173rd Airborne Brigade

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173d Airborne Brigade (Separate)
173rd Airborne Brigade Shoulder Sleeve Insignia
Active1917–1919; 1921–1945; 1947–1951; 1963–1972; 2000–present
Country United States
Branch United States Army
TypeAirborne light infantry
RoleEuropean and African area quick response force
SizeBrigade
Part of United States Army Europe
United States Army Africa
U.S. Army Europe and Africa
Southern European Task Force
Garrison/HQCaserma Del Din (Vicenza, Italy)
Nickname(s)Sky Soldiers (special designation)[1]
Anniversaries26 March 2003 Iraq Invasion
EngagementsWorld War II:
  • Rhineland Campaign
  • Ardennes-Alsace Campaign
  • Central Europe Campaign

Vietnam War:

War on Terror

  • Operation Iraqi Freedom
  • Operation Enduring Freedom
Operation Atlantic Resolve
Decorations
WebsiteOfficial Website
Commanders
Current
commander
COL Joshua M. Gaspard[2]
Notable
commanders
Insignia
Combat service identification badge
Brigade Distinctive Unit Insignia
Brigade Beret Flash
Brigade Background Trimming

The 173rd Airborne Brigade ("Sky Soldiers")[1] is an airborne infantry brigade combat team (IBCT) of the United States Army based in Vicenza, Italy. It is the United States European Command's conventional airborne strategic response force for Europe.[3]

Activated in 1915, as the 173rd Infantry Brigade, the unit saw service in

decorations, including more than 6,000 Purple Hearts. The brigade returned to the United States in 1972, where the 1st and 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry, were absorbed into the 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile), and the 3rd Battalion, 319th Field Artillery was reassigned to Division Artillery in the 101st.[3][4]
The remaining units of the 173rd were inactivated.

Since its reactivation in 2000, the brigade served five tours in the Middle East in support of the

War on Terror. The 173rd participated in the initial invasion of Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, and had four tours in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2005–06, 2007–08, 2009–10, and 2012–13. The brigade returned most recently from a deployment stretching from late 2013 to late 2014.[3]
2/503rd 2014-2015 The 173rd Airborne Brigade has received 21 campaign streamers and several unit awards, including the Presidential Unit Citation for its actions during the Battle of Dak To.

Organization

The 173rd Airborne Brigade serves as the conventional airborne strategic response force for Europe.[5] It was a subordinate unit of the U.S. Army's V Corps and after June 2013, subordinate to US Army Europe.

The 173rd Airborne Brigade currently consists of 3,300 paratroopers[6] in six subordinate battalions as well as a headquarters company:[7]

All of these units are airborne qualified, making the 173rd Airborne Brigade the only separate airborne IBCT in the United States Army.[7]

History

World Wars

The 173rd Infantry Brigade was constituted on 5 August 1917 as an

Camp Dix, New Jersey.[3][9] Commanders during the war included:[11]

  • BG Robert Campbell Van Vliet, August 25, 1917 - June 8, 1918
  • COL John O'Shea, June 9, 1918 – July 14, 1918
  • BG Otho B. Rosenbaum, July 15, 1918 – July 26, 1918
  • COL John O'Shea, July 27, 1918 – July 28, 1918
  • BG Otho B. Rosenbaum, July 29, 1918 – September 19, 1918
  • COL John Shea, September 20, 1918 – December 2, 1918
  • BG George Herbert Harries, December 3, 1918
  • COL John Shea, December 4, 1918 – December 20, 1918
  • BG Marcus D. Cronin, December 21, 1918 – January 9, 1919
  • COL John Shea, January 10, 1919 – January 19, 1919
  • BG Marcus D. Cronin, January 20, 1919 – February 8, 1919

