[5] The 173rd incurred 1,533 deaths and around 6,000 wounded. The author visited Afghanistan's Korengal Valley five times in 2007 and 2008 as a reporter embedded with part of the U.S. Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade as it attempted to thwart the Taliban in . ; and the attached 2nd Sqdn., 1st Cav Regt. Some 15 Army artillery batteries along with tactical air support provided immense firepower. Copyright 2023 Raw Story Media, Inc. PO Box 21050, Washington, D.C. 20009 | The LRS detachment and 5th Group ODA conducted many combined and individual operations to ensure the stability of the region. He arrived in Italy in October 2019 and subscribed to encrypted online forums in which he downloaded and accessed videos of jihadist attacks on U.S. troops and facilities and jihadist executions of civilians and soldiers, in addition to far-right, neo-Nazi, and other white supremacist propaganda. 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. Yarborough said the bill aims to protect children from what he described as a radical, prurient agenda.. In 2020 he was told he would be transferred to a sensitive base in Turkey, which is when he allegedly began plotting the attack. The artist, Queensland, Australia; purchased by MFAH, 2010. NVA snipers made the going slow, but B Company finally reached the perimeter by dusk. Step 2 - Use PayPal with the highest . parade field at Caserma Ederle, Vicenza Italy, to help uncase the colors of the most valorous,. [5] The infantry battalions and the brigade headquarters remained in Vicenza, Italy through the transition. 12/24/2003. "Jurors found Peters guilty of obstruction of government operations but acquitted her on a charge of obstruction of a peace officer. Seventeen soldiers from the brigade died during this deployment. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. The weather, however, during the Nov. 1-23 continuous battles was excellent, according to F. Clifton Berry, Jr., in The Illustrated History of Sky Soldiers, The Vietnam War, with dry conditions and daily high and low temperatures between 91 and 55 degrees. 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. The SSI would be given to them in May 1963. [82] The brigade would take off from Aviano Air Base in Italy, a 4.mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}12-hour flight from northern Iraq. In May 2020, Melzer was informed his unit would be deploying to another overseas location to guard a sensitive U.S. military base. Regt ., and supporting units such as the 335th Aviation Company. A gavel rests on the judges bench in the courtroom of the 39th Air Base Wing legal office at Nov. 14, 2019, at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey. Federal prosecutors alleged that Melzer intended to spark a jihadist terror attack on his own unit or any other that took up its location in order to undermine the United States abroad and further the goals of O9A, a largely United Kingdom-based group that has sympathized with al Qaeda. [106] The brigade repositioned the base three days later. [3][5][25] During their time in Okinawa, they prided themselves as the "toughest fighting men in Okinawa, if not the entire U.S. Armed Forces". [105] 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. [82], On 26 March 2003, 954 soldiers of the 173rd Airborne Brigade conducted a combat jump from C-17 aircraft onto Bashur Airfield in Northern Iraq[3][86] under the command of Colonel Mayville. "Grand Junction Police approached Peters in a bagel shop in Feb. 8, 2022, to execute a warrant related to her iPad, on which she is suspected of improperly recording a court hearing for her deputy clerk," said the report. Accessed 25 November 2015. Haynes never questioned anything until Spc. Reproduced from VFW Magazine, March 2006 issue, article by Tim Dyhouse. Parents would be allowed to kidnap their children and take them out of state if they are receiving gender-affirming care or are considered at risk of receiving such care under a proposed Florida law, Vice News reports. In November 1967, the 173rd Airborne Brigade and the 4th Infantry Divisions 1st Brigade slugged it out with four NVA regiments in the Central Highlands. remember that day and the jump that followed for the rest of our lives.. The participating US units brought substantial air, artillery, engineer, and other support to the combined endeavor from their parent units, and American and Vietnamese commanders generally colocated command posts, shared a common area of operation, and planned and carried out operations together. [126], The 173rd's service, particularly in Vietnam, has been featured several times in popular culture. 