ambush of the 173rd airborne
The battalion lost 12 KIA. (47.9 32.5 cm), Frame (outer): 26 3/8 20 3/8 1 1/4 in. The plot was thwarted in 2020 by the U.S. Army and the FBI, prosecutors said. I would've died successfully cause another 10 year war in the Middle East would definitely leave a mark," authorities said. Besides Melzer and O9A, the Neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen whose leader was arrested for plotting to attack Baltimores energy grid and other groups have tried to recruit active-duty and veteran service members or have their own members join the military for training. Gold Star, Active Duty, etc.). Tragically, 50% of the deaths were due to friendly fire. Enemy fire claimed 41 GIs lives that day. Kloepper assumes command of 173rd Airborne Brigade - United States Army . (U.S. Army photo by Paolo Bovo) By Paolo Bovo, Training Support Activity Europe Vicenza, Italy Jun 25, 2021. I slept with Joe. [6], On 11 October 2006, as part of the Army's "Unit of Action" modularized unit force restructuring that General Shinseki had originally envisioned the 173rd Airborne Brigade became the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team (an airborne IBCT). Ethan Phelan Melzer, aka Etil Reggad, 24, of Louisville, pleaded guilty to attempting to murder U.S. service members, providing and attempting to provide material support to terrorists, and illegally transmitting national defense information on June 24, 2022, before U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods, who imposed todays sentence. [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). 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. The 1st and 2nd Battalions saw extensive action in eastern Logar and Wardak. A former soldier was sentenced to 45 years in prison for attempting to plot with a hate group to attack his unit. The 173rd Airborne Brigade fielded the 1st, 2nd and 4th battalions of the 503rd Inf. 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. arrested for plotting to attack Baltimores energy grid. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. On 23 April 2014, four paratrooper companies of the 173rd were deployed to Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to reassure America's NATO allies threatened by Russian military maneuvers along the borders of eastern Ukraine during the 201415 Russian military intervention in Ukraine. [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. [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". The Vietnamese then unleashed B-40 rockets and 57mm recoilless rifle fire on the Americans. PDF Red devils: tactical perspectives from Iraq - Army University Press In October 2019, Melzer and his unit were deployed to Italy as a member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. 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. Privacy Policy | For corrections contact corrections@rawstory.com, for support contact support@rawstory.com. 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. Membership. The group is a white supremacist, neo-Nazi and pro-jihadist organization. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. 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. mfah.org/terms. 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.. In essence, Washington Green was a second Operation Fairfax, but without the presence of ARVN regulars. Scandal-plagued Republican former Mesa County, Colorado Clerk Tina Peters has been convicted of obstruction of government operations, reported 9News on Friday. 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. Former U.S. Army Soldier Sentenced to 45 Years in Prison for Attempting 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. [Y]ou just gotta understand that currently I am risking my literal free life to give you all this, he told members of O9A on an encrypted messaging application. Online. | O9A espouses neo-Nazi, antisemitic and Satanic beliefs and promotes extreme violence to accelerate and cause the demise of Western civilization. Under the program, the United States trained three battalions of Ukrainian troops over a six-month period. | Article | The United States Army", "US Sending Around 600 Paratroopers to Ukraine to Train Troops", 173rd Airborne Brigade Association Website, 173rd Airborne Brigade Lineage and Honors Certificate, Vanity Fair article from Spring '08 focusing on 2503 in Afghanistan, "Into The Valley of Death", New York Times article from Spring '08 focusing on 2503 in Afghanistan, "Battle Company Is Out There", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=173rd_Airborne_Brigade&oldid=1141762434, 19171919; 19211945; 19471951; 19631972; 2000present, European and African area quick response force, 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, 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, This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 17:39. [99] The brigade returned to Italy in March 2006. [3][30] The brigade, organized as Task Force Bayonet, assumed control of Regional Command-South (RC South). Sebastian Junger On The Thrill And Hell Of 'War' - NPR.org [19] The reorganization also allowed for the use of "separate" brigades which had no division headquarters and could be used for missions that did not require an entire division. 