The United States173d Airborne Brigade serves in Vicenza, Italy. It is European Command's conventional airborne strategic response force for the European Theater.
The 173d Infantry Brigade was constituted on 1917-08-05 as an infantrybrigade and organized on 1917-08-25 at Camp Pike, Arkansas, as an element of the U.S. 87th Infantry Division. The brigade deployed to France in 1918 as part of the Division, but it did not participate in any named campaigns. Indeed, the brigade - like the rest of the 87th Division - was tasked to perform labor details that were to be performed by Combat Service and Combat Service Support units in World War II. After its return to the United States, the brigade was demobilized in January 1919 at Camp Dix, New Jersey.
Interwar Period
On 1921-06-24 the unit was reconstituted as Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC), 173d Infantry Brigade, and was assigned to the Organized Reserve Corps and the 87th Division at Shreveport, Louisiana. It was reorganized in December 1921 at Mobile, Alabama, redesignated 1925-03-23 as HHC 173d Brigade, and redesignated 1936-08-24 as HHC 173d Infantry Brigade.
Second World War
During World War II, brigades were eliminated from divisions. Consequently, HHC 173d Infantry Brigade was designated as the 87th Reconnaissance Troop in February 1942 and activated 1942-12-15. It entered combat in 1944 and fought in three European campaigns (Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe). After the war, the troop reverted back to reserve status and was posted from 1947 through to 1951 at Birmingham, Alabama. On 1951-12-01 at Birmingham, Alabama, the 173d was inactivated and released from its assignment to the 87th Infantry Division.
Vietnam War
On 1963-03-26, the 173d Airborne Brigade (Sep) was allotted to the Regular Army and activated on Okinawa. Brigadier General Ellis W. Williamson took command the unit, which was chartered to serve as the quick reaction force for the Pacific Command. Under Williamson the unit trained extensively, making mass parachute jumps. They earned 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. The brigade was the first to go into War Zone D to destroy enemy base camps and introduced the use of small long range patrols. On 8 November, 1965, the 173rd took part in Operation Hump. They were ambushed by approximately 1,200 Viet Cong, resulting in the deaths of 48 men of the 173rd. It's Operation Junction City, which took place on 1967-02-22, was the only combat parachute jump of the Vietnam conflict.
The unit fought in the Iron Triangle and blocked North Vietnamese Army incursions at Dak To during some of the bloodiest fighting of the war in the summer and fall of 1967, which culminated 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 2d Battalions, 503d Infantry were the first Army combat units from the 173d sent to the Republic of South Vietnam, accompanied by the 3d Battalion, 319th Artillery. They were supported by the 173d Support Battalion, 173d Engineers, Troop E, 17th Cavalry and Co D, 16th Armor. The 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment and the 161st Field Battery of the Royal New Zealand Artillery were later attached to the brigade during the first year. Late in August 1966, the 173d received another infantry battalion, the 4/503d from Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The 3/503d joined the brigade at Tuy Hoa in September 1967 following the former's reactivation and training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The 173d was also assigned Co N, 75th Infantry (Ranger). At its peak in Vietnam, the 173d Airborne Brigade (Sep) comprised nearly 3,000 soldiers.
The 173rd Airborne Brigade was reactivated on 2000-06-12 at Caserma Ederle in Vicenza, Italy, where it now serves.
On 2003-03-26, the 173d Airborne Brigade conducted a combat jump into Northern Iraq onto Bashur Airfield as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Comprised of the 2d Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry; 1st Battalion (Airborne), 508th Infantry; 173d Combat Support Company (Airborne); 74th Long Range Surveillance Detachment (Airborne); and 501st Forward Support Company (Airborne) (now the 173d Support Battalion (Airborne)); the brigade served mainly in Kirkuk until 2004-02-21, during which time some of its units carried out the operation that was later called as the "Hood event" in Sulaymaniyah on the 2003-07-03, severely wounding US-Turkey relations and which also served as basis for the plot of the 2006 movie "The Valley of the Wolves Iraq".
The 173rd Airborne Brigade deployed to Afghanistan in March 2005 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom under the command of COL Kevin Owens. TF Bayonet, as it was called, assumed control of Regional Command-South (RC South), comprising Zabol, Kandahar, Helmand, and Nimruz Provinces. The 2-503rd Infantry Battalion (Airborne) known as the Rock conducted combat operations in Zabol Province under the command of LTC Mark Stammer. The 1-508th Infantry Battalion (Airborne) known as TF Fury provided humanitarian assistance in eastern Afghanistan while under the command of LTC Timothy McGuire. The 173rd Support Battalion (under the command of LTC Cynthia Fox) and 173rd CSC provided logistical support from Kandahar, while sending individual Soldiers to assist at other FOB's. The Brigade returned to Italy in March 2006.
The 173rd Airborne Brigade is currently in the process of transitioning into a "Unit of Action." While the majority of the Brigade will remain in Vicenza, Italy, other units will stand up in Bamberg and Schweinfurt, Germany until additional facilities are constructed in the Vicenza area; The 1st Battalion, 508th Infantry was reflagged as 1st Battalion, 503rd Airborne Infantry to resume the Vietnam-era lineage of the 503rd Infantry battalions under the 173rd Airborne Brigade. The 1st Battalion, 508th Infantry colors will move to Ft. Bragg, North Carolina.
Lineage
Constituted 5 August 1917 in the National Army as Headquarters, 173d Infantry Brigade, and assigned to the 87th Division.
Organized 25 August 1917 at Camp Pike, Arkansas
Demobilized in January 1919 at Camp Dix, New Jersey
Reconstituted 24 June 1921 in the Organized Reserves as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 173d Infantry Brigade, and assigned to the 87th Division
Organized in December 1921 at Mobile, Alabama
Redesignated 23 March 1925 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 173d Brigade
Redesignated 24 August 1936 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 173d Infantry Brigade
Converted and redesignated 13 February 1942 as the 87th Reconnaissance Troop (less 3d Platoon), 87th Division (Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 174th Infantry Brigade, concurrently converted and redesignated as the 3d Platoon, 87th Reconnaissance Troop, 87th Division)
Troop ordered into active military service 15 December 1942 and reorganized at Camp McCain, Mississippi; concurrently redesignated as the 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop, an element of the 87th Infantry Division
Reorganized and redesignated 2 August 1943 as the 87th Reconnaissance Troop, Mechanized
Inactivated 21 September 1945 at Fort Benning, Georgia
Redesignated 28 April 1947 as the 87th Mechanized Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop
(Organized Reserves redesignated 25 March 1948 as the Organized Reserve Corps; redesignated 9 July 1952 as the Army Reserve)
Reorganized and redesignated 18 May 1949 as the 87th Reconnaissance Company
Inactivated 1 December 1951 at Birmingham, Alabama
Converted and redesignated (less 3d Platoon) 26 March 1963 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 173d Airborne Brigade, and relieved from assignment to the 87th Infantry Division; concurrently withdrawn from the Army Reserve, allotted to the Regular Army, and activated on Okinawa (3d Platoon, 87th Reconnaissance Company - hereafter separate lineage)
Inactivated 14 January 1972 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky
Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal, First Class for VIETNAM 1969-1971
In popular culture
In 2006, the country music duo Big & Rich released a single entitled 8th of November. The song was based on the story of Niles Harris, a member of the 173rd, whom the two had met and related his experiences during Operation Hump. On July 1 2006, a documentary inspired by the song and based on the brigade's battle during the operation premiered on the GAC Channel.[link]
