry Training mission and Leader Training (ROTC) at several Army Installations and colleges and universities in the US.
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At the present time, the 108th Training Command (IET) and its three subordinate Divisions have almost 7,500 Soldiers and civilian employees located in 41 of the States, mostly in the continental U.S., but including Hawaii and conducts training missions in 44 states at numerous Army installations and colleges and universities including the US Military Academy at West Point, NY and other locations.
IMPACT
12 Golf Tournaments
Since 2011, we've hold the annual 108th Griffon Association Soldiers and Families Golf Tournament. This event happens each September in Charlotte, NC. Through sponsorships and tickets, these tournaments have raised over $130,000 after expenses.
99 Scholarships
$64,400 has been awarded through educational scholarships to 99 different candidates
15 Financial Hardships
Financial assistance totaling over $16,000 has been provided to 15 Soldiers experiencing financial hardship as a result of injuries incurred in the lien of duty.
Partnerships
Over $37,000 has been given in support of organizations assisting Veterans in need or crisis.
As a result of the mobilizations and requirements for ongoing support of Army Missions across the training spectrum, the 108th Griffon Association recognized a need for us to actively support in a tangible way the Families and Soldiers of the 108th as well as Veterans in general.
MEMBERSHIP
All the 108th Griffon Association events would and could not exist without a strong and viable membership. This is the lifeblood of our organization.
We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our valued members!
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Membership is available for $10 annually, or $108 lifetime (tax-deductible). Join, and you can help support our one-and-only objective, the 108th Training Command and its Soldiers and families.
CONTACT
108th Griffon Association, Inc
P.O. Box 7849
Concord, NC 28027