4-503 suffered 28 killed 123 wounded, and four missing. He was arrested in May 2020 while in Italy, before he could carry it out. Also in the mix were six ARVN battalions. The NVA poured thousands of troops into an area where the borders of Cambodia, Laos and South Vietnam meet. Meanwhile, NVA soldiers began a ferocious attack on A Company at the bottom of the hill. February 15th, DVIDS Hub works best with JavaScript enabled, Version: 89f6906e9817dc7b192edf8e8d786e2b331150b5_2023-02-27T10:21:17, B-Roll Package: Squad Ambush with Cypriot Troops, Strategic Melzer traitorously sought to attack the very soldiers he was entrusted to protect.. [78] 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. But they certainly did no more than the many other non-elites did, like 4th Division grunts, the artillery and others.. Of the 137 men that comprised the unit, 76 had been killed and another 23 wounded. Unknown to the Americans, they had walked into a carefully prepared ambush by the 2nd Battalion of the 174th PAVN Regiment. Todays sentence holds Mr. Melzer accountable for an egregious and shameful act of betrayal against his own military unit and his country, said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Departments National Security Division. He also allegedly said he shared Biden's debate strategy during the 2020 campaign with Kushner. One of these was the 101st Airborne Division, which had also been redeployed to Fort Campbell. [94] As Task Force Bayonet, the brigade included the: 503rd Infantry; 1st Battalion, 508th Infantry; 173rd Combat Support Company; 74th Infantry Detachment (LRS); Battery D, 319th Field Artillery; 501st Forward Support Company; and the attached 1st Battalion, 63rd Armor of the 1st Infantry Division from Rose Barracks, Germany; 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry of the 4th Infantry Division from Fort Carson, Colorado; and Company B, 110th Military Intelligence Battalion of the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) from Fort Drum, New York. Of the 3,200 paratroopers from the 173rd deployed to Dak To, 27% were either killed (208) or wounded (645). Read the full press release at the DOJ's website. Online. The 173rd Airborne paratroopers trained the Ukrainians on how to better defend themselves against Russian and rebel artillery and rockets. In October 2019, Melzer and his unit were deployed to Italy as a member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. Abandoned weapons, helmets, rucksacks, clothing, canteens and empty ration containers littered the battlefield. $13.98 $ 13. Melzer pleaded guilty in June 2022 to charges of attempted murder of U.S. Army soldiers, illegally sharing national security information and providing and attempting to provide terrorists with material support. While several of its units, including the 2-503rd and A/3-319th were ordered to Tuy Ha to repair and refit,[64][65] the 173rd was transferred to Camp Radcliff in An Kh and Bong Son areas during 1968, seeing very little action while the combat ineffective elements of the brigade were rebuilt. cause another 10 year war in the Middle East would definitely leave a mark. Melzer also acknowledged in his messages that he deleted some of the communications regarding the planning of the attack because the plot amounted to treason. This week a former member of the Ohio National Guard was sentenced to six years in prison for manufacturing ghost guns and making threats against Jewish schools and synagogues. . Maintenance window scheduled to begin at February 14th 2200 est. [34] During more than six years of continuous combat, the brigade earned 14 campaign streamers and four unit citations, the Presidential Unit Citation, a Meritorious Unit Commendation, a Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry, and a Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal. 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. Story tips can be sent tolouis.casiano@fox.com. The Vietnamese then unleashed B-40 rockets and 57mm recoilless rifle fire on the Americans. [citation needed], 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. The 3rd Battalion, 503rd joined the brigade at Tuy Ha Province in September 1967 following the former's activation and training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. She then had another arrest warrant issued against her after allegedly violating the terms of a protective order by contacting her former Mesa County office to demand a recount of that election. When he learned in 2020 that his unit would help guard a sensitive military installation overseas, he transmitted location, schedule and security information to the O9A subgroup known as RapeWaffen Division, prosecutors said. The noncoms kept shouting, Get up the hill, get up the goddamn hill. But we couldnt. The Americans reacted to the NVA buildup by launching Operation Mac-Arthur, with the 4th Infantry Division assuming operational control over the 173rd Airborne Brigade. While he was deployed to Italy as a member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team in the fall of 2019, Melzer "consumed propaganda from multiple extremist groups" such as O9A and the Islamic. [3][24], On 26 March 1963, the 173rd Airborne Brigade (Separate) was assigned to the Regular Army and activated on Okinawa. The 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team ("Sky Soldiers") is an airborne infantry brigade combat team of the United States Army based in Vicenza, Italy. Noted for its roles in Operation Hump and Operation Junction City, the 173rd is best known for the Battle of Dak To, where it suffered heavy casualties in close combat with North Vietnamese forces. [There were] heaps of dead after that bomb, a survivor remembered. The 1st and 2nd Battalions saw extensive action in eastern Logar and Wardak. 