US Paratrooper - Airborne - US Ranger - Airborne Ranger -US Special Forces - ODA

£8.54 Buy It Now, Click to see shipping cost, eBay Money Back Guarantee
Seller: tattoo_ink ✉️ (8,901) 100%, Location: New Kensington, Pennsylvania, US, Ships to: US & many other countries, Item: 151909667461 US Paratrooper - Airborne - US Ranger - Airborne Ranger -US Special Forces - ODA. HIGHLY DETAILED 4

HIGHLY DETAILED 4.00" US PARATROOPER NON-MERROWED EDGE EMBROIDERED PATCH "U.S. PARATROOPER" - "LIFE'S TOO SHORT TO BE A LEG" THE 82ND AIRBORNE DIVISION    The 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, provides the ability to begin executing a strategic airborne forcible entry into any area of the world within 18 hours of notification. Their primary mission is airfield and seaport seizure. Once on the ground, they provide the secured terrain and facilities to rapidly receive additional combat      forces. The division is the nation’s strategic offensive force, maintaining the highest state of combat readiness.     On any day, a third of the division is on mission cycle, ready to respond to any contingency. Another third is on a wartime training cycle, and the rest of the division is on support cycle. These support units prepare vehicles and equipment for deployment and support such other division and post activities. As the largest parachute force in the free world, the 82nd Airborne Division is trained to deploy anywhere, at any time, to fight upon arrival and to win. From cook to computer operator, from infantryman or engineer, every soldier in the 82nd is airborne qualified. Almost every piece of   divisional combat equipment can be dropped by parachute onto the field of battle.     As early as 1784, Benjamin Franklin foresaw the potential of parachutists in combat. Though the concept of soldiers descending upon the enemy from above would not become a reality for another one-hundred fifty years, the half century since the introduction of the paratrooper has seen soldiers of Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich, Japanese soldiers in the Pacific, communist infantry in Korea, Cuban "advisers" in Grenada, General Manuel Noriega in Panama and General Cedras in Haiti all fall prey to the "vertical envelopment" of the American paratrooper. Today, no other military unit can respond more rapidly and effectively to conflict anywhere in the world than the 82nd Airborne Division. Known as "America’s Guard of Honor," the 82nd is widely recognized as one of the most powerful forces in America’s military arsenal. The role of the airborne division is to plan, coordinate, and execute a rapid, combined arms, and forced entry operation employed alone or as part of a joint task force across the depth and width of the battlefield. The airborne division is unique in its ability to be deployed by parachute to achieve objectives. The airborne force commander task organizes Army elements within an airborne force into three echelons. The assault echelon comprises those forces required to seize the assault objective and the initial airhead, plus their immediate reserves and essential logistics forces. The division readiness force and the division readiness brigade, unique to the airborne division, are quick reaction forces designed for airborne operations. A detachment of the quartermaster airdrop equipment support company enters the objective area in the assault echelon to advise the units in the recovery and evacuation of airdrop equipment from the drop zone. The airborne forces do not need the follow-on echelon in the objective area during the initial assault but do need it for subsequent operations. When needed, the follow-on echelon enters the objective area as soon as possible by air, surface movement, or a combination of the two. It includes additional vehicles and equipment from assault echelon units, plus more combat, combat support, and combat service support units. The means of transportation used influences the composition of the follow-on echelon.     The rear echelon includes part of the DISCOM force left in the departure area that is not considered essential for initial combat operations. It has administrative and service elements not immediately needed in the objective area that can function more efficiently in the departure area. In long duration operations, the rear echelon can be brought into the airhead to      support subsequent operations. When a brigade is on Deployment Readiness Brigade 1 (DRB 1), it is referred to as being on mission cycle. During this cycle, the brigade is at its highest state of readiness. The brigade will be free of all outside demands on its personnel and equipment and is poised for take off from Pope AFB within 18 hours of being alerted. During this cycle, soldiers are on short leashes, liable for recall in accordance with the schedule on the previous page. To test the brigade’s "go to war" posture, emergency deployment readiness exercises (EDREs) are often scheduled. An EDRE is nothing more than a practice deployment which involves the DRF 1 Task Force and possibly the DRF 2 and DRF 3 as well. When the EDRE is called, no one knows if it is practice or real. The units go through the entire alert, recall, and deployment procedures as if it is real. Many EDREs actually involve having Task Forces jump into another US military base to conduct short field training exercises (FTXs). Training cycle, commonly referred to as intensified training cycle (or ITC) occurs when the brigade is the DRB 2. This period provides the brigade a period during which they can conduct uninterrupted training. Training during this period sustains skills that are highly perishable. It is during this period that your spouse will be gone the most. If the units of the brigade are not deployed for an extended time here on Ft. Bragg, they may be deployed to either the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) at Ft. Polk LA; the National Training Center (NTC) at Ft. Irwin, CA; or the Jungle Operations Training Center (JOTC) in Panama. Generally, no leaves are granted during this cycle, as it is imperative that the brigade utilizes this prime time training opportunity to hone its combat skills.    