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. And vets of that proud unit feel the sting. (Photo: U.S. Army) [48], 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. Artillery support was rendered ineffective by the limited range of visibility. They earned the nickname Tien Bing (Chinese: ), literally Sky Soldiers, from the Taiwanese paratroopers. We were ambushed by the NVA a short distance from where we landed. Supporting the Veterans, Soldiers and Friends of the 4th Infantry Division Since 1919. "Combat Operations After Action Report, Operation GREELEY." All told, the 1st Brigade lost 86 KIA during Dak To, with the 3rd Bn., 8th Inf., accounting for 46 KIA and 3rd Bn., 12th Inf., sacrificing 24 KIA. The noncoms kept shouting, Get up the hill, get up the goddamn hill. But we couldnt. [84] 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. cause another 10 year war in the Middle East would definitely leave a mark.. [63] For its combined actions during operations around Dak To, the 173rd Airborne Brigade was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation. 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. The Department of Justice described his enlistment as an infiltration. [89] The paratroopers secured the airfield, allowing the C-17s to land and bring in the heavy armor and the 163rd Armor contingents. from around the world. (67.1 51.8 3.2 cm), Museum purchase funded by the Mundy Family Foundation, courtesy of David and Stephanie Mundy. Short Range Ambush Platoon - 50th Infantry Regiment Upon learning the importance and sensitivity of his upcoming deployment, Melzer immediately began passing that information to members of O9A. contact us. As part of his plot, he planned on sharing additional security details of the base once in Turkey in order to maximize damage done in an attack. Russian Tank Gets Absolutely Shredded by Ukrainian Fire. Web. I wouldve died successfully . New. Company commanders pulled their troops back and called for more firepower. "Todays sentence holds Mr. Melzer accountable for an egregious and shameful act of betrayal against his own military unit and his country," said Assistant U.S. Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Departments National Security Division. Melzers sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods. Forty-eight American soldiers lost their lives that day. Melzer and his co-conspirators used this information to plan what they referred to as a jihadi attack with the objective of causing a mass casualty event victimizing his fellow service members. While there, he consumed extensive propaganda from numerous extremist groups, including O9A and ISIS, and routinely downloaded and accessed videos of jihadist attacks and executions, court documents showed. 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 Far too often, the part played by Ivy Division GIs at Dak To is glossed over. "Jurors found Peters guilty of obstruction of government operations but acquitted her on a charge of obstruction of a peace officer. U.S. Army unprepared to deal with Russia in Europe - POLITICO Prosecutors said Melzer was involved with the group starting in 2017 and joined the U.S. Army the next year specifically to help O9A "infiltrate its ranks," according to a Justice Department statement Friday. The company was able to take the hill but suffered 9 dead and 28 wounded. [33], The 1st and 2nd Battalions, 503rd Infantry were the first Army combat units from the 173rd sent into South Vietnam, accompanied by the 3rd Battalion, 319th Artillery. [76] However, this plan fell through when the government of Turkey would not allow offensive operations to be conducted from its soil, and the entire 4th Infantry Division was left stuck on ships in the Mediterranean for the opening of the operation. US Army soldier gets 45 years for neo-Nazi plot to ambush his own paratrooper unit . According to the PAC, the maximum penalty for such a "prohibited corporate contribution" is five years in prison and fines of 200% of the value of the contribution. . [87] The jump took a total of 58seconds, though 32 paratroopers were unable to jump because they would have landed too far from the rest of the force. Melzer, who is from Louisville, Ky., joined the Army in 2018. 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. Market data provided by Factset. 3. . [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. Sign up to receive a daily email of today's top military news stories from Stars and Stripes and top news outlets [129], 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. 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. 