ambush of the 173rd airborne ambush of the 173rd airborne

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. According to survivors, he was on his knees giving last rites to a dying paratrooper when the bombs hit, killing him instantly. Only the battalion's Company B was available for the attack, which was borne by helicopter. Melzer, 22, was arrested last spring in Italy, where he served with the 173rd Airborne Brigade, and pleaded not guilty in September to eight charges, including conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals . Although its roughly 4,000 soldiers . Air Force). Melzer and his alleged 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. Neither Fox nor the Trump campaign could be immediately reached for comment by Raw Story. Cataloguing data may change with further research. The following year, he deployed to Italy with the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. The package also includes a provision authorizing the state to fine, suspend, or revoke the license of any public lodging establishment or public food service establishment if the establishment admits a child to a live adult performance that depicts or simulates nudity, sexual conduct, or lewd exposure., Alejandra Caraballo, a clinical instructor at Harvard Law Schools Cyberlaw Clinic in a tweet described the measure as a full elimination of recognition and a limitation on access to care for all trans people, including adults.. Forty-eight American soldiers lost their lives that day. The 173rd Airborne paratroopers trained the Ukrainians on how to better defend themselves against Russian and rebel artillery and rockets. "[119][120][121] He was charged in June 2020 with conspiring and attempting to murder military service members, and providing and attempting to provide material support to terrorists. 173rd Airborne Brigade Captain earns Silver Star for actions during (47.9 32.5 cm), Frame (outer): 26 3/8 20 3/8 1 1/4 in. 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. 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. . A second base was opened in Vicenza called Del Din and is the current headquarters of the 173rd. No weapons were discharged. ", In messages to O9A, Melzer wrote, [y]ou just gotta understand that currently I am risking my literal free life to give you all this" -- in regards to the sensitive information he was sharing. It was reorganized in December 1921 at Mobile, Alabama, redesignated on 23 March 1925 as the HHC 173rd Brigade, and redesignated as HHC 173rd Infantry Brigade on 24 August 1936. just looking for anyone from Aco 3/503 173rd abn{sep}Iwas with this unit from12/3/67through 68 saw combat 12/27/67 bad stuff. [20] The 173rd Brigade was selected to become a separate brigade and a special airborne task force, which could deploy rapidly and act independently. 173d Airborne Brigade Association - Chapter Websites - Sky Soldier A and D companies of 1st Bn., 12th Inf. Melzer sent messages to members and associates of O9A and, in particular, a sub-group of O9A known as the RapeWaffen Division, providing details about his units anticipated deployment including troop movements, relevant dates, locations, armaments, topography, and security, all in connection with the proposed attack on his unit and the Military Base. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! . Melzer betrayed his fellow soldiers and his country, FBI Counter Terrorism Assistant Director Robert R. Wells said following the sentencing. Mariah Y. Gonzalez). At the same time that Hello Dollyopened at NhaTrang airbase, a company of 173rd Airborne had walked into an ambush in Viet Cong base zone, known as the Iron Triangle. One of the few combat operations that brigade conducted during this time was an amphibious assault against PAVN/VC forces as part of an operation to clear the rice-growing lowlands along the Bong Son littoral. [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. The brigade was dispersed throughout the east of the country, with units operating in Kunar, Paktika, and Laghman Provinces. Yashinski, Michael E. SGT. 5, March 1970 173rd Airborne Brigade Newsletter A bolt of an AK47 rifle betrayed an enemy ambush, and soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile) turned the tables on the Viet Cong. [95] The unit then took part in Operation Peninsula Strike, quelling Ba'ath party resistance and other insurgent groups. Artillery support was rendered ineffective by the limited range of visibility. 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. [43], On 22 February 1967, the 173rd conducted Operation Junction City, the only combat parachute jump of the Vietnam War. 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. Activated in 1915, as the 173rd Infantry Brigade, the unit saw service in World War II but is best known for its actions during the Vietnam War. Watters received a posthumous Medal of Honor. Division doctors at Dak To kept busy, too, often getting by on only three or four hours of sleep a night. Melzer, who held the rank of private while in the Army, was a member of the Order of Nine Angles, a Neo-Nazi and Satanic organization which has praised both Adolf Hitler and al-Qaeda. The bill is part of a package of so-called parental empowerment and child safety legislation that includes a ban on instruction of sexual orientation or gender identity for students through Grade 8, and requiring licensed health care facilities to attest that they do not provide sex-reassignment prescriptions or procedures to patients under 18 years of age, the State Senates office announced in a news release. In October 2019, Melzer and his unit were deployed to Italy as a member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. Non-hostile - electrocution. 