4th ID had to relocate their forces from Turkey to Kuwait and were subsequently slowed down in Baghdad. Del Din hosts 173rd Brigade Headquarters, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, the Brigade Support Battalion, and the Brigade Special Troops Battalion. Melzer provided RapeWaffen membership with information on troop movements, relevant dates and locations, security details, weaponry and topography to facilitate a mass casualty jihadi attack, according to court documents. 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. 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. The Department of Justice described his enlistment as an infiltration. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, The brigade was dispersed throughout the east of the country, with units operating in Kunar, Paktika, and Laghman Provinces. Specifically, they sought to destroy Special Forces camps at Ben Het, about five miles east of the Cambodian border, and at Dak To, some 10 miles east of Ben Het. Americans serving their country overseas should never have to fear a terrorist attack from within their own ranks, and todays sentence holds him accountable for his deadly plan to attack the brave men and women of the armed forces who protect our nation.. [15] Though the brigade in name did not exist during the war, the redesignation meant that it carried the lineage of the 87th Reconnaissance Troop, and when the brigade was reactivated, it would include the troop's lineage and campaign streamers. 94,278 11 months ago. verso bottom right in pencil "Ambush of 173rd airborne / Iron Triangle 9/1965" in pencil on stamp "2/2k8" Signed in pencil on verso lower right: "Tim Page 8/25" Circular stamp on verso lower right: "chromacolour.com.au * / ARCHIVAL / ILFOCHROME / CLASSIC" Cataloguing data may change with further research. Consequently, the HHC 173rd Infantry Brigade was designated as the 87th Reconnaissance Troop in February 1942 and activated on 15 December 1942. The 174th set up on Hill 875 about 10 miles southwest of Ben Het and less than a mile east of the Cambodian border. The 173rd had been operating near Bien Hoa Air Base outside Saigon and had been in combat only against the VC. Capt. "Operational Report Lessons Learned (1 May 1969 31 July 1969)." (67.1 51.8 3.2 cm), Museum purchase funded by the Mundy Family Foundation, courtesy of David and Stephanie Mundy. Melzers sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods. The centerpiece of the battle was the 110-hour fight for Hill 875. The next day, Pfc. The memo depicted Melzer as a product of neglect, abuse and a troubled family who found himself "in thrall to a bizarre satanic cult" and doubled down on his involvement when subjected to a Covid-19 lockdown in 2020 on base, where he was " drinking heavily, and spending far too much time online.". [23] 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 173rd Airborne Brigade is the U.S. Army Contingency Response Force in Europe, capable of projecting ready forces anywhere in the U.S. European, Africa or Central Commands' areas of responsibility within 18 hours. . Melzer also shared the intelligence with someone claiming to be a member of al Qaida, and promised to leak more information, including photos and U.S. radio channel frequencies, upon arrival in-country. 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. The 173rd Airborne Brigade ("Sky Soldiers"[1]) is an airborne infantry brigade combat team (IBCT) of the United States Army based in Vicenza, Italy. Regt. The staff judge advocate from the 173rd Airborne Brigade, also based in Vicenza, helped investigate Melzer, and a picture included in his now unsealed criminal complaint indicates he was a . By unlawfully disclosing his unit's location, strength, and armaments to other O9A members and jihadists in furtherance of this ambush, Melzer traitorously sought to attack the very soldiers . [98] On 21 February 2004, the brigade returned to Italy for a one-year rest before a new deployment.[5]. IE 11 is not supported. Attorneys Sam Adelsberg, Matthew J.C. Hellman and Kimberly J. Ravener for the Southern District of New York are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance provided by Trial Attorneys Alicia Cook of the National Security Divisions Counterterrorism Section and Scott Claffee of the National Security Divisions Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. O9A members are instructed to fulfill sinister deeds, including insight roles, where they attempt to infiltrate various organizations, including the military, to gain training and experience, commit acts of violence, identify like-minded individuals, and ultimately subvert those groups from within. [70] It was decided that the 173rd would be used to help rebuild the division, which had been converted into an airmobile formation during the Vietnam War. 