173d Airborne Brigade Association - Chapter Websites - Sky Soldier These formations were termed "brigade combat teams". All Rights Reserved. [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. Though they were severely bloodied, the paratroopers inflicted even heavier losses on the NVA. In November 1967, North Vietnamese Army (NVA) units were determined to rid the Central Highlands of American forces. 3rb Battalion News - Bullentin Board Want to write for Task & Purpose? On Veterans Day, Task Force Black (170 men of the 1st Bn., 503rd Inf.) Get the latest military news, entertainment, and gear in your inbox daily. "In approximately October 2019, Melzer deployed abroad with the Army to Italy as a member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. 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. 94,278 11 months ago. Prior to its deployment to the highlands, Peer's operations officer, Colonel William J. Livsey, attempted to warn the Airborne officers of the hazards of campaigning in the highlands. was inserted into a landing zone on Hill 823 and wound up losing 20 KIA, 154 WIA and two MIA. [There were] heaps of dead after that bomb, a survivor remembered. Phone: (626)664-0219. Six helicopters from the 335th Aviation Company attempting to resupply the pinned-down troopers were shot down during the day. The brigade was the first major United States Army ground formation deployed in Vietnam, serving there from 1965 to 1971 and losing 1,533 soldiers. While retrieving more ammo, Barnes saw a grenade tossed among a group of severely wounded soldiers. 12 June 2005. In order to form a more lethal unit: the merging of the National Guard Address: 18458 East Orkney Street, Azusa CA 91702-0219. [98] On 21 February 2004, the brigade returned to Italy for a one-year rest before a new deployment.[5]. Thus began the Battle of Dak To.. Ethan Phelan Melzer, a 24-year-old from Louisville, Ky., pleaded guilty in June in a federal courtroom in New York 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, according to the Justice Department. ", By 173rd Airborne Brigade deploys to South Vietnam The lead element of the 173rd Airborne Brigade ("Sky Soldiers"), stationed in Okinawa, departs for South Vietnam. The unit was supposed to guard an isolated, sensitive military base. The 173rd Airborne Brigade serves as the conventional airborne strategic response force for Europe. [70] However, with the ending of conscription following America's disengagement from Vietnam, many of the Army's formations had to be rebuilt for the volunteer force. During this operation multiple buildings belonging to the airfield were secured. In May 2020, Melzer was informed his unit would be deploying to another overseas location to guard a sensitive U.S. military base. [96] 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. In approximately early May 2020, the Army informed Melzer that he would be reassigned to a unit scheduled for a further foreign deployment, where the unit would be guarding an isolated and sensitive military installation (the Military Base). The Justice Department will use all available resources to disrupt and bring to justice those who would aid foreign terrorist organizations and use violence to harm our men and women in uniform or any American anywhere., Ethan Melzer infiltrated the U.S. Army in service of a neo-Nazi, white supremacist and jihadist group, said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York. [15] The troop entered combat in 1944 and fought in three European campaigns; central Europe, the Rhineland and Ardennes-Alsace operations. It is that most become delirious and almost always cry out for their mothers., Copyright 2010-2023, National 4th Infantry (IVY) Division Association. [5] The 173rd incurred 1,533 deaths and around 6,000 wounded. We were surrounded, and we were firing in all directions.. (46.7 31.4 cm), Sheet: 18 7/8 12 13/16 in. In-Depth Coverage . John Barnes of C Company earned a posthumous Medal of Honor when he saved the lives of several wounded men by throwing himself on a grenade. Tet Offensive: The Battles of Bien Hoa and Long Binh - HistoryNet For the medics in the mix, casualties represented far more than statistics. [140] Lloyd G. McCarter and Ray E. Eubanks earned the medal while fighting with the 503rd Infantry in World War II, while 13 other soldiers earned medals fighting under the 173rd in Vietnam; John A. Barnes III, Michael R. Blanchfield, Glenn H. English Jr., Lawrence Joel, Terry T. Kawamura, Carlos J. Lozada, Don L. Michael, Charles B. Morris, Milton L. Olive III, Larry S. Pierce, Laszlo Rabel, Alfred Rascon, and Charles J. [76] Supported by the 1st Infantry Division and the 10th Special Forces Group, the 4th Infantry Division was to assemble in Turkey and use its heavy mechanized brigades to attack through Tikrit and eventually assist V Corps, which would attack from the south, in surrounding Baghdad. Published Mar 3, 2023 10:30 PM EST. 173rd Airborne Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images Haynes never questioned anything until Spc. Melzer deployed abroad with the Army to Italy as a member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team . Neither battalion faced heavy resistance as the NVA had decamped during the night, denying the Americans a chance at some revenge. Operation Hump - Wikipedia Nearly surrounded, Lozada jumped from his covered position and fired his M-60 from the hip, providing further cover for fellow soldiers when he was mortally wounded. Army paratroopers assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade conduct a combined arms exercise in Germany. On the afternoon of 21 November, both battalions moved out to take the crest. Task Force Black left Hill 823 to find the PAVN who had attacked B/4-503. 