DRB 3 is when the brigade assumes support cycle. As the DRB 3, the brigade’s primary wartime mission is to provide personnel and equipment required to "push" the DRB 1 Task Force out of Ft. Bragg when they are called out. The battalion that is the DRF 9 has the primary mission to do this, and, so just as the DRF 1 is on a 2-hour string, so is the DRF 9. Additionally, because outloading DRF 1 is such an inflexible requirement, the DRF 7 and DRF 8 battalions must be prepared to provide support for whatever the Division or Corps may require. Some examples of these details include post support jobs such as providing life guards or parachute shake out personnel, evaluator support for units training on Ft. Bragg as well as National Guard/Reserve units, ROTC support, and training center support. During some support cycles, soldiers attend on- and off-post schools and enjoy leave. The 82nd Airborne Division has had its share of famous soldiers from Sergeant Alvin C. York to General James M. Gavin. But that's not what the 82nd is really about. The real story of the 82nd is the thousands of unnamed paratroopers in jump boots, baggy pants and maroon berets, who have always been ready and willing to jump into danger and then drive on until the mission was accomplished. The 82nd has become so well known for its airborne accomplishments, that its World War I heritage is almost forgotten. The 82nd Infantry Division was formed August 25, 1917, at Camp Gordon, Georgia. Since members of the Division came from all 48 states, the unit was given the nickname "All-Americans," hence its famed "AA" shoulder patch. In the spring of 1918, the Division deployed to France. In nearly five months of combat the 82nd fought in three major campaigns and helped to break the fighting spirit of the German Imperial Army. The 82nd was demobilized after World War I. For more than 20 years the "All-American Division" would live only in the memories of men who served in its ranks during the Great War. With the outbreak of World War II, the 82nd was reactivated on March 25, 1942 at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana under the command of Major General Omar N. Bradley. On August 15, 1942, the 82nd Infantry Division became the first airborne division in the U.S. Army. On that date, the All-American Division was re-designated the 82nd Airborne Division. In April 1943, paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division set sail for North Africa under the command of Major General Matthew B. Ridgeway to participate in the campaign to puncture the soft underbelly of the Third Reich. The Division's first two combat operations were parachute and glider assaults into Sicily and Salerno, Italy on July 9 and September 13, 1943. In January 1944, the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, which was temporarily detached from the Division to fight at Anzio, earned the nickname "Devils in Baggy Pants." The nickname was taken from an entry made in a German officer's diary. While the 504th was detached, the remainder of the 82nd was pulled out of Italy in November 1943 and moved to the United Kingdom to prepare for the liberation of Europe. With two combat jumps under its belt, the 82nd Airborne Division was now ready for the most ambitious airborne operation of the war, Operation NEPTUNE-the airborne invasion of Normandy. The operation was part of Operation OVERLORD, the amphibious assault on the northern coast of      Nazi-occupied France. In preparation for the operation, the division was reorganized. Two new parachute infantry regiments, the 507th and the 508th, joined the division, Due to its depleted state following the fighting in Italy, the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment did not take part in the invasion.    On June 5-6, 1944, the paratroopers of the 82nd's three parachute infantry regiments and reinforced glider infantry regiment boarded hundreds of transport planes and gliders and, began the largest airborne assault in history. They were among the first soldiers to fight in Normandy, France. By the time the All-American Division was pulled back to England, it had seen 33 days of bloody combat and suffered 5,245 paratroopers killed, wounded or missing. The Division's post battle report read, "...33 days of action without relief, without replacements. Every mission accomplished. No ground gained was ever relinquished." Following the Normandy invasion, the 82nd became part of the newly organized XVIII Airborne Corps, which consisted of the U.S. 17th, 82nd, and 101st Airborne Divisions. In September, the 82nd began planning for Operation MARKET-GARDEN in Holland. The operation called for three-plus airborne divisions to seize and hold key bridges and roads deep behind German lines. The 504th now back at full strength rejoined the 82nd, while the 507th went to the 17th Airborne Division. On 17 September 1944, the 82nd Airborne Division conducted its fourth combat jump of World War II into Holland. Fighting off ferocious German counterattacks, the 82nd captured its objectives between Grave and Nijmegen. Its success, however, was short-lived because the defeat of other Allied units at Arnhem. The gateway to Germany would not open in September 1944, and the 82nd was ordered back to France. Suddenly, on December 16, 1944, the Germans launched a surprise offensive through the Ardennes Forest which caught the Allies completely by surprise. Two days later the 82nd joined the fighting and blunted General Von Runstedt's northern penetration in the American lines. Following the surrender of Germany, the 82nd was ordered to Berlin for occupation duty. In Berlin General George Patton was so impressed with the 82nd's honor guard he said, "In all my years in the Army and all the honor guards I have ever seen, the 82nd's honor guard is undoubtedly the best." Hence the "All-Americans" became known as "America's Guard of Honor."     The 82nd returned to the United States January 3, 1946. Instead of being demobilized, the 82nd made its permanent home at Fort Bragg, North Carolina and was designated a regular Army division on November 15, 1948. Life in the 82nd during the 1950s and 1960s consisted of intensive training exercises in all environments and locations to include Alaska, Panama, the Far East and the continental United States. In April 1965, the "All-Americans" were alerted for action in response to the civil war raging in the Dominican Republic. Spearheaded by the 3rd Brigade, the 82nd deployed to the Caribbean in Operation POWER PACK. Peace and stability was restored by June 17, when the rebel guns were silenced.          