The plan eliminated regiments but reintroduced brigades to the Army's structure, allowing three brigades to a division. In order to successfully accomplish this mission, the battalion . [76] The original plan was for the 173rd to be attached to the 4th Infantry Division as a flexible force of airborne troops to complement the heavy weapons of the division's three brigades. These include Congressmen Duncan Hunter and Charlie Norwood,[133][134] Archbishop of Baltimore Edwin Frederick O'Brien,[135] Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Robert M. Kimmitt,[136] business owner Barney Visser,[137] activists Stan Goff and Ted Sampley,[138] and Sergeant Major of the Army Gene C. 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. [15] The troop entered combat in 1944 and fought in three European campaigns; central Europe, the Rhineland and Ardennes-Alsace operations. Interrogators also employed a technique called the "water rag", which involved pouring water onto a rag covering the captive's nose and mouth, which creates the sensatation of drowning and can lead to death by asphyxiation. 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.. Thus began the Battle of Dak To.. Following his time in service . Find 173rd Airborne Brigade unit information, patches, operation history, veteran photos and more on TogetherWeServed.com. [24] Immediately after its transformation, the brigade began intensive training in both Germany and Italy to prepare itself for future deployments. Police detained Peters as she allegedly tried to stop an officer from taking the iPad. "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.". [141][142], Staff Sergeant Salvatore Giunta received the Medal of Honor for heroic actions as a rifle team leader in Company B, 2503 INF (Airborne) when his squad was caught in a near-ambush the night of 25 October 2007 during Operation Rock Avalanche in the Korengal Valley of Afghanistan. Image Saber Strike 15 - Apaches take Flight. Lozada stayed behind and poured deadly machine-gun fire on an advancing NVA force, allowing his company to safely withdraw. [3][27][28][29][30][31] Williamson boldly predicted on arrival that his men would defeat the Viet Cong (VC) quickly and that they "would be back in Okinawa by Christmas". A former soldier was sentenced to 45 years in prison for attempting to plot with a hate group to attack his unit. Melzer also shared the intelligence with someone claiming to be a member of al Qaida, and promised to leak more information, including photos and U.S. radio channel frequencies, upon arrival in-country. The anguished cries of the wounded are what they remember most. Neither battalion faced heavy resistance as the NVA had decamped during the night, denying the Americans a chance at some revenge. Six helicopters from the 335th Aviation Company attempting to resupply the pinned-down troopers were shot down during the day. 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. In October 2019, Melzer and his unit were deployed to Italy as a member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. "Ethan Melzer infiltrated the U.S. Army in service of a neo-Nazi, white supremacist and jihadist group. An official website of the United States government. [95] The unit then took part in Operation Peninsula Strike, quelling Ba'ath party resistance and other insurgent groups. [102] The 173rd IBCT(A) officially relieved the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division on 6 June 2007.[102]. However, in the long run the operation appeared no more successful than Fairfax's efforts to clean up Gia Dinh Province around Saigon prior to the Tet Offensive. [83] The use of the 173rd as a part of a special operations task force was a unique first in U.S. Army history. 501FSC, 173rd Abn Bde. Not long after its reactivation, elements were deployed to Kosovo as part of Operation Rapid Guardian in support of Kosovo Force (KFOR). 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. Melzer began active service as an Army infantryman in June 2019 and deployed that October to Vicenza, Italy, as a member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade. The LRS detachment and 5th Group ODA conducted many combined and individual operations to ensure the stability of the region. His first duty assignment was with Alpha Company, 3d. . One hit outside the perimeter, killing 25 NVA troops. [3][25] As the Pacific quick-reaction force, they were the first brigade to be sent to South Vietnam two years later when hostilities escalated there. And about 60 of the dead paratroop-ers29%were killed by friendly fire.. 