173rd Airborne Brigade - United States Army Ambush of 173rd Airborne, South Vietnam | All Works | The MFAH Collections Louis Casiano is a reporter for Fox News Digital. 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. [144], NATO Training exercise incident in Bulgaria. This legislation sends a strong message that Florida is a safe place to raise children. These contacts prompted division commander Major General William R. Peers to request reinforcement and, as a result, on 17 June, two battalions of Brigadier General John R. Deane's 173rd Airborne Brigade were moved into the Dak To area to begin sweeping the jungle-covered mountains in Operation Greeley. "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. The New York Times. 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. BDE History Home 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. "Melzer allegedly attempted to orchestrate a murderous ambush on his own unit by unlawfully revealing its location, strength, and armaments to a neo-Nazi, anarchist, white supremacist group, then-Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York at the time, Audrey Strauss, said in a statement at the time. 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. Soldier Admits Plotting with Neo-Nazi Cult to Kill Fellow Troops", "U.S. The next day, Pfc. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. [24], In mid-1967, the 4th Infantry Division's 1st and 2nd Brigades conducting Operation Francis Marion in western Kon Tum Province were making heavy contact with People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) forces. Harold B. Birch, battalion commander at the time, recalled that about 14 Red Warriors were wounded in the attack, some by a misdirected American helicopter gunship.. The proposed bill is the latest among a string of measures targeting trans youth. 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. [7] The 1st Battalion, 508th Infantry colors were moved to Ft. Bragg, North Carolina to serve under the 82nd Airborne Division. He was arrested May 30 at Caserma Ederle in Vicenza. These battalions were: the 4th Battalion (Airborne), 319th Field Artillery Regiment, the 173rd Brigade Support Battalion (Airborne), and the Special Troops Battalion[100] stationed at Warner Barracks in Bamberg, Germany, as well as the 1st Squadron (Airborne), 91st Cavalry Regiment, stationed in Schweinfurt, Germany. The success of the program varied greatly from unit to unit, but the programs of the 173rd and Task Force South were generally regarded as effective. 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. Ethan Melzer displays personal effects, including paraphernalia associated with the extremist group Order of the Nine Angles. At 6:58 p.m., a Marine Corps fighter-bomber mistakenly dropped two 500-pound bombs on the U.S. position. Soon, U.S. air strikes and artillery fire were being called in, but they had little effect on the battle because of the dense foliage on the hillside. A Kentucky man was sentenced today to 45 years in prison for attempting to murder U.S. service members, providing and attempting to provide material support to terrorists, and illegally transmitting national defense information. It was a subordinate unit of the U.S. Army's V Corps and after June 2013, subordinate to US Army Europe.. 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. First Military Choice. This move was called the Reorganization Objective Army Division (ROAD) plan. Following is a description of the unit which operated from Late Summer of 1968 and was disolved just prior to the Battalion move to Phan Thiet on September 1, 1969. In January 1966 they launched Operation Marauder, the first U.S. military operation in the Plain of Reeds. Ethan Melzer, 24, of Kentucky, pleaded guilty last year to attempting to murder U.S. service members, providing and attempting to provide material support to terrorists, and illegally transmitting national defense information. 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. Meltzer, who ascribed to the groups ideals of promoting extreme violence to accelerate and cause the demise of Western civilization, aimed to essentially cripple the units fire-teams with the inside information he was providing, according to documents.