Three years later, the 82nd Airborne Division was again called to action. During the Tet Offensive, which swept across the Republic of Vietnam in January 1968, the 3rd Brigade was alerted and within 24 hours, the brigade was enroute to Chu Lai. The 3rd Brigade performed combat duties in the Hue-Phu Bai area of the I Corps sector. Later the brigade was moved south to Saigon, and fought battles in the Mekong Delta, the Iron Triangle and along the Cambodian border. After serving nearly 22 months in Vietnam, the 3rd Brigade troopers returned to Fort Bragg on December 12, 1969. During the 1970s, Division units deployed to the Republic of Korea, Turkey and Greece for exercises in potential future battlegrounds. The Division was also alerted three times. War in the Middle East in the fall of 1973 brought the 82nd to full alert. Then in May 1978, the Division was alerted for a possible drop into Zaire, and again in November 1979, the      Division was alerted for a possible operation to rescue the American hostages in Iran. On October 25, 1983 elements of the 82nd were called back to the Caribbean to the tiny island of Grenada. The first 82nd unit to deploy in Operation URGENT FURY was a task force of the 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment. On October 26 and 27, the 1st Battalion, 505th Infantry and the 1st Battalion, 508th Infantry, with support units deployed to Grenada. Military operations in Grenada ended in early November. Operation URGENT FURY tested the Division's ability to deploy as a rapid deployment force. The first aircraft carrying division troopers touched down at Point Salinas 17 hours after notification. In March 1988, a brigade task force made up of two battalions from the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment conducted a parachute insertion and airland operation into Honduras as part of Operation GOLDEN PHEASANT. The deployment was billed a joint training exercise, but the paratroopers were ready to fight. The deployment of armed and willing paratroopers to the Honduran countryside caused the Sandinistas to withdraw back to Nicaragua. Operation GOLDEN PHEASANT prepared the paratroopers for future combat in the increasingly unstable world. On December 20, 1989, the "All-Americans," as part of Operation JUST CAUSE, conducted their first combat jump since World War II onto Torrijos International Airport, Panama. The paratroopers' goal was to oust a ruthless dictator and restore the duly-elected government to power in Panama. The 1st Brigade task force made up of the 1st and 2nd Battalions, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, parachuted into combat for the first time since World War II. In Panama, the paratroopers were joined on the ground by 3rd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment which was already in Panama. After the night combat jump and seizure of the airport, the 82nd conducted follow-on combat air assault missions in Panama City and the surrounding areas. The victorious paratroopers returned to Fort Bragg on January 12, 1990. But seven months later the paratroopers were again called to war. Six days after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait on August 2, 1990, the 82nd became the vanguard of the largest deployment of American troops since Vietnam. The first unit to deploy to Saudi Arabia was a task force comprising the Division's 2nd Brigade. Soon after, the rest of the Division followed. There, intensive training began in anticipation of fighting in the desert with the heavily armored Iraqi Army. The adage, or battle cry picked up by the paratroopers was, "The road home...is through Baghdad." On January 16, 1991, Operation DESERT STORM began when an armada of Allied war planes pounded Iraqi targets. The ground war began almost six weeks later. On February 23, the vehicle mounted 82nd Airborne Division paratroopers protected the XVIII Airborne Corps flank as fast-moving armor and mechanized units moved deep inside Iraq. A 2nd Brigade task force was attached to the 6th French Light Armored Division becoming the far left flank of the Corps. In the short 100-hour ground war, the vehicle mounted 82nd drove deep into Iraq and captured thousands of Iraqi soldiers and tons of equipment, weapons and ammunition. After the liberation of Kuwait, the 82nd began its redeployment back to Fort Bragg with most of the Division returning by the end of April. Following the Division's return and subsequent victory parades, the troopers began to re-establish some of the systems that had become dormant during their eight months in the desert. On top of the list was the regaining of individual and unit airborne proficiency and the continuation of tough and realistic training. In August 1992, the Division was alerted to      deploy a task force to the hurricane-ravaged area of South Florida and provide humanitarian assistance following Hurricane Andrew. For more than 30 days, Division troopers provided food, shelter and medical attention to a grateful Florida population, instilling a sense of hope and renewed confidence in the military. On the 50th anniversary of the Operation MARKET-GARDEN, the 82nd again answered the nation's call and prepared to conduct a parachute assault in the Caribbean nation of Haiti to help restore democracy. With the troopers aboard aircraft heading towards the island, the defacto regime capitulated, and the Division was turned back to Fort Bragg. 82nd Airborne Division paratroopers were among the first ground troops sent into the war-torn Kosovo region of the Balkans in Summer 1999, when the 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment moved in from neighboring Macedonia. They were followed shortly by the 3d Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, who themselves will be followed by the 1st Battalion,      325th Airborne Infantry Regiment in January 2001 as part of regular peacekeeping operation rotations.          THE 173RD AIRBORNE BRIGADE      The 173rd 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. The Brigade deployed to France in 1918 as part of the Division, but did participate in any named campaigns.     