On 24 June 1921, the unit was reconstituted as the

Organized Reserve Corps and the 87th Division at Shreveport, Louisiana. It was reorganized in December 1921 at Mobile, Alabama, redesignated on 23 March 1925 as the HHC 173rd Brigade, and redesignated as HHC 173rd Infantry Brigade on 24 August 1936.[3][9]

During World War II, brigades were eliminated from

reserve status and was posted at Birmingham, Alabama from 1947 until 1951. On 1 December 1951, the troop was inactivated and released from its assignment to the 87th Infantry Division.[3][9]

Re-creation as airborne brigade

Brigadier General Ellis W. Williamson (right), commander of the 173rd Airborne Brigade, presided over the Tien Bing No. 4 exercise in Taiwan, 1963.
The Tien Bing No. 6 exercise was held in Changhua, Taiwan. Airborne training exercise chief Major General Charles S. D'Orsa (left) Airlift Force Commander Brigadier General Richard H. Ellis and the 173rd airborne Brigade Commander Brigadier General Ellis W. Williamson (right) held talks in the exercise field, 1964

From 1961 to 1963, the Army began reorganizing its force so that each division would have a similar structure, which would vary depending on the type of division it was. This move was called the

tank company,[15] in the form of Company D, 16th Armor.[16] Consistent with regimental combat teams activated before them, these separate brigades were given their own shoulder sleeve insignia.[17] The soldiers of the 173rd Airborne Brigade created a patch with a wing on it to symbolize their status as an airborne unit, along with red, white, and blue, the national colors of the United States. The SSI would be given to them in May 1963.[3][18]

On 26 March 1963, the 173rd Airborne Brigade (Separate) was assigned to the

Taiwanese paratroopers.[3][5][19] During their time in Okinawa, they prided themselves as the "toughest fighting men in Okinawa, if not the entire U.S. Armed Forces".[19] They took their theme song from the television series Rawhide.[3][19] As the Pacific quick-reaction force, they were the first brigade to be sent to South Vietnam two years later when hostilities escalated there.[20]

Vietnam War

Paratroopers patrolling along the Song Be during Operation Silver City, March 1966

The brigade arrived in South Vietnam on 7 May 1965, the first major ground combat unit of the United States Army to serve in the country.

II Field Force, Vietnam.[27]

The 1st and 2nd Battalions, 503rd Infantry were the first Army combat units from the 173rd sent into South Vietnam, accompanied by the

Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The 173rd was also assigned Company N (Ranger), 75th Infantry. At its peak of its deployment in Vietnam, the 173rd Airborne Brigade (Separate) comprised over 7,000 soldiers.[32]

The brigade was the first unit sent into

Plain of Reeds. They participated in Operation Crimp in 1966, a failed attempt to root out VC forces from the Củ Chi tunnels.[34]

Specialist Six Lawrence Joel from the 173rd Brigade, receiving the Medal of Honor

The attached helicopter unit became the Casper Aviation Platoon, befitting a separate infantry brigade as the only separate aviation platoon deployed in Vietnam. Casper platoon was part of the HHC 173rd Airborne Brigade and its members wore the brigade patch. The attached Assault Helicopter Company, the 335th AHC, the "Cowboys", deployed with the brigade all over Vietnam into mid-1968 and comprised the Airmobile capability along with the Caspers.[35] Soldiers of the brigade became involved in Operation Attleboro in fall of 1966, an operation that started out as a small search and destroy mission north of Saigon, but eventually involved 22,000 troops from 21 battalions.[36] Soldiers of the brigade also took part in smaller humanitarian missions in between major combat operations.[37]

On 22 February 1967, the 173rd conducted

196th Infantry Brigade (Separate), as four other brigades from the 1st and 25th Infantry Divisions attempted to surround and destroy the 9th Division in the War Zone. The operation was a success, and the battered VC division fled.[41] In August of that year, the brigade received its distinctive unit insignia. The soldiers chose to have it contain a parachute and dagger to symbolize their participation in Operation Junction City and the other heavy fighting they had been through. The DUI was also inscribed "Sky Soldiers" as homage to the nickname that the Taiwanese soldiers had given them.[18]