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. The enemy loss in lives was about four times that of the allies.. Peters, a pro-Trump conspiracy theorist, is best known for being indicted last year on completely separate charges of election tampering and misconduct, after she allegedly breached voting equipment to try to prove the 2020 presidential election was stolen. [5][12][13], The 173rd Infantry Brigade was constituted on 5 August 1917 as an infantry brigade and organized on 25 August at Camp Pike, Arkansas,[14] as an element of the 87th Division[15] along with the 174th Infantry Brigade. Story tips can be sent tolouis.casiano@fox.com. [5] During its service, the brigade was involved in what later became known as the "Hood Event", arresting Turkish special forces soldiers, believing them to be plotting attacks against local civilian officials in northern Iraq. Reproduced from VFW Magazine, March 2006 issue, article by Tim Dyhouse. By unlawfully disclosing his units location, strength, and armaments to other O9A members and jihadists in furtherance of this ambush, Melzer traitorously sought to attack the very soldiers he was entrusted to protect. On 1 December 1951, the troop was inactivated and released from its assignment to the 87th Infantry Division. Former Army private Ethan Melzer planned to ambush soldiers and cause a "mass casualty" attack in the service of a Neo-Nazi group. To further the attack plan, Melzer and his co-conspirators passed these messages to a purported member of al Qaeda. Subscribe to Task & Purpose Today. Tiffany Muller, president of the End Citizens United PAC, called on the FEC to "immediately investigate," according to a copy of the complaint provided to NBC News. [70] The brigade was inactivated on 14 January 1972 at the fort,[5] and its assets were used to form the 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, a parachute component within the airmobile 101st. 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.. Of the 3,200 paratroopers from the 173rd deployed to Dak To, 27% were either killed (208) or wounded (645). It was the first U.S. Army. [78] They jumped from aircraft of the 62nd Airlift Wing, 446th Airlift Wing, 437th Airlift Wing and the 315th Airlift Wing ( this included the 728th Airlift Squadron), along with a Tactical Air Control Party of USAF Airmen from the 4th Air Support Operations Squadron[90] and the 786th Security Forces Squadron. 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. Some 15 Army artillery batteries along with tactical air support provided immense firepower. According to court documents, Melzer is a member of O9A. An internal inquiry had confirmed an officer's widely publicized charge that members of the 173rd Airborne Brigade had tortured detainees in Vietnam. New. In October 2019, Melzer and his unit were deployed to Italy as a member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! 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. Melzer joined the U.S. Army in approximately 2018 and infiltrated its ranks as part of an insight role to further his goals as an O9A adherent. Todays sentence took that opportunity from him.". [108] 42 soldiers from the brigade lost their lives during the deployment. it would be another war . 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. [20] The 173rd Brigade was selected to become a separate brigade and a special airborne task force, which could deploy rapidly and act independently. A transphobic parent could kidnap their trans child in violation of custody agreements and abscond to Florida and be protected by Florida law under this despite likely committing felony kidnapping in their home state, Caraballo said. [75], In 2003, as preparations were being made for Operation Iraqi Freedom, the 173rd Airborne Brigade was assigned to be a part of an assault from the north of Iraq. (47.9 32.5 cm) He was arrested May 30 at Caserma Ederle in Vicenza. Joshua Magbanua/U.S. The 173rd Airborne Brigade currently consists of 3,300 soldiers[6] in seven subordinate battalions as well as a headquarters company:[7], All of these units are airborne qualified, making the 173rd Airborne Brigade the only separate airborne IBCT in the United States Army. A South Vietnamese Marine, severely wounded in a Viet Cong ambush, is comforted by a comrade in a sugar-cane field at Duc Hoa, about 12 miles from Saigon, on August 5, 1963. . [114] This program was known as Fearless Guardian which was congressionally approved under the Global Contingency Security Fund. Eric Melzer, a 24-year-old from Kentucky, shared location and layout information about a sensitive U.S. military installation to the violent, anti-government, neo-Nazi organization Order of Nine Angles. Legal Statement. As part of this intensive training, Melzer learned details about the purpose, layout, and security of the Military Base. TWS is the largest online community of Veterans existing today and is a powerful Veteran locator. [93] The brigade used field artillery assets, as well as coordinated airstrikes to attack Iraqi Republican Guard units defending the city. 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. Privacy Policy | For corrections contact corrections@rawstory.com, for support contact support@rawstory.com. Cataloguing data may change with further research. The proposed bill is the latest among a string of measures targeting trans youth. Web. 