Returning to the United States the Brigade was demobilized January 1919 at Camp Dix, New Jersey. Reconstituted 24 June 1921 in the Organized Reserves as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 173rd Infantry Brigade, and assigned to the 87th Division at Shreveport, Louisiana. Organized in December 1921 at Mobile, Alabama. Re-designated 23 March 1925 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 173rd Brigade. Re-designated 24 August 1936 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company 173rd Infantry Brigade. Converted and re-designated 13 February 1942 as the 87th Reconnaissance Troop and ordered into active military service 15 December 1942. During World War II, when brigades were eliminated from divisions, Headquarters and Headquarters Company of the 173rd Infantry Brigade fought in three European campaigns as the 87th      Reconnaissance Troop. After the war, the troop reverted to reserve status and was active from 1947 to 1951 at Birmingham, Alabama. It was inactivated 1 December 1951 at Birmingham, Alabama and released from assignment to the 87th Infantry Division. In 1963 it was allotted to the Regular Army and activated on Okinawa 26 March 1963 as the 173d 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 and 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. 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 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 the Co N, 75th Infantry (Ranger). At its peak in Vietnam, the 173rd Airborne Brigade (Sep) had nearly 3,000 soldiers assigned. The troopers of the 173rd Airborne Brigade wear their combat badges and decorations with pride. 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, 32 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 on 12 June 2000 on Caserma Ederle in Vicenza, Italy, where it serves as European Command’s only conventional airborne strategic response force for the European Theater. Today's Sky Soldiers continue the distinction of honored service earned through service dating back to World War I, and proudly represent the airborne fighting spirit with routine training deployments to Bosnia, Kosovo, Hungary, Tunisia, Morocco, Germany, Italy, Czech Republic, and more. These deployments are an important part of CINCEUR’S theater engagement strategy, demonstrating both a commitment to preserving stability in Europe and the ability to provide immediate response to crisis situations throughout the theater.       THE 101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION Radio callsign:"KANGAROO" In 1942, the 82nd Infantry Division at Camp Claiborne, LA was split in two, to form two new Airborne Infantry Divisions. The 82nd Airborne and the 101st Airborne. Both divisions were stationed at Ft Bragg, N.C. before being shipped overseas.     The 82nd departed first, heading to North Africa. The 101st absorbed one parachute regiment, the 502nd, which had been originally activated as a battalion in 1941. This became the original Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) on the Table of Organizations & Equipment (TO&E) of the 101st Division. The division's original organic units were artillery and support battalions. In early 1943, the 506th PIR was attached to the division, which sailed for the UK in September aboard 3 different transport ships. A period of intense maneuvering and training, including practice jumps, ensued in England. The division was preparing for a landing on the Nazi occupied European continent, but the exact location was still unknown. The 501st PIR, which like the 506th, had initially trained seperately, was also attached to the 101st Division in January, 1944, in England. Although both regiments wore the 101st Airborne shoulder patch in battle, the 501st and 506th were only members by attachment until after WW2 ended. The 506th was accepted as a TO&E part of the division after VE-Day. The 501st was deactivated in July, 1945, having never been an official organic part of the division.     When the 101st was reactivated in 1956, the 501 was incorporated as part of the TO&E. In the spring of 1944, General Bill Lee, the original commanding general of the 101st Airborne had to relinquish command due to a heart ailment. His replacement was General Maxwell D. Taylor, who would lead the 101st through combat until the end of WW2. The 101st participated in Exercise Tiger at Slapton Sands on the south coast of England in April. In June, the Division landed in Normandy on, and behind the Utah Beach area. Paratroopers were dropped onto three landing zones, and relatively few troops of the 101st landed by glider. The rest of the division landed by sea. The three parachute regiments captured the four elevated roads leading inland from Utah Beach and secured various key terrain objectives behind the east coast of the Cotentin Peninsula. This was done with great success, and a new objective was added to their agenda: the taking of Carentan, France. This not only aided in linking the Utah and Omaha beachheads, it helped prevent the Germans from driving through to the coast in an area which would divide the Allied landings. One of the biggest pitched battles pitted part of the 501 PIR against 1st Bn of the German 6th Para Regiment on 7 June. This resulted in a great victory for Colonel Johnson's regiment. The 502's 3rd battalion won particular honors in it's costly battle to secure the road into Carentan from the north-this became known as 'Purple Heart Lane', due to the many American casualties taken there. A Congressional Medal of Honor was awarded to LTC Robert Cole for his leadership in a bayonet charge at the south end of the causeway. This was the first of only two CMH's awarded to 101st personnel in WW2. The 101st took Carentan and the 506th, reinforced by CCA, 2d Armored Division, defended it against counterattacks by the 17th SS division and the 6th Para Regiment. The 101st was withdrawn from the lines in late June and sailed back to England on LSTs in July. After several false alerts, they invaded by air again in the Netherlands on 17 September 17, 1944. Their mission in Holland was to hold open a corridor for British armor to drive north and relieve their paratroops who had landed at Arnhem. Although the mission failed to achieve it's long range objectives, the 101st as well as the 82nd Airborne Division accomplished all missions assigned to them. Once again, fierce fighting raged and another 101st man won the CMH. Pfc Joe Mann of H/502 laid on a German grenade to save his buddies; the CMH was awarded posthumously. Withdrawn from Holland at the end of November for recuperation, the 101st was sent to Camp Mourmelon le Grand, France. Less than 3 weeks later, the 101st was rushed north into Belgium in trucks, to counter the German      Ardennes counteroffensive. Throwing a cordon around the key road and rail center of Bastogne, the 101st Division was surrounded for a week by elements of eight German divisions, but refused to yield the town to the enemy. Here, General Anthony McAuliffe, the acting commander rejected a German surrender ultimatum with a one word reply of "Nuts". The German ring around Bastogne was broken on 26 December, 1944, when elements of Patton's 3rd Army shot their way into the town. But even heavier fighting ensued, as the 101st pushed north toward Houffalize for the first half of January, to help close the Bulge.     