Far too often, the part played by Ivy Division GIs at Dak To is glossed over. Soldiers with the 173rd have faced some of the fiercest fighting in Afghanistan over the past decade. 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. [20] The 173rd Brigade was selected to become a separate brigade and a special airborne task force, which could deploy rapidly and act independently. [103] Throughout their 15-month deployment, the brigade participated in more than 9,000 patrols throughout the region. Former U.S. Army Soldier Sentenced to 45 Years in Prison for Attempting Privacy Policy. 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. Exactly five years ago today, Veterans from the 173d Airborne Brigade gathered on the. Melzer, who also went by the name Etil Reggad, enlisted in the Army in 2018 as part of an insight role to further his goals as part of the terrorist organization, according to the Justice Department. Though they were severely bloodied, the paratroopers inflicted even heavier losses on the NVA. Melzer, who is from Louisville, Ky., joined the Army in 2018. For example, 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, in addition to far-right, neo-Nazi, and other white supremacist propaganda. 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. During this operation multiple buildings belonging to the airfield were secured. U.S. aircraft hit enemy positions as close as 50 meters to the perimeter as GIs dug in for an NVA night attack. The next morning the three companies of 4-503 were chosen to set out and relieve the men on Hill 875. Ethan Phelan Melzer, 24, from Kentucky, planned a jihadist attack on his U.S. Army unit just before he was to deploy to Turkey and sent information about his unit's location, movements, and security to members of the extremist organization Order of the Nine Angles (O9A), a white supremacist, neo-Nazi and pro-jihadist group. According to the Department of Justice, Melzer, 24, communicated not only with O9A members but also alleged members of al-Qaeda. The paratroopers attempted to continue the advance, but the PAVN, well concealed in interconnected bunkers and trenches, opened fire with small arms and grenades. He then began passing information to O9A members using an encrypted application. They were ambushed by approximately 1,200 VC fighters, suffering 48 deaths. [64], The intense fighting during the Battle of Dak To took a heavy human toll on the 173rd. Reproduced from VFW Magazine, March 2006 issue, article by Tim Dyhouse. 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. [114] This program was known as Fearless Guardian which was congressionally approved under the Global Contingency Security Fund. to Italy as a member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade . remember that day and the jump that followed for the rest of our lives.. Neo-Nazi Soldier Who Plotted 'Jihadist Attack' on His Unit Gets 45 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. 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.". An official website of the United States government. [5], In mid-1968 at the instigation of II Corps commander General L Mng Lan, I Field Force, Vietnam commander General William R. Peers paired with the Brigade with the ARVN 22nd Division in Bnh nh Province in what was almost a replica of Operation Fairfax. He was arrested in June 20020 and pleaded guilty in 2022. (Photo by Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images), Black Vietnam veteran receives long-awaited Medal of Honor. PDF Red devils: tactical perspectives from Iraq - Army University Press This move was called the Reorganization Objective Army Division (ROAD) plan. Sky Soldiers Killed in Iraq - 173rdairborne.com Some 15 Army artillery batteries along with tactical air support provided immense firepower. Jesus, they were all over the place, one paratrooper recalled. Melzer, a private, was assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, which was deployed to Italy. Published Mar 3, 2023 10:30 PM 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. Six helicopters from the 335th Aviation Company attempting to resupply the pinned-down troopers were shot down during the day. Former U.S. army soldier sent to prison for planning the murder of U.S Army badge is seen on a uniform of American soldier. Soldiers accidentally entered and secured a sunflower oil factory next to the airfield while it was operating. [5], After Vietnam, the Army retained the 173rd Airborne Brigade as a quick deploying contingency brigade. 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. Ex-Soldier Gets 45 Years Behind Bars for Plotting 'Jihadist Attack' on A former U.S. Army soldier was sentenced Friday to 45 years in prison, the maximum, for plotting what prosecutors described as a "murderous ambush" overseas on members of his own troop. Following on the heels of TF Blacks ordeal, A and B companies from the 2nd Bn., 503rd Inf., fought for more than four hours near Fire Support Base 16, located about five miles south of Hill 823. 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. Only the battalion's Company B was available for the attack, which was borne by helicopter. [131] 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. contact us. For example, 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, in addition to far-right, neo-Nazi, and other white supremacist propaganda. The sign had read. The enemy loss in lives was about four times that of the allies.. [95] The unit then took part in Operation Peninsula Strike, quelling Ba'ath party resistance and other insurgent groups. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. [34] The 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment[35] and the 161st Battery, Royal New Zealand Artillery[36] were attached to the brigade for one year in 1965. [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] 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. Haynes never questioned anything until Spc. ", By 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. C and D companies soon found themselves absorbing small-arms fire and grenade attacks from seemingly every direction. Companies C and D started up the hill at 9:43 a.m., with A Company providing rear security and attempting to cut out a landing zone at the bottom. Assistant U.S. The unit fought in the Iron Triangle, a VC stronghold north of Saigon,[35][39] seeing many engagements with VC forces during that time. Anne Wilkes Tucker Photography Study Center, Ambush Alley, 25th Division, Recon Cavalry, Ambushed Convoy Sent to Relieve Duc Co SF Camp. Greeley, a combined search and destroy effort by elements of the U.S. 4th Infantry Division, the U.S. 173rd Airborne Brigade, and Army of the Republic of (ARVN) 42nd Infantry Regiment and Airborne units. 173d Airborne Brigade Association - Chapter Websites - Sky Soldier The draws between the ridges are dreary, tangled places of perpetual twilight. The 1st Battalion, 50th Infantry (Mech), 173d Airborne Brigade has the mission of keeping open and securing the section of Route 19 from An Khe Pass to the 4th Infantry Division's area of operations. [102] The 173rd IBCT(A) officially relieved the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division on 6 June 2007.[102]. The 3rd Battalion on Nov. 10-11 sustained another 18 KIA and 118 WIA on Hill 724 during a five-hour ground and mortar attack. "In approximately October 2019, Melzer deployed abroad with the Army to Italy as a member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team.

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