Dak To

In mid-1967, the

Operation Greeley. The 173rd had been operating near Bien Hoa Air Base outside Saigon and had been in combat only against the VC. Prior to its deployment to the highlands, Peers' operations officer, Colonel William J. Livsey, attempted to warn the Airborne officers of the hazards of campaigning in the Central Highlands. He also advised them that PAVN regulars were a much better equipped and motivated force than the VC. These warnings, however, made little impression on the paratroopers, who were about to become victims of their own overconfidence.[42]

Dak To
.

On 20 June, Company C, 2nd Battalion (Airborne),

503rd Infantry (C/2-503) discovered the bodies of a Special Forces CIDG unit that had been missing for four days on Hill 1338, the dominant hill mass south of Dak To. Supported by A/2-503, the Americans moved up the hill and set up for the night. At 06:58 the following morning, Alpha Company began moving alone up a ridge finger and triggered an ambush by the 6th Battalion of the 24th PAVN Regiment.[43] Charlie Company was ordered to support, but heavy vegetation and difficult terrain made movement extremely difficult. Artillery support was rendered ineffective by the limited range of visibility. Close air support was impossible for the same reasons. Alpha Company managed to survive repeated attacks throughout the day and night, but the cost was heavy. Of the 137 men that comprised the unit, 76 had been killed and another 23 wounded. A search of the battlefield revealed only 15 dead North Vietnamese.[44]

In response to the destruction of Alpha Company,

MACV ordered additional forces into the area. On 23 June, the 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment (1st Brigade, 1st Air Cavalry Division) arrived to bolster the 173rd. The following day, the Army of the Republic of Vietnam's (ARVN) elite 1st Airborne Task Force (the 5th and 8th Battalions) and the 3rd Brigade, 1st Air Cavalry Division (5th Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment; 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry; and an additional infantry battalion) arrived to conduct search and destroy operations north and northeast of Kon Tum. General Deane sent his forces 20 kilometres (12 mi) west and southwest of Dak To to search for the PAVN 24th Regiment. By October, the 173rd, the 4th Infantry Division, and six ARVN battalions were moved to Dak To. The PAVN, in turn, had moved almost 6,000 troops in four infantry regiments and one artillery regiment.[45][46]

U.S. wounded being moved to aid station during battle for Hill 882

The battle around Dak To became more costly as 4-503 of the 173rd was ordered to occupy Hill 823, south of Ben Het Camp, for the construction of Fire Support Base. Only the battalion's Company B was available for the attack, which was borne by helicopter. The company was able to take the hill but suffered 9 dead and 28 wounded.[47] The following morning Bravo Company was relieved by Lieutenant Colonel David J. Schumacher's 1–503, which (against the admonitions of Colonel Livsey) was divided into two small task forces. Task Force Black consisted of Charlie Company supported by two platoons of Dog Company and Task Force Blue which was composed of Alpha Company and the remaining platoon of Dog Company. Task Force Black left Hill 823 to find the PAVN who had attacked B/4-503. At 08:28 on 11 November, after leaving their overnight laager and following a PAVN communications wire, the force was ambushed by the 8th and 9th Battalions of the PAVN 66th Regiment and had to fight for its life.[48] Task Force Blue drew the job of going to the relief of the beleaguered task force; however, Task Force Blue ran into resistance and was pinned down by enemy fire on all sides. C/4-503 was then assigned the mission of relieving Task Force Black and they too encountered significant PAVN fire, but they made it, reaching the trapped men at 15:37. U.S. losses were 20 killed, 154 wounded, and two missing.[49]

Following an attack on the Đắk Tô Base,

UH-1 helicopters were shot down or badly damaged that afternoon trying to get to 2–503.[53]

U.S. troops in combat on Hill 875

The next morning the three companies of 4-503 were chosen to set out and relieve the men on Hill 875. Because of intense PAVN sniper and mortar fire (and the terrain), it took until nightfall for the relief force to reach the beleaguered battalion. On the afternoon of 21 November, both battalions moved out to take the crest. During fierce, close-quarters fighting, some of the paratroopers made it into the PAVN trench line but were ordered to pull back as darkness fell.