The 463rd Parachute Field Artillery (PFA) Bn. was attached to the 101st just before the Bulge and remained with the division for the duration of WW2. That unit had prior combat experience at Anzio, as well as in southern France, supporting the 1st Special Service Force. The 101st left Bastogne in trucks in mid January, 1945, and the weary Bastogne survivors were rushed to the 7th Army front in Alsace-Lorraine, to reinforce the line along the Moder River. A month later, the 101st boarded trains (40&8 boxcars) and returned to the Reims, France area, this time Mourmelon le Petit, where they received a Presidential Unit Citation for their defense of Bastogne. In April, the division, minus the 501 PIR, boarded trucks and went to the Dusseldorf area. The Ruhr Pocket was closed by numerous American units, trapping most of the German 15th Army. The 501st stayed behind in the Reims area as a standby force, in case the Germans decided to massacre Allied POWs in the Stalags. Since the war was almost over and the outcome was a forgone conclusion, there were rumors that the Germans planned to carry out such a last hateful act. This didn't happen, and the anticipated jumps, to be guided-in by SAARF teams, did not materialize. Elements of the 101st rode in DUKWs to Bavaria to check out the possibility that Hitler had established an Alpine Redoubt for continued resistance. This proved to be an overestimated threat, but elements of the 101st participated in the capture of Hitler's Obersalzberg complex. Elements of the divison were sent from Berchtesgaden down into Austria, shortly after VE Day, where they held towns from Krimml to Taxenbach, as occupation forces. Despite rumors that the division would be rotated to fight in the Pacific Theatre, the war ended in August. Jumping elements of the division made one last pay jump at Auxerre, France in September, 1945. When it was decided that the 101st would be inactivated and the 82nd retained as a postwar airborne division, the 101st lost its chance to march in the New York victory parade. By the time the victory parade took place in early 1946, most survivors of the heaviest fighting were already discharged under the 'points' system. They had been back working at civilian jobs for months. Some former Screaming Eagles (mostly rookies) were among the 82nd Airborne troopers who marched down 5th Avenue. The 101st Airborne Division was deactivated in late 1945, and ceased to exist as a U.S. Army unit until it was reborn in 1956. It has continued ever since, with combat tours in Vietnam and the Gulf War.      Radio callsign:"KICKOFF" The 502nd Parachute Infantry under Colonel George Van Horn Moseley was activated as a battalion in 1941. The troops had already undergone significant training when the 101st Division was activated in mid 1942. The 502 or five-oh-deuce, as they became known, were increased in size to a regiment, and made the original TO&E Parachute Infantry Regiment in the 101st Airborne Division. Unlike other early Parachute Battalions, the 502 retained the same unit number and personnel when increased in size. To them for artillery support, was attached the only Parachute Field Artillery (PFA)battalion of the division, the 377th PFA Bn. The 321st was assigned to support the 506th and later, the 501 received support from the 907th,( both Glider Field Artillery battalions.) When the 101st settled in at Ft Bragg, N.C., the 502 made many practice jumps, becoming familiar with Maxton & Pope fields, and participating in war games near Evansville, Indiana. The Deuce sailed to England in September, 1943, with most of the divisional sub units. This ill-fated voyage aboard the SS Strathnaver was soon aborted, with the ship setting in to port at Newfoundland. There was salt water in the ship's fresh water tanks. On attempting to set sail once again, the Strathnaver struck rocks in the harbor and went to port again. Finally, another ship was arranged, the SS John Erickson, which transported Moseley's regiment the rest of the way to England. The total trip required six weeks. Meanwhile the 506th and much of the 327th GIR had already reached England on another transport.      The 502 settled in around the Chilton-Foliat and Hungerford areas, living in a combination of Nissen huts, tents, and English houses. After seemingly unending training in the cold, bleak English countryside, the Deuce finally received its orders for the D-Day Invasion. Flying in the first serials to depart from Membury and Greenham Common, the Deuce was primarily responsible for securing the two northerly exits (each of them causeways across swampy ground), behind Utah Beach. These were exits #4 (St Martin de Varreville), and #3 (Audoville la Hubert). Southwest of St Martin was a field containing four concrete blockhouses with German artillery pieces sited on the shoreline near Exit #4. Taking this position became the prime concern of the 502 regiment, which was to be aided by the 377th PFA Bn. On 6 June 1944, the Deuce had landed by parachute in France and discovered their primary objective had already been neutralized by air bombardment. Roadblocks were established to halt enemy traffic along Exit #4, and a makeshift force under LTC Robert Cole, the 3rd Bn C.O., took Exit #3. The regimental C.O., Colonel Moseley sustained a badly broken leg and would soon be forced to relinquish command. The planned regimental C.P. at Loutres was discarded and a new one at Objective 'W' at St Martin de Varreville, was opened by Moseley's successor, the erstwhile EXO, Mike Michaelis. As the men of the Deuce assembled, the groups headed past Division HQ at Hiesville and reformed at la Croix Pan and Blosville, along the N-13, north of St Come du Mont. They migrated south and received their toughest mission of the war: to spearhead the drive south along the N13 Carentan Causeway. This attack, staged on 10-11 June, 1944 caused so many friendly losses that the 502 men dubbed the Carentan Causeway "Purple Heart Lane". Day and night, the Deuce, with 2nd Bn in reserve, fought along the single, elevated road, doggedly advancing even as they were picked off like clay pigeons by Germans firing from the swamps on either side of the road. After crossing the Madeleine River Bridge, known as Bridge #4, LTC Cole ordered all present to fix bayonets and charge the Ingouf farm. For leading this successful charge, Colonel Cole was later awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. All day fighting raged on 11 June, near the Ingouf farm and south of it, in a cabbage patch, where 1st battalion troops fought the 3rd Bn of the German 6th Parachute Regiment. The Germans were finally swept away and Cole's surviving men went into reserve. The 2nd battalion came up on 13 June to aid the 506th near Bloody Gulch SW of Carentan. After pulling security duties near Cherbourg in late June, the 502 sailed back to England on LSTs in July, to await another mission.       