For Gen. Richard A. Cody, the “Screaming Eagle” patch of the 101st Airborne Division is more than an insignia. It’s a connection to a legacy that traces back to the moonlit skies over Normandy.
His career spans from Operation Desert Storm to helping shape today’s all-volunteer Army.
“I’m a bit of a historian,” Cody said in a recent interview, reflecting on what he called the “unbelievable bravery” of the World War II generation.
He describes wearing the Screaming Eagle as a privilege tied to soldiers who fought through the hedgerows of Normandy, the frozen forests of Bastogne, and later, the jungles of Vietnam, where the division helped pioneer air assault operations.
Cody added his own chapter to that history in the deserts of Iraq. As a lieutenant colonel, he led Task Force Normandy, a high-risk Apache helicopter mission that disrupted Iraqi air defenses in the opening moments of Operation Desert Storm.
“We had to hit the targets at 2:38 in the morning,” he said. “It was four minutes and 30 seconds of chaos.”
The mission destroyed key radar and communications systems, clearing the way for the air campaign that followed.
Cody said that success was built on years of preparation. He pointed to the establishment of the National Training Center and Joint Readiness Training Center in the 1980s as critical to building a force ready to “win that ground war in 100 hours.” It also marked a defining moment for the all-volunteer Army. Aviation remained a constant focus throughout his career. Cody played a role in the creation of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, known as the “Night Stalkers,” a unit that grew out of the 101st Airborne and helped pioneer night vision and low-level flight tactics now standard across the Army.
“The regiment paved the way for what we see today,” Cody said.
Cody later rose to serve as the Army’s 31st Vice Chief of Staff, but he consistently emphasized the soldiers behind the scenes.
“Crew chiefs, maintainers, our armament guys—they make it happen,” he said.
Looking back, Cody sees a clear line from the C-47s to today’s advanced aviation operations. His career started as a young officer wearing the Screaming Eagle patch to a four-star general helped shape the modern Army.
Today’s soldiers, Cody said, are “standing on the shoulders” of those who came before.