The following day was spent in launching airstrikes and a heavy artillery bombardment against the hilltop, totally denuding it of cover. On 23 November, 2-503 and 4-503 were ordered to renew their assault while the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry assaulted 875 from the south.[54] This time the Americans gained the crest, but the PAVN had already abandoned their positions, leaving only a few dozen charred bodies and weapons.[55]

The battle of Hill 875 had cost 2-503 87 killed, 130 wounded, and three missing. 4-503 suffered 28 killed 123 wounded, and four missing.

Presidential Unit Citation.[12] 340 of the 570 173rd Airborne troops who attacked the hill became casualties.[58]

1968-1971

The intense fighting during the Battle of Dak To took a heavy human toll on the 173rd. While several of its units, including the 2-503rd and A/3-319th were ordered to

In mid-1968 at the instigation of II Corps commander General

Gia Dinh Province around Saigon prior to the Tet Offensive. Bình Định was not easily pacified by military action alone. American and Vietnamese local intelligence was poor, the area was a traditional VC stronghold, and province and district officials were never able to eliminate the local VC infrastructure. As Peers' successor in March 1969, Lt. Gen. Charles A. Corcoran, reflected, "Barnes may have just been keeping the lid on the situation." After the brigade finally left South Vietnam in 1971, the greater portion of the province reverted to VC control.[61]
: 396–400 

The unit then served in An Khê until mid-1969, seeing little in the way of heavy fighting. From April 1969 until its withdrawal from South Vietnam in 1971, the brigade served in Bình Định Province.

Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal. Sky Soldiers serving in Vietnam received 13 Medals of Honor, 32 Distinguished Service Crosses, 1,736 Silver Stars and more than 6,000 Purple Hearts.[5] The 173rd incurred 1,533 deaths and around 6,000 wounded.[62]

After widely publicized reports by battalion commander Lt. Col. Anthony Herbert, investigators confirmed that military interrogators of the 173rd Airborne Brigade "repeatedly beat prisoners, tortured them with electric shocks and forced water down their throats".[63] A U.S. Army report detailed a pattern of "cruelty and maltreatment" between March 1968 and October 1969. Interrogators also employed a technique called the "water rag", which involved pouring water onto a rag covering the captive's nose and mouth, which creates the sensatation of drowning and can lead to death by asphyxiation.[63] Herbert was relieved of his command shortly after reporting to his superior the war crimes he had witnessed. A former counterintelligence officer gave a statement under oath that "he saw interrogators punch and kick prisoners, beat them with sticks, administer electrical shocks and urinate on them."[63]

Redeployment and inactivation 1971–72

From April until August 1971, the unit underwent the process of redeployment to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, the first time that the 173rd Airborne Brigade in name had returned to the United States since 1942.[5]

After Vietnam, the Army retained the 173rd Airborne Brigade as a quick deploying contingency brigade.

Airmobile Badge (Air Assault Badge as of 4 October 1974) was introduced.[12]

Reactivation and preparation for Iraq

In the late 1990s, Army leaders including General Eric Shinseki began shifting the Army force toward brigade centered operations. All separate brigades had been inactivated in the 1990s as part of the U.S. Army's drawdown following the end of the Cold War.[65] These inactivations, along with subsequent reorganization of U.S. Army divisions, saw several divisional brigades stationed in bases that were far from the division's headquarters and support units. These brigades had difficulty operating without support from higher headquarters.[65]

Battle plan for the Iraq War, with the 173rd attacking the northern areas of the country