On 17 September, 1944, the 502 landed by parachute on the Zon, Holland DZ. Second Bn was in reserve near Wolfswinkel at first. First Bn went north to capture and outpost St Oedenrode. Third Bn sent patrols through the Zonsche forest, probing toward the town and bridge at Best. German troops denied U.S. forces the bridge at Best by blowing it up. In fierce fighting just short of the bridge, Pfc Joe Mann was killed when he laid on a German grenade to save comrades who were in the same pit with him. Pfc Mann received the second and only other CMH (both awarded posthumously), in the WW2 101st division. Germans of the 15th Army, migrating east toward the German border, were thrown into the fighting near Best in increasing numbers. LTC Cole was fatally wounded by a sniper in the Zonsche Forest. Second battalion was committed to the fighting there. With help from British armor, the Deuce, minus 1st Bn, turned the tide and captured many hundreds of German troops near the Zonsche Forest. The Third Bn EXO, Major John P. Stopka assumed command of Cole's Battalion. On 22 September, LTC Michaelis was WIA by an artillery shell and command of the 502 passed to erstwhile 2nd Bn commander, Steve Chappuis. When the 101st migrated north to hold positions on the 'Island', SW of Arnhem, the 502 was in reserve near Dodewaard, where action was limited to patrolling. Some losses were sustained there, mainly from landmines such as the German mercury tilt and Riegle mines.       After a brief rest period at Camp Mourmelon le Grand, France, the 502 rushed north in trucks with the rest of the 101st to hold the crucial road and rail junction of Bastogne Belgium. Surrounded there, the 502 held positions on the north and northwest portion of the circle. Enemy probes began hitting them after failing elsewhere in the circular defense line. A Christmas morning fight at Champs, Belgium, followed by repulse of an armored attack on the C.P. at Rolle, were memorable events. On 3 January, 1945, a heavy engagement took place above Longchamps, Belgium involving 2nd Battalion of the Deuce. The 19th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment of the Hohenstauffen division was able to capture almost forty American parachutists there, mostly members of F/502. The following week saw bloody fighting along the railroad line running NE through the Bois Jacques forest. During this drive, LTC John Stopka was KIA, and Cecil Simmons became the third and final commander of 3/502. The objective, Bourcy, Belgium, was finally taken. (The      railroad line mentioned no longer exists-it was salvaged for steel in 1995-96).       After Bastogne, the Deuce traveled to the 7th Army (Alsace) front with the rest of the 101st Airborne in mid January. After holding a line along the Moder River for over a month, they took 40&8 boxcars to Mourmelon le Petit, France. April 1945 saw the Deuce in the vicinity of Dusseldorf, helping to close the Ruhr Pocket along the Rhine River. In May, the Deuce arrived at Berchtesgaden a bit later than the 506th, 327th and 321st, who led the division advance into the Obersalzberg area.      Members of the Deuce with high points sailed home in the summer of 1945, while others, awaiting discharge were absorbed into the Deuce in the interim. Returning to France, this time the Joigny-Auxerre area, the Deuce made one final 'pay jump' in September, 1945. The regiment and the division were deactivated in December, 1945. The unit would be resurrected with the 101st Airborne in 1956.  Radio callsign:"KIDNAP" U.S. Paratrooper outfits have always been solely comprised of volunteers. In the months following Pearl Harbor, many men entering the Army volunteered for the Airborne, whether they had enlisted or were drafted via Selective Service. In mid 1942, a new experiment was tried by the U.S. Army. A new regiment was forming under Colonel Robert Sink at Camp Toombs (later Toccoa), GA. The 506th began accepting recruits straight from civilian life, who had volunteered for Parachute duty. They were given many weeks of intensive physical training, intended to prepare them for successful completion of jump school at Ft Benning. Runs to the top of local Mt Currahee and back were part of the torturous training at Toccoa. This mountain became a symbol of the 506th, providing it's motto and insignia. Also at Toccoa, a fiendish obstacle course was developed. The various battalions began leaving for jump school in November, 1942. It was decided that 2/3 of the regiment would march there, to break the world's marching record, held up til then by the Imperial Japanese Army. First battalion, for some reason was allowed to ride to Benning on a train. The second Bn completed the march of over 120 miles, and third Bn marched further, totaling almost 140 miles. After qualifying the troops as jumpers, the 506th moved to Camp Mackall, N.C. substituting their GHQ Reserve shoulder patches for Airborne Command patches. These insignia were used by members of units not part of divisional organizations. Soon after, the 101st patch was substituted as the 506th became members by attachment of the Screaming Eagle division at Ft Bragg, N.C. In September, the 506th sailed to the U.K. aboard the SS Samaria.       