1st Cavalry Division units1st Bn., 12th Cav Regt., and 2nd Bn., 8th Cavalryalso played a part in the campaign. In November 1967, North Vietnamese Army (NVA) units were determined to rid the Central Highlands of American forces. The 1-508th (minus Company B) conducted combat operations in eastern Afghanistan, attached to 1st Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division. [89] The paratroopers secured the airfield, allowing the C-17s to land and bring in the heavy armor and the 163rd Armor contingents. Click here. 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. 173rd Airborne Brigade - Army Unit Directory - Together We Served Casper platoon was part of the HHC 173rd Airborne Brigade and its members wore the brigade patch. Seventeen soldiers from the brigade died during this deployment. Members of O9A have openly expressed admiration for Adolf Hitler and Osama bin Laden, among others. One paratrooper said of the enemy: They fight like theyre all John Waynes, three clips and making every bullet count., A Merciless Land Combat was brutal, close and fought in the unforgiving terrain of the Central Highlands. He was arrested May 30 at Caserma Ederle in Vicenza. According to the latest filing in the case citing Murdoch's sworn deposition, the Fox boss admitted that he provided a preview of the ads to Kushner before they became public. Ambush by VC Foiled, March 1970 - old.506infantry.org took place InTuyhoe then on to the kontum proence battle 3/68.then to ahn khe.gravy.then we went to lz english I Think.Dalat Was The LAST . 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. After the brigade finally left South Vietnam in 1971, the greater portion of the province reverted to VC control. [111] Also in mid-2013, 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment (ABN) moved from Schweinfurt, Germany to Grafenwoehr, Germany. In 2020 he was told he would be transferred to a sensitive base in Turkey, which is when he allegedly began plotting the attack. A former U.S. Army private was sentenced on Friday to 45 years in prison after he pleaded guilty last year to charges that he had shared sensitive information . [24] Immediately after its transformation, the brigade began intensive training in both Germany and Italy to prepare itself for future deployments. 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. To further the attack plan, Melzer and his co-conspirators passed these messages to a purported member of al Qaeda. [103] Throughout their 15-month deployment, the brigade participated in more than 9,000 patrols throughout the region. A former soldier was sentenced to 45 years in prison for attempting to plot with a hate group to attack his unit. Far too often, the part played by Ivy Division GIs at Dak To is glossed over. On November 8th 1965, the 173rd Airborne Brigade on "Operation Hump", war zone "D" in Vietnam, were ambushed by over 1200 VC. [130] He was depicted as being in "the 505th battalion", although no such unit was ever part of the 173rd. The platoon was surrounded and wiped out with 22 killed and one missing. "WAR/PHOTOGRAPHY: Images of Armed Conflict and Its Aftermath," The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 11 November, 2012 - 3 February, 2013. An estimated 2 enemy battalions, the VC 85th Main Force and the PAVN 95th Regiment, were rendered ineffective as they had 297 killed, with D/16 Armor receiving credit for killing 218. 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. The next day, American forces advanced to Kirkuk during Operation Option North, hoping to control oil fields and military airfields in and around the city. Last year a former member of an Air Force security team was sentenced to life in prison for murdering a police officer in the name of sparking a second civil war. But they certainly did no more than the many other non-elites did, like 4th Division grunts, the artillery and others.. The first of the separate brigades was the 172nd Infantry Brigade, activated in 1998. [82] A few days later, the 173rd and 10th Special Forces Group departed for northern Iraq. 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. 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.. "Operational Report Lessons Learned (1 May 1969 31 July 1969)." Del Din hosts 173rd Brigade Headquarters, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, the Brigade Support Battalion, and the Brigade Special Troops Battalion. The 173d Airborne Brigade was constituted 5 August 1917 as an infantry brigade and organized 25 August 1917 at Camp Pike, Arkansas as an element of the 87th Division. Every objective was taken. The army apologized and promised to improve their procedures for defining training areas. 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. [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. Scandal-plagued Republican former Mesa County, Colorado Clerk Tina Peters has been convicted of obstruction of government operations, reported 9News on Friday. The military has been dealing with an extremism problem for years, specifically far-right extremism, which has garnered increased attention recently. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. And about 60 of the dead paratroop-ers29%were killed by friendly fire.. Following his time in service . The 173rd was also assigned Company N (Ranger), 75th Infantry. He was arrested in May 2020 while in Italy, before he could carry it out. 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 173rd Airborne Brigade prides itself on being a forward stationed high-readiness unit, available to deploy to U.S. African, European and Central Commands within 18 hours of notification. The sign had read "American who read this die. Some 15 Army artillery batteries along with tactical air support provided immense firepower. [5][7][24] This was a significant change as it signified the ability for the brigade to deploy its forces and sustain itself with its newly integrated support teams. 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. The 1/91st Cavalry was given a mission to transform western Logar province into a secure environment; a mission that was not greeted as an easy task. [112], In February 2015, 750 soldiers from the brigade and from units of the Hungarian Armed Forces, namely 24th Bornemissza Gergely Reconnaissance Battalion, 34th Bercsnyi Lszl Special Operations Battalion, and the 25/88th Light Mixed Battalion participated in the exercise "Warlord Rock 2015". 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. Satanist Neo-Nazi U.S. Soldier Who Plotted To Slaughter Fellow Soldiers [94] The entire battle for Kirkuk cost the brigade only nine casualties. The 4th Infantry Divisions 1st Brigade included the 1st, 2nd and 3rd battalions of the 8th Inf. 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. [40], The attached helicopter unit became the Casper Aviation Platoon, befitting a separate infantry brigade as the only separate aviation platoon deployed in Vietnam. The following day was spent in launching airstrikes and a heavy artillery bombardment against the hilltop, totally denuding it of cover. The centerpiece of the battle was the 110-hour fight for Hill 875. For the bravery and sacrifices of its paratroopers around Dak To, the 173rd earned the Presidential Unit Citation. In May 2020, the Army told Melzer he would be assigned to another unit slated for deployment where they would be guarding a military base. Murdoch's alleged hand-off of the confidential information to Kushner was revealed this week as part of the $1.6 billion Dominion Voting Systems defamation case against Fox News and the Fox Corp. Rose L. Thayer is based in Austin, Texas, and she has been covering the western region of the continental U.S. for Stars and Stripes since 2018. Regt., and supporting units such as the 335th Aviation Company. At 6:58 p.m., a Marine Corps fighter-bomber mistakenly dropped two 500-pound bombs on the U.S. position. In order to successfully accomplish this mission, the battalion . All Rights Reserved. [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. Todays sentence makes clear that Melzers brazen actions backfired and that this office along with our partners in law enforcement and the military will work tirelessly to bring traitors like Melzer to justice and to protect the safety and integrity of our armed services.. "Operation Rapid Guardian III 10 Years Ago", "U.S. forces find suspected gold cache in Iraq", "Enemy, Arms Captured During Operation Bayonet Lightning", "TIOH Heraldry Special Troops Battalion, 173 Airborne Brigade", Infantry Training Reinforces Combat Skills, Commander: Media reports on Afghanistan outpost battle were exaggerated, "ABC News: Even 500Lbs Bombs Couldn't Stop Taliban", "U.S. troops quit remote Afghan base after attack", "Army Prepares for Next Rotations in OEF", "DOD Announces U.S. Army In Europe Force Structure Changes", Ukraine crisis: France suspends delivery of Russian warship; US to send 200 troops as Putin talks of ceasefire, "Nagyszabs amerikai-magyar hadgyakorlat lesz", USAREUR to increase Baltic presence ahead of Russian war game, 173rd Airborne Brigade to head north and south, Russia's Zapad war games unnerve the West, "United States of America vs. Ethan Phelan Melzer", "U.S. Army Soldier Charged in Neo-Nazi Plot to Attack Fellow Troops", "Soldier Used Upcoming Deployment to Plan Deadly Attack on Unit, Indictment States", "US Army soldier accused of trying to help Satanic neo-Nazi group attack his own unit", "U.S. [123][124][122][120][121][119][125] He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Melzer and his unit also received in-depth training about and practiced for numerous threat scenarios at the Military Base, including how to respond to various potential terrorist attack scenarios. Regt. 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. By Nov. 19, the NVAs 174th Regiment, moving south along the Laos/Cambodia border, had covered the retreat of the 66th Regiment. The investigation was carried out by the FBI New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, with assistance from the FBIs Legal Attach Office in Rome, U.S. Army Counterintelligence and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, among others. 