It was Shinseki's idea to reactivate a few separate brigades and assign them their own support and sustainment units, which would allow them to function independently of division-level headquarters. These formations were termed "

508th Infantry and Battery D, 319th Field Artillery. Not long after its reactivation, elements were deployed to Kosovo as part of Operation Rapid Guardian in support of Kosovo Force (KFOR).[67]

In 2002, 2nd Battalion,

503rd Infantry (2-503rd) activated, providing a second infantry battalion.[68] The unit finally reached "initial operating capability" on 14 March 2003, with all units ready for deployment. It would be in combat 12 days later.[69]

In 2003, as preparations were being made for

US Marine Corps, to be operated by the Brigades Ground Surveillance Systems (GSS) team.[73][74][75]

The 173rd Airborne Brigade was made part of

Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq and tasked with attacking key airfield and oil production positions deep in northern Iraq.[76] The brigade would take off from Aviano Air Base in Italy, a 412-hour flight from northern Iraq.[78] As the preparations for the brigade were in their final stages, it moved 10 trains and 300 trucks worth of equipment to the air base, as well as 120 busloads of soldiers.[79] Though the brigade's movement was impeded by Italian protestors, the Italian police provided escort operations to the brigade and ensured that it reached the Air Base without incident, and was not significantly delayed.[79] Operation Iraqi Freedom began on 20 March with V Corps, consisting of the 101st Airborne Division, 82nd Airborne Division, and 3rd Infantry Division making a forceful push from the south, beginning the Iraq War.[76] A few days later, the 173rd and 10th Special Forces Group departed for northern Iraq.[76]

Operation Iraqi Freedom I

U.S. Army paratroopers prepare to board a C-17 Globemaster III into the Kurdish-controlled area of northern Iraq. This was the first combat insertion of paratroopers using a C-17.

On 26 March 2003, 954 soldiers of the 173rd Airborne Brigade conducted

786th Security Forces Squadron.[85] Over the next 96 hours, the wing landed in the remaining 1,200 soldiers of the brigade as well as their vehicles.[85] By 29 March the entire brigade was in Iraq and ready to conduct offensive operations.[85]

Soldiers of the 173rd during Operation Bayonet Lightning in Iraq, 2003.

The next day, American forces advanced to

Ba'ath party resistance and other insurgent groups.[90] These operations, though successful, would have been more effective if the 4th Infantry Division's four heavy brigades were able to enter Iraq through Turkey as originally planned. 4th ID had to relocate their forces from Turkey to Kuwait and were subsequently slowed down in Baghdad.[72] V Corps was not able to surround Baghdad as quickly as it had hoped because of a lack of available forces in the north.[72]
The resulting wear and tear of 4th ID's M1 Abrams and M2 Bradleys made them an ineffective unit in tight urban areas such as Jar Salah. Because their heavily armored tanks required so much maintenance, the 173rd incorporated much of 4th ID's area of operation into their own. The 173rd secured these areas with company sized detachments, often patrolling the 4th ID's sectors with two unarmored M998 cargo Humvees at any given time.

173rd soldiers detain suspected Iraqi insurgents.

After the end of major combat operations in mid-2003, the 173rd Airborne Brigade did not engage in any major battles, though it was regularly involved in skirmishes with Iraqi insurgents.

Hood Event", arresting Turkish special forces soldiers, believing them to be plotting attacks against local civilian officials in northern Iraq.[91] The Turkish forces were eventually released. The brigade also participated in Operation Bayonet Lightning in 2003, capturing weapons and materials that the Department of Defense claimed were possibly for use against coalition forces.[92] On 21 February 2004, the brigade returned to Italy for a one-year rest before a new deployment.[5]

Soldier of the 173rd Airborne during Operation Enduring Freedom (2005)

Afghanistan, 2005–06

The 173rd Airborne Brigade deployed to Afghanistan in March 2005 under the command of Colonel Kevin Owens, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.[3][24] The brigade, organized as Task Force Bayonet, assumed control of Regional Command-South (RC South).