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). Haynes never questioned anything until Spc. [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. While there, he consumed extremists propaganda from O9A and the Islamic State. Because of intense PAVN sniper and mortar fire (and the terrain), it took until nightfall for the relief force to reach the beleaguered battalion. Maintenance window scheduled to begin at February 14th 2200 est. In a strictly military sense, the Dak To fighting has been a victory for the allied forces, war correspondent Peter Arnett was forced to admit in an Associated Press report filed after spending 10 days at the scene. 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. 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.. [5] The infantry battalions and the brigade headquarters remained in Vicenza, Italy through the transition. On Nov. 3, A and B companies made a combat assault from Dak To airstrip to a ridge line just below Hill 1338, recalled Alex Cooker, then the platoon leader of 3rd Plt., B Co., 3rd Bn., 12th Inf. 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. A and D companies of 1st Bn., 12th Inf. A former U.S. Army soldier was sentenced to 45 years in prison for attempting to provide a Europe-based neo-Nazi, Satanist, and pro-jihadist group by giving it classified information to attack his unit, federal prosecutors said Friday. A paratrooper in the 173rd Airborne Brigade's Sky Soldiers, assigned to the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, in Vicenza, Italy, in 2019 through 2020 plotted an ambush on his unit, "to result in the deaths of as many of his fellow service members as possible. [139], Sixteen soldiers have been awarded the Medal of Honor for service with the 173rd IBCT(A) and its subordinate units. 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. For example, Melzer also promised to leak more information once he arrived at the Military Base including real-time photographs of the facility and the frequency and channel of U.S. Army radio communications in order to maximize the likelihood of a successful attack on his unit or on a replacement unit deployed to the Military Base. Battle for Hill 875 - or the Siege of Dak To - The 2nd battalion of the 173rd Airborne Brigade with over 300 soldiers advanced up this hill with artillery . (U.S. Army video by Sgt. [85] Though the brigade's movement was impeded by Italian protestors, the Italian police provided escort operations to the brigade and ensured that it reached the Air Base without incident, and was not significantly delayed. Barnes manned a machine gun after its crew had been killed. [126], The 173rd's service, particularly in Vietnam, has been featured several times in popular culture. 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. A soldier of D Company, 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, takes a break from the heavy fighting during the battle for Dak To. 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.. [132], Numerous servicemen from the 173rd, mostly from the Vietnam era, gained notability after their military careers ended. [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. Those of us fortunate enough to be there will. "In approximately October 2019, Melzer deployed abroad with the Army to Italy as a member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. Artillery support was rendered ineffective by the limited range of visibility. [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. "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. [69] A U.S. Army report detailed a pattern of "cruelty and maltreatment" between March 1968 and October 1969. 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. [119][122][121] The paratrooper was charged with leaking classified information (including the unit's location) to the RapeWaffen Division and the Order of the Nine Angles (O9A), a European Satanic occult-based neo-Nazi and white supremacist group that is also anti-Semitic, and has expressed admiration for Nazis such as Adolf Hitler and Islamic jihadists. Today, the 173rd Airborne Brigade pauses to remember the loss of 48 Paratroopers during Operation Hump in Vietnam, on this day 52 years ago. 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. For the medics in the mix, casualties represented far more than statistics. At 08:28 on 11 November, after leaving their overnight laager and following a PAVN communications wire, the force was ambushed by the 8th and 9th Battalions of the PAVN 66th Regiment and had to fight for its life. [3] This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, [64], The intense fighting during the Battle of Dak To took a heavy human toll on the 173rd. In command for five months, I had been assured that I would be leading the company for one year, which suited me fine. 