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. Sky Soldiers Killed in Iraq. [26][31] As larger US Army commands were established in Vietnam, the brigade was assigned to the IIICorps and IICorps tactical zone, which they would serve in for the next six years. Former Army private Ethan Melzer planned to ambush soldiers and cause a "mass casualty" attack in the service of a Neo-Nazi group. [3][24], On 26 March 1963, the 173rd Airborne Brigade (Separate) was assigned to the Regular Army and activated on Okinawa. Melzer secretly used an encrypted messaging application to propose, advocate for, and plan a deadly attack on his fellow service members. 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. [82] This force was assisted by Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq and tasked with attacking key airfield and oil production positions deep in northern Iraq. In approximately October 2019, Melzer deployed abroad with the Army to Italy as a member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. No reviews. The single deadliest day of Dak To was Nov. 19, when 83 Americans were killed and 110 wounded. [There were] heaps of dead after that bomb, a survivor remembered. arrested for plotting to attack Baltimores energy grid. [3][15], From 1961 to 1963, the Army began reorganizing its force so that each division would have a similar structure, which would vary depending on the type of division it was. [78] Task Force 1-63 consisted of HHC/1-63rd Armor, C/1-63rd Armor and B/2-2nd Infantry. 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. By integrating these support elements, the unit became able to maintain its fighting forces with all that is required to keep the ground soldiers supplied and moving. Headquarters, 4th Infantry Division. This move was called the Reorganization Objective Army Division (ROAD) plan. 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. . 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.". In May 2010 2nd Battalion returned to 173rd IBCT(A) and was responsible for security and stability in northern and western Wardak Provinces. U.S. losses were 20 killed, 154 wounded, and two missing. From April 1969 until its withdrawal from South Vietnam in 1971, the brigade served in Bnh nh Province. [106] The brigade repositioned the base three days later. "An arrest affidavit says that when officers tried to seize the iPad, people sitting at the table with her started passing around the tablet. III, No. (Photo by Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images), Black Vietnam veteran receives long-awaited Medal of Honor. It is a merciless land of steep limestone ridges, some of them exceeding 4,000 feet, wrote Robert Barr Smith in, Vietnam magazine. Exactly five years ago today, Veterans from the 173d Airborne Brigade gathered on the. Subscribe to Task & Purpose Today. [91] By 29 March the entire brigade was in Iraq and ready to conduct offensive operations.[91]. 501FSC, 173rd Abn Bde. 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. "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. Short Range Ambush Platoon 1968 - 1969. . [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. 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.. verso bottom right in pencil "Ambush of 173rd airborne / Iron Triangle 9/1965", Signed in pencil on verso lower right: "Tim Page 8/25", Circular stamp on verso lower right: "chromacolour.com.au * / ARCHIVAL / ILFOCHROME / CLASSIC", Image: 18 3/8 12 3/8 in. Louis Casiano is a reporter for Fox News Digital. A former Army paratrooper was sentenced to 45 years in prison Friday for plotting with a violent extremist group to ambush and kill members of his own Italy-based unit, federal law enforcement officials said. Several months later, encouraged by the apparent success of joint operations with the 22nd Division, Peers directed the organization of a Task Force South with two battalions of the Brigade "pairing up" these units with several Ranger battalions and the 44th and 53rd Regiments of the ARVN 23rd Division south of Bnh nh. Amazon.com: 173rd Airborne Hat On Nov. 20, 1967, Pfc. New. Training also included securing roads, bridges, and other infrastructure and treating and evacuating casualties. While stationed abroad, Melzer consumed propaganda from multiple extremist groups, including O9A and the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, which is also known as ISIS. The 173rd had been operating near Bien Hoa Air Base outside Saigon and had been in combat only against NLF guerrillas. "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. A U.S. soldier wears an Army Airborne patch during military drills in Kazlu Ruda, Lithuania, on March 1, 2022. prosecutors alleged that Melzer intended to spark a jihadist terror attack on his own unit. [72] Such units could be stationed in bases far from major commands, not requiring division-level unit support, an advantage in places like Alaska and Europe, where stationing entire divisions was unnecessary or impractical. [26], The brigade arrived in South Vietnam on 7 May 1965, the first major ground combat unit of the United States Army to serve in the country. According to court documents, Melzer planned a jihadist attack on his U.S. 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 (O9A), a white supremacist Satanist, neo-Nazi, and pro-jihadist group. Nov. 18 saw the 1st Bn., 503rd Inf., lose seven KIA on Hill 882, while D Company of the 4th Battalion had six dead to friendly fire.. The sharp ridges are covered with double- and sometimes triple-canopy jungle. 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.