Soldiers in the Kunar Province in Afghanistan.

The 1-508th (minus Company B) conducted combat operations in eastern Afghanistan, attached to 1st Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division. The 2-503rd conducted combat operations in Zabul Province. The 3rd Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment (3-319th) of the 82nd Airborne Division, was attached to the brigade and organized as a maneuver task force (Task Force Gun Devil). It conducted combat operations in Kandahar Province. Task Force Gun Devil included Headquarters and Service Battery, 3-319th (including two provisional maneuver platoons); Company D, 2–504th; Company B, 1–508th; Company A, 1-325th; a military police platoon (4th PLT 13th MP Co.); a rotating Romanian mechanized infantry battalion; a Canadian dismounted infantry company (3rd Bn Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry); and an Afghan National Army company advised by French special forces. The 173rd Support Battalion and the 173rd Combat Support Company provided logistical support from Kandahar, while sending individual soldiers to assist at other forward operating bases.

One of the most notable units to operate out of a FOB was the brigade's 74th Long-Range Surveillance (LRS) detachment. 74th LRS operated out of FOB Price near the town of Gereshk in the Helmand Province. LRS provided the 173rd Brigade command group with key recon and intel of the province, and held control of Helmand with a 5th Special Forces Group ODA element. Assisting the LRS and 5th Group ODA were elements of the 82nd Airborne, Iowa National Guard, and ANA. The LRS detachment and 5th Group ODA conducted many combined and individual operations to ensure the stability of the region. The LRS detachment was also tasked at times for recon and intel gathering for other brigade assets, and target acquisition and designation for U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, and RAF aircraft.[93] The brigade returned to Italy in March 2006. Seventeen soldiers from the brigade died during this deployment.[6]

Transformation

173rd Soldiers conduct air assault training in Germany (2007)

On 11 October 2006, as part of the Army's "

Warner Barracks in Bamberg, Germany, as well as the 1st Squadron (Airborne), 91st Cavalry Regiment, stationed in Schweinfurt, Germany. After the new units were integrated into the brigade, the preponderance of the forces within the brigade were stationed in Germany, apart from the brigade headquarters in Italy. This dynamic was intended to last only until additional facilities were constructed at the Dal Molin, now Del Din, airbase near Caserma Ederle at Vicenza.[7] The 1st Battalion (Airborne), 508th Infantry was reflagged as 1st Battalion (Airborne), 503rd Infantry Regiment to resume the Vietnam-era lineage of the 503rd Infantry battalions under the 173rd IBCT(A).[7] The 1st Battalion, 508th Infantry colors were moved to Ft. Bragg, North Carolina to serve under the 82nd Airborne Division.[18] Immediately after its transformation, the brigade began intensive training in both Germany and Italy to prepare itself for future deployments.[95]

Afghanistan, 2007–08

In 2006, the brigade was notified for a second tour of duty in Iraq from 2007 to 2008, but its deployment plan was changed to Afghanistan in February 2007 when the

Paktika, and Laghman Provinces.[96] The 173rd IBCT(A) officially relieved the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division on 6 June 2007.[96]

The 173rd participated in various operations with the objective of ensuring security and subduing

Dara-I-Pech district was attacked by a large force of insurgents during the Battle of Wanat.[99] Though the platoon was able to drive the insurgents back with air support, the fight resulted in 9 soldiers killed and 16 wounded; the deadliest attack on troops in the country since 2005.[100] The brigade repositioned the base three days later.[98][101] The 173rd's tour ended in July 2008, and the last redeploying paratrooper from the brigade returned to Europe by the beginning of August 2008.[102]
42 soldiers from the brigade lost their lives during the deployment. The brigade returned to Europe and home station after once again proving itself in combat throughout the eastern mountains of Afghanistan.