The troops were billeted in the Aldbourne-Ramsbury area, and reopened the jump school started by the 509 Bn (before their drop in North Africa) at Chilton Foliat. Also at Chilton Foliat, parachute riggers from the various regiments set up their maintenance and repair shops. During the latter part of 1943 and the first half of 1944, a continuous flow of parachutist replacements arrived and were absorbed into the 506th and other regiments as last minute reinforcements for the Normandy Invasion. On the night of 5 June, 1944, 1st and 2d battalions of the 506th departed their airfield at Uppottery, England, with the mission of securing the two southerly exits leading inland from Utah Beach. These were the causeways running through Pouppeville (Exit #1), and St Marie du Mont (Exit#2). Company 'E' especially distinguished itself in knocking out a four gun battery of 105mm artillery near le Grand Chemin. The 3rd battalion had a totally seperate mission. Departing from Exeter airfield, they were to land on Drop Zone 'D' above Carentan, and capture two bridges across the Douve River near Brevands. despite horrible drop zone casualties, this mission was accomplished. 3rd Bn commander LTC Robert Wolverton had been killed on the DZ along with his EXO, Major George Grant. Only 120 of the 680 men of 3/506th who jumped on D-Day, made it to their objective. Regrouping on 7 June, the 506th drove south to Dead Man's Corner, during which LTC Billy Turner, the C.O. of 1st battalion was killed by a sniper. The troops were withdrawn to Beaumont for the night and on 8 June, once again took Dead Man's Corner, and in concert with 3/501, captured St Come du Mont. Elements of the 506th held the line in such diverse locations as les Quesnils and La Croix, before flanking Carentan, France from the west and meeting the 501 at la Billonnerie to complete encirclement of that city. Second battalion entered Carentan, and met the 401 Glider Infantry in the town to complete its liberation. 13 June, 1944 was an especially costly and difficult one for the 506th regiment. They launched an A.M. attack which happened to coincide with a German attack by the 17th SS Panzer Grenadier Division. This battle of 'Bloody Gulch' ended when the SS were repulsed with welcome assistance from the 2/502 and the Rose Task force from CCA, 2nd Armored Division. Late in June, the 506th moved north from the Carentan area with the rest of the 101st division. They spent two nights near St Saveur le Vicomte before moving into positions near Cherbourg for security duties. In July, they sailed back to England on LSTs to await another mission.       On 17 September, the 506th parachuted onto DZ 'C' NW of Zon, Holland. The Zon bridge was destroyed by the Germans before the 1st battalion could sieze it. Many losses were suffered from direct 88mm fire. Most of the 506th headed south to link up with British armor which was driving up along 'Hell's Highway'. Eindhoven was liberated on 18 September, and other 506 elements defended the 101st C.P. from armored probes back at Son. Later, the 506th leapfrogged north, to Veghel, then Uden. They helped hold Veghel against numerous German attacks and went back south to Koevering, above St Oedenrode, to reopen Hell's Highway when a British column was decimated there. Passing up through the 82nd Airborne's sector, they crossed the Nijmegen bridge in early October, staged at Zetten, then went into a west-facing line at Opheusden. While 1st and 3rd Bn units fought off attacks from the west, 2nd Bn secured the dike facing north across the Neder Rhine, from Randwijk to Ophesuden. Relieved on the Opheusden line by elements of the 327th GIR, the 506th held static positions and participated in the rescue of Arnhem survivors one night in late October. Over 120 starved and exhausted British paratroopers were successfully brought across the river. Later,1st battalion was physically seperated from the regiment and held the 'Coffin Corner' area, east of Driel. There they stayed until the Germans blew the dike just east of the railroad bridge,flooding the entire area.      Withdrawn for rest and refitting like the rest of the 101st, the 506th settled-in at Camp Mourmelon le Grand, France. Some men got passes to Paris, but the vacation was over all too soon. The Ardennes offensive began on 16 December and the 101st Airborne rushed north in trucks, arriving in Bastogne, Belgium on the night of the 18-19th of December. On the morning of the 19th,the 506th marched north from Bastogne, with 2nd and 3rd battalions forming a line facing north. This line extended from the RR track which crossed the Foy-Bizory road, to a point just SW of Recogne. The 501 was east of the RR tracks and the 3/502 was west of Recogne. First battalion continued north, joining Major Desobry's task force from the 10th Armored division at Noville. For the rest of Dec.19th and part of Dec. 20th, this group held out against overwhelming odds, and LTC Laprade, the Bn commander of 1/506th was KIA in Novile before the order was received to withdraw. In the next several weeks, the hamlet of Foy changed hands at least six times, and elements of 1st Bn were rotated to the west perimeter, between Hemroulle-Champs. Counterattacks to the north began in early January, and went as far as Cobru and the Fazone woods. Heavy losses were sustained to direct artillery fire from German tanks around 10 January. The bloody defense and counteroffensive at Bastogne ended for the 101st in mid January, and the 506th went from Bastogne to Alsace-Lorraine by trucks.       Winter warfare continued along the 7th Army front near Hagenau. Withdrawn by train to Mourmelon le Petit, the 506th marched in review for Generals Eisenhower, Ridgeway, and Brereton along with the rest of the 101st, as the entire division was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for the Bastogne campaign. This was the first such award to an entire division and was said to be the equivalent of awarding every man in the division the Distinguished Service Cross. The 506th joined the division in holding a line near Neuss, along the Rhine River. Next, they boarded Ducks (DUKWs), and rode toward Bavaria, passing through Mannheim and Landsberg enroute. Near Landsberg, the 506th liberated a concentration camp, which revealed that anti Nazi propaganda had not been exaggerated. Continuing east along the autobahn, the 506th reached the only bridge giving access to the Obersalzberg area at Piding. A Regiment of the 3rd Infantry Division held up the 506th as well as the French 2d Armored division for some hours, before the 3rd division      colonel granted passage across that bridge. The 506th with their accompanying 321st Artillery Bn, were among the first Allied troops to enter Hitler's Berghof as well as the Eagle's Nest on Kehlstein mountain. Shortly after VE-Day, the 506th was rotated south to hold a line from Taxenbach/Rauris, west to Niedernsill, Austria. Colonel Robert Sink, 'Uncle Bob' was still in command-the only regimental commander in the 101st who remained in place throughout the war. In the summer of 1945, the 506th was made an official TO&E member of the 101st Airborne Division on paper. But this honor didn't last long, as the division was inactivated at the end of 1945. Photo of Kidnap HQ sign taken along Hell's Highway in September, 1944, courtesy J. Reeder.       