HISTORY OF THE 173rd AIRBORNE BRIGADE
The 173rd Infantry Brigade was allotted to the Regular Army and activated on Okinawa 26 March 1963 as the 173rd Airborne Brigade (Sep). Brigadier General Ellis W. Williamson commanded the unit, which was given the charter to serve as the quick reaction force for the Pacific Command. Under Williamson the unit trained extensively making mass parachute jumps earning the unit the nickname “Tien Bien” or “Sky Soldiers,” from the Nationalist Chinese paratroopers.
Deployed to Vietnam in May 1965, the Brigade was the first major ground combat
unit of the United States Army to serve there. They were the first to go into
War Zone D to destroy enemy base camps, introduced the use of small long-range
patrols, and conducted the only combat parachute jump in the Vietnam conflict on
22 February 1967 (Operation Junction City). They fought in the Iron Triangle and
blocked NVA incursions at Dak To during some of the bloodiest fighting of the
war in the summer and fall of 1967, culminating in the capture of Hill 875.
Elements of the Brigade conducted an amphibious assault against NVA and VC
forces as part of an operation to clear the rice-growing lowlands along the Bong
Song littoral. The 1st and 2nd Battalions,
503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne)
were the first Army combat units from the 173rd sent to the Republic of South
Vietnam, accompanied by the 3rd Battalion, 319th Artillery. They were supported
by the 173rd Support Battalion, 173rd Engineers, Troop E, 17th Cavalry and Co D,
16th Armor. The First Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment and the 161st
Field Battery of the Royal New Zealand Army were later attached to the Brigade
during the first year.
In
late August 1966, the 173rd received another infantry battalion, the 4-503rd
from Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The 3-503rd joined the Brigade at Tuy Hoa in
September 1967 following its reactivation and training at Fort Bragg, North
Carolina. Another unit assigned was Co N, 75th Infantry (Ranger). At its peak in
Vietnam, the 173rd Airborne Brigade (Sep) had nearly 3,000 soldiers assigned.
During
more than six years of continuous combat, the brigade earned 14 campaign
streamers and four unit citations. Sky Soldiers serving in Vietnam received 13
Medals of Honor, 46 Distinguished Service Crosses, 1736 Silver Stars and over
6,000 Purple Hearts. There are over 1,790 Sky Soldiers' names on the Vietnam
Memorial Wall in Washington D.C. The brigade was deactivated on 14 January 1972
at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
The
173rd Airborne Brigade was then reactivated 12 June 2000 on Caserma Ederle in
Vicenza, Italy, where it served as European Command’s only conventional Airborne
strategic response force for the European Theater. During the next 30 months,
Sky Soldiers conducted numerous training deployments to European Theater
countries including Bosnia, Kosovo, Hungary, Morocco, and the Czech Republic.
On 26
March 2003, the 173rd added to its distinguished history when nearly 1,000 Sky
Soldiers parachuted onto Bashur Drop Zone, effectively opening a northern front
in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The 173rd Airborne Brigade continued to
move south onto the town of Kirkuk, Iraq and established freedom. The Brigade’s
battle space reached as far south as the Jamal Hamrin, mountains, east to the
Iranian border and west to the city of Al Hawejah. A number of battalion and
company missions were executed, with major engagements occurring initially in
Irbil, combat operations in Kirkuk and in villages and towns surrounding Tuz.
The Brigade swept back through Al Hawejah in late December of 2003 to retake the
area from pro-Saddam insurgents. Nine Sky Soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice
in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. One Sky Soldier was awarded the Silver
Star during the operation. The sacrifices made by these Sky Soldiers
contributed greatly toward establishing a safe and secure environment for the
people of Iraq.
In the
spring of 2005, the 173rd began its second deployment in three years to
Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom VI. The 1st Battalion,
508th Infantry Regiment spearheaded the deployment in February by deploying
forces along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in Regional Command East. The
remainder of the Brigade deployed to Regional Command South, with all elements
of the Brigade demonstrating unparalleled bravery fighting anti-coalition forces
in the bloodiest spring since the original invasion in 2001. Sky Soldiers fought
the Taliban and Al Qaeda in the Provinces of Helmand, Zabul and Kandahar. The
Brigade excelled in all aspects of the deployment to include facilitating a
peaceful parliamentary election process in the fall of 2005. Seventeen Sky
Soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice in support of Operation Enduring Freedom
VI. Five Sky Soldiers were awarded the Silver Star for their heroism, bravery
and valor during this operation.
Upon
returning to Italy the Brigade went through an Army directed transformation into
an Airborne Brigade Combat Team, adding to its formation is the 1st Squadron
91st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Battalion, 319th Field Artillery Regiment, 173rd
Special Troops Battalion, 173rd Brigade Support Battalion and reflagged 1st
Battalion, 508th Infantry Regiment to 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment.
The Brigade was renamed the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team on 18 September
2006.
In the
spring of 2007, the 173rd ABCT began its second deployment to Afghanistan in
support of Operation Enduring Freedom VIII. 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment
deployed to Paktika Province in support of the 82nd Airborne Division. The
remainder of the Brigade deployed to Nangarhar, Nuristan, Kunar and Laghman
Provinces. The Brigade was tested time and time again in battle, but was able to
bring security and economic development to nearly 2 million people in an area
the size of Vermont while helping build and train Afghan Security Forces. 43 Sky
Soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice in support of Operation Enduring Freedom
VIII. To date, one Sky Soldier has received the Distinguished Service Cross and
31 have been awarded the Silver Star for their heroism, bravery and valor during
this operation.
In late fall 2009, the 173rd ABCT began its third deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom X.
503rd Parachute Infantry History
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