On 14 June 2009, the 173rd IBCT(A) was announced as one of the brigade combat teams deploying to Afghanistan, and the unit prepared to once again return.[103]

Afghanistan, 2009–10

173rd IBCT(A) paratroopers in Afghanistan

From November 2009 until November 2010, the 173rd IBCT(A) once again returned to Afghanistan, this time to the provinces of

1/91st Cavalry was given a mission to transform western Logar province into a secure environment; a mission that was not greeted as an easy task. Given the province and its three major districts saw a massive influx of both foreign and domestic fighters due to the relatively calm winter prior to the brigade's arrival, its company-sized and platoon-sized elements found themselves in combat against anti-Coalition forces almost daily from the start of March 2010 until its relief. The brigade returned to its home station in Europe in November 2010. Seven soldiers from the brigade lost their lives during the deployment.[citation needed
]

Afghanistan, 2012–13

In July 2012, the 173rd IBCT(A) once again deployed to Afghanistan as part of Task Force Bayonet to relieve the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Task Force Bulldog in the Logar and Wardak Provinces.[3] This was the brigade's fifth deployment since 2003, their fourth to Afghanistan as they prepare for a complete transition of the security of Afghanistan to the Afghan National Security Forces.[104] The brigade returned in early 2013. Nine soldiers from the brigade lost their lives during the deployment.[citation needed]

In mid-2013, some of the returning forces reorganized and re-designated the 173rd Airborne Brigade.

Grafenwoehr, Germany.[citation needed
]

Operation Atlantic Resolve

A company from 173rd IBCT arrives in Riga, Latvia in April 2014

On 23 April 2014, four paratrooper companies of the 173rd were deployed to Poland,

2014–15 Russian military intervention in Ukraine
.

In September 2014, about 200 soldiers of 2nd Battalion, 503rd Airborne Regiment, 173rd BDE participated in the Rapid Trident exercise near Lviv in western Ukraine.[106]

In February 2015, 750 soldiers from the brigade and from units of the

Hungarian Armed Forces, namely 24th Bornemissza Gergely Reconnaissance Battalion, 34th Bercsényi László Special Operations Battalion
, and the 25/88th Light Mixed Battalion participated in the exercise "Warlord Rock 2015". The goal of the activity was to exercise the combat, combat support and combat service units of both armies and to achieve a higher cooperation level in airborne operations planning, organization and management tasks.[107]

In March 2015, a 173rd Airborne battalion of around 600 American paratroopers headed to Ukraine to train Ukrainian national guard troops. The training took place at the Yavoriv training center near the western Ukrainian city of Lviv. The 173rd Airborne paratroopers trained the Ukrainians on how to better defend themselves against Russian and rebel artillery and rockets. Training also included securing roads, bridges, and other infrastructure and treating and evacuating casualties.[108] This program was known as Fearless Guardian which was congressionally approved under the Global Contingency Security Fund. Under the program, the United States trained three battalions of Ukrainian troops over a six-month period.[109]

In 2017, some 600 personnel (1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment) were deployed to the Baltic countries to be positioned in Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia for six weeks to coincide with the duration of the joint Russian/Belarusian strategic

Zapad 2017 exercise that began 14 September 2017.[110][111][112]

In November 2017, 2-503rd Infantry Regiment (The Rock) traveled in US Air Force C-130s to Belgrade, Serbia to conduct training with the Serbian Airborne Forces where they conducted two combined jumps at drop zones near Belgrade.