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. He used his membership in the military to pursue an appalling goal: the brutal murder of his fellow U.S. service members in a carefully plotted ambush. or redistributed. As far as brutal fighting goes, 4th ID commander Maj. Gen. William R. Peers told news correspondents, I would say this is the worst weve had., That was confirmed by the 1st Brigades Presidential Unit Citation for defeating a numerically superior enemy during 33 days of violent, sustained combat., Slept with Corpses Tragically, one air strike hit too close to the paratroopers. [citation needed], In mid-2013, some of the returning forces reorganized and re-designated the 173rd Airborne Brigade. [69] A U.S. Army report detailed a pattern of "cruelty and maltreatment" between March 1968 and October 1969. U.S Army badge is seen on a uniform of American soldier. The affidavit claims that Peters then attempted to kick an officer, and shouted when ordered to stop kicking. The 173d Airborne Brigade was now attached to JSOTF-N as the conventional force. Bnh nh was not easily pacified by military action alone. Only the battalion's Company B was available for the attack, which was borne by helicopter. Some 42 Americans (many of them already wounded) were killed and 45 wounded in the wars worst friendly fire incident. Lozadas actions garnered him a posthumous Medal of Honor. Melzer, who was a private assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vicenza, Italy, planned a jihadist attack on his Army unit in the days leading up to a deployment to Turkey and sent sensitive details about the unit including information about its location, movements and security to members of the extremist organization Order of the Nine Angles, according to court documents. The 4th Battalion launched an unsuccessful attack at around 3 p.m., and pulled back to defensive positions after dark. The unit fought in the Iron Triangle, a VC stronghold north of Saigon,[35][39] seeing many engagements with VC forces during that time. [91] Over the next 96 hours, the wing landed in the remaining 1,200 soldiers of the brigade as well as their vehicles. [50], In response to the destruction of Alpha Company, MACV ordered additional forces into the area. Melzer began active service as an Army infantryman in June 2019 and deployed that October to Vicenza, Italy, as a member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade. He also advised them that PAVN regulars were a much better equipped and motivated force than the VC. Div., charging up the south slope. In an instant, he leaped on the device, shielding the blast with his body. His first duty assignment was with Alpha Company, 3d. Kirkuk. Find 173rd Airborne Brigade unit information, patches, operation history, veteran photos and more on TogetherWeServed.com. [22] Consistent with regimental combat teams activated before them, these separate brigades were given their own shoulder sleeve insignia. The online process consists of the following 2 easy and fully-integrated steps: Step 1 - Fill out all of the required information in the membership application; you will be presented with interactive forms based on your profile and circumstances (e.g. Ethan Phelan Melzer, 24, who also goes by Etil Reggad, pleaded guilty last June to charges of attempting to murder U.S. service members, providing and attempting to provide material support to terrorists, and illegally transmitting national defense information during the days leading up his units mid-2020 deployment. . 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. Afghan War veteran Sgt Ryan Pitts, also of the 503rd, received the Medal of Honor later that year. The single deadliest day of Dak To was Nov. 19, when 83 Americans were killed and 110 wounded. First Military Choice. Fox Corporations blatant and cavalier act is a prohibited corporate contribution," she added. Ethan Melzer infiltrated the U.S. Army in service of a neo-Nazi, white supremacist and jihadist group, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams said in a Department of Justice release on the sentencing. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. The next morning, Nov. 20, 4th Bn., 503rd Inf., set out to relieve the 2nd Battalion paratroopers. Email: wambicook@aol.com "Melzer subscribed to encrypted online forums where he downloaded and accessed videos of jihadist attacks on U.S. troops and facilities and jihadist executions of civilians and soldiers," the Justice Department said. [25] They took their theme song from the television series Rawhide. The anguished cries of the wounded are what they remember most. 24. Exactly five years ago today, Veterans from the 173d Airborne Brigade gathered on the. 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