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. [49] Charlie Company was ordered to support, but heavy vegetation and difficult terrain made movement extremely difficult. Deadly Prelude The Battle of Dak To was actually a series of intense clashes culminating in the decisive battle for Hill 875. If the allegations are true in the Dominion filing, "this is precisely what Murdoch provided to the Trump campaign," he said. I wouldve died successfully . The changing face of the 173d Airborne Brigade now offers opportunies for both Female and Male individuals. 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. We treated around 1,200 wounded during the period of the battle, said William J. Shaffer, who served as the executive officer of B Co., 4th Medical Bn. NAME AND TYPE OF OPERATION: Unnamed ambush patrol on Route 19, RVN. Capt. The unit fought in the Iron Triangle, a VC stronghold north of Saigon,[35][39] seeing many engagements with VC forces during that time. [144], NATO Training exercise incident in Bulgaria. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS [97] The Turkish forces were eventually released. [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. The DUI was also inscribed "Sky Soldiers" as homage to the nickname that the Taiwanese soldiers had given them. Division doctors at Dak To kept busy, too, often getting by on only three or four hours of sleep a night. 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. 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. [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. [32] The brigade was put under the command of IIField Force, Vietnam. Attorneys Sam Adelsberg, Matthew J.C. Hellman and Kimberly J. Ravener for the Southern District of New York are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance provided by Trial Attorneys Alicia Cook of the National Security Divisions Counterterrorism Section and Scott Claffee of the National Security Divisions Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. (See the sidebar on page 36 for the 4th IDs role.). All rights reserved. "He is not the unrepentant monster the prosecutors and the Court portrayed him to be," defense attorney Jonathan Marvinny said by email. It was then, they contend, that Melzer broadened his extremism diet, consuming propaganda from the group then known as ISIS, or the Islamic State. B Company counted 21 KIA and 17 WIA after the firefight. Assistant U.S. Before this heroic act, according to his citation, Barnes dashed through the bullet-swept area, manned the machine gun [the team had been killed] and killed nine enemy soldiers as they assaulted his position.. By 3 p.m., Terrence Maitland and Peter McInerney wrote in A Contagion of War, the C Company commander reported they were surrounded by 200 to 300 NVA and under attack by mortars, automatic weapons and B-40 rockets.. On the afternoon of 21 November, both battalions moved out to take the crest. [78] Task Force 1-63 consisted of HHC/1-63rd Armor, C/1-63rd Armor and B/2-2nd Infantry. There is something gut-wrenching about severely wounded men that I will never forget, recalled Earle Jackson, a 173rd medic who served on Hill 875. 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. To walk away from Hill 875 would have diminished the importance of their sacrifices, Murphy concluded. Among the first ground combat troops in northern Iraq, Haynes parachuted in this time with the 173rd Airborne Brigade. In approximately October 2019, Melzer deployed abroad with the Army to Italy as a member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. (Photo: U.S. Army) 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. Company D, 16th Armor was engaged in a battle that took place on 4 March 1968 at North Tuy Ha. The 173rds rifle companies sustained some 90% of the units casualties. A former U.S. Army soldier was sentenced to 45 years in prison for attempting to provide a Europe-based neo-Nazi, Satanist, and pro-jihadist group by giving it classified information to attack his. [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. Because their heavily armored tanks required so much maintenance, the 173rd incorporated much of 4th ID's area of operation into their own. [130] He was depicted as being in "the 505th battalion", although no such unit was ever part of the 173rd. At its peak of its deployment in Vietnam, the 173rd Airborne Brigade (Separate) comprised over 7,000 soldiers. Four additional battalions were activated or designated at Bamberg and Schweinfurt, Germany. They participated in Operation Crimp in 1966, a failed attempt to root out VC forces from the C Chi tunnels. Hebert's patrol was caught in a midnight ambush as it crossed what has become known the "Bridge of Death." The 173rd was also assigned Company N (Ranger), 75th Infantry. 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. Seventeen soldiers from the brigade died during this deployment. Air Force). Melzers proposed attack evolved as he gathered and distributed additional sensitive information about the deployment. [94] The entire battle for Kirkuk cost the brigade only nine casualties.