Planned ambush uncovered

A paratrooper in the 173rd Airborne Brigade's Sky Soldiers, assigned to the

NATO Training exercise incident in Bulgaria

In May 2021, as part of the NATO training exercise Swift Response 2021, soldiers of the brigade were simulating seizing and securing the decommissioned Cheshnegirovo airfield in Bulgaria. During this operation multiple buildings belonging to the airfield were secured. Soldiers accidentally entered and secured a sunflower oil factory next to the airfield while it was operating. No weapons were discharged. The army apologized and promised to improve their procedures for defining training areas.[119]

Honors

Unit decorations

Ribbon Award Year Notes
Presidential Unit Citation
(Army)
1967 for fighting in the Battle of Dak To
Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) 1965–67 for service in Vietnam
Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry
with Palm
1965–70 for service in Vietnam
Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal
, First Class
1969–71 for service in Vietnam
Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) 2003–04 [120]

Campaign streamers

Conflict Streamer Year(s)
World War I (no inscription) 1918
World War II
Rhineland Campaign
1944–1945
World War II
Ardennes-Alsace Campaign
1944–1945
World War II
Central Europe Campaign
1945
Vietnam War Vietnam Defense 1965
Vietnam War Counteroffensive, Phase I 1965–1966
Vietnam War Counteroffensive, Phase II 1966–1967
Vietnam War Counteroffensive, Phase III 1967–1968
Vietnam War Tet Counteroffensive 1968
Vietnam War Counteroffensive, Phase IV 1968
Vietnam War Counteroffensive, Phase V 1968
Vietnam War Counteroffensive, Phase VI 1968–1969
Vietnam War Tet 69/Counteroffensive 1969
Vietnam War Summer–Fall 1969 1969
Vietnam War Winter–Spring 1970 1970
Vietnam War Sanctuary Counteroffensive 1970
Vietnam War Counteroffensive, Phase VII 1970–1971
Vietnam War Consolidation I 1970
Operation Iraqi Freedom OIF I Iraq 2003–2004
Operation Enduring Freedom OEF VI Afghanistan 2005–2006
Operation Enduring Freedom OEF VIII Afghanistan 2007–2008
Operation Enduring Freedom OEF X Afghanistan 2009–2010
Operation Enduring Freedom OEF XIII Afghanistan 2012–2013

Legacy

Alfred Rascon, a Medal of Honor
recipient from the 173rd Airborne Brigade

The 173rd's service, particularly in Vietnam, has been featured several times in popular culture. The most prominent of these is the 2006 single released by the country music duo

Illinois Route 173, which runs for 66 miles along the Illinois/Wisconsin border was designated the "173rd Airborne Brigade Highway" in 2008.[122]

Captain Willard, a fictional character portrayed by Martin Sheen in the 1979 film Apocalypse Now, was a member of the 173rd assigned to Military Assistance Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group.[123] He was depicted as being in "the 505th battalion", although no such unit was ever part of the 173rd. Throughout the movie, he wears the Vietnam-era, mustard yellow, "subdued" shoulder sleeve insignia worn by 173rd paratroopers on their jungle fatigues during the Vietnam War. In the 1987 movie Lethal Weapon, the patch worn by Danny Glover's fictional character Roger Murtaugh during a retrospective of his time in Vietnam was that of the 173rd Airborne Brigade.[124] In the 1998 movie The Siege, fictional Major General William Devereaux, played by Bruce Willis, states that he was in the 173rd Airborne Brigade at the same time that character Anthony Hubbard was in the 82nd Airborne Division.[125]

Numerous servicemen from the 173rd, mostly from the Vietnam era, gained notability after their military careers ended. These include

Sixteen soldiers have been awarded the Medal of Honor for service with the 173rd IBCT(A) and its subordinate units.

Staff Sergeant

Kyle White received the Medal of Honor during a White House ceremony.[137]

References

  1. ^ a b "Special Unit Designations". United States Army Center of Military History. 21 April 2010. Archived from the original on 12 May 2009. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
  2. ^ "Leadership". United States Army. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s The 173rd Airborne Brigade History, Our History, skysoldiers.army.mil, last accessed 21 December 2020
  4. ^ (CMH), U.S. Army Center of Military History. "3d Battalion, 319th Field Artillery Regiment - Lineage and Honors - U.S. Army Center of Military History (CMH)". www.history.army.mil. Archived from the original on 27 March 2018. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
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Sources

External links