Radio callsign:"KLONDIKE". In mid November, 1942, the 501 PIR was activated at Camp Toccoa, GA, following the same idea that Colonel Sink's 506th had utilized. Colonel Howard R. Johnson was the dynamic commander of the 501 regiment. Volunteers both drafted and Regular Army, who had joined the Army to be paratroopers, arrived by trainloads, fresh from induction centers. For them the 501 WAS the Army for the next several years. The 506th was departing for jumpschool at Benning as the first volunteers for the 501 began to arrive at Toccoa. The 506 guys tossed cherry bombs into the barracks of the 501ers the night they departed ("We thought they were a rowdy bunch at the time", one 501 man recalled later). The recruits were trained by a cadre, some of whom were already jump qualified. Putting the troops through special pre-jumpschool Basic Training at Toccoa, many men who were not capable of long distance running were weeded out of the 501. Distance running was the main emphasis in Colonel Johnson's book. In spring,1943, the 501 left Toccoa, one battalion at a time to attend the Parachute School at Ft Benning, GA. The 511 and 517 regiments had arrived to train at Toccoa in the same manner, (although they were destined for different divisions.) Some 501 commanders, like Major "Big Red" Shelby of 3rd Bn, were disappointed that the regiment rode to The Parachute School (TPS) on trains. He had wanted to march there, as the 506th had done. The troops were not disappointed and Shelby was shipped out before the 501 sailed for overseas. After completing jump training, the troops received furloughs and then settled-in for many months of large unit training at Camp Mackall, N.C. In September-October, 1943, the 501 went to 2nd Army Maneuvers in Tennessee. In December, 1943 another round of furloughs was granted. In January, 1944, they sailed to England aboard the USS George W. Goethals, landed at Glasgow, Scotland and took trains to camps at Newbury and Lambourne, England. They became members by attachment only, of the 101st Airborne Division. This was actually a disappointment in loss of identity for the original 501 members, who believed Colonel Johnson's prediction that the 501 would make a name for itself as the crucial element in winning WW2.       On 6 June, 1944, departing from airfields at Merryfield and Welford, the 501 parachuted into Normandy behind Utah Beach. RHQ, and First Bn were to seize the lock at la Barquette, over the Douve River. Second Battalion was to destroy Bridge #2 over the Douve on the N-13 highway and secure the town of St Come du Mont. Third Bn, jumping in "reserve" was to land on DZ 'C' and provide security for 101 Div. HQ at Hiesville. Despite mis drops of some of the units, some of these objectives were accomplished on D-Day, except for the destruction of Bridge #2 and the capture of St Come du Mont. Both of those events occurred on 8 June. The biggest pitched battle of the 501 in Normandy took place at Hells Corners, Peneme, France near the Lock on 7 June, 1944. A force led by Col. Johnson wiped out the 1st Bn of the German 6th Parachute Regiment there, and Colonel Johnson received the Silver Star Medal. The 501 re grouped at Vierville, 9 June, then crossed the Douve River near Brevands, passed through Catz, and staged for the encirclement of Carentan at St Hilaire Petit Ville. On 12 June, they attacked Hill 30, where several 501ers won the D.S.C., and met elements of the 506th at la Billonnerie. Carentan fell, with 2/506th and the 401 Glider Infantry entering the town from opposite sides. On the following day, the 501 repulsed counterattacks by the 17th SS division south of Carentan. The 501 Regiment was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation for their role in the Normandy Invasion.       Returning to England via LSTs, the regiment received replacements and on 17 September, 1944, parachuted into combat again in Holland. Elements of the 501 landed on DZA-1 near Heeswijk, and others on the DZ between Veghel and Eerde. The mission was to secure the part of Hell's Highway which would tie-in with the 82nd Airborne below Grave. Heavy fighting raged around Veghel and Eerde, and the 501 was later reinforced by elements of the 506th and other division sub units. Schijndel, Holland was briefly captured but troops were soon withdrawn to keep the highway open for northbound British armor. The Guards Armored Division was headed for Arnhem but arrived too late to help their Airborne comrades. The 501 moved north in early October, 1944, with the rest of the division and took up positions facing the Neder Rhine river along the 'Island', west of Arnhem. While across from Renkum, Holland a six man patrol from 501 crossed the Neder Rhine and returned with 32 German POWs, including an SS captain. This epic called 'The Incredible Patrol' was reported in LIFE Magazine, making the 501 world famous. Also while on the dike positions on 8 October, 1944, Colonel H.R.'Jumpy' Johnson, the unique and dynamic leader of the 501 was KIA by German artillery fire. He was initially buried at Nijmegen, Holland but has since been re interred in Arlington National Cemetery. LTC Julian J. Ewell assumed regimental command. The dike positions were held until late November, when the regiment was sent to Mourmelon le Grand, France with the rest of the 101 division for recuperation.       The rest was short-lived, as the 101 was sent north to help stop the German Ardennes breakthrough on 18 December. Arriving at the city of Bastogne, Belgium, where seven roads converged, the 101st threw a cordon around the town. Arriving on the night of 18-19 December, 1944, the entire division found itself surrounded by Dec. 21st. The 501 was sent east on the morning of the 19th, in the most direct path of the German attack. Contact was made at Bizory, Neffe, and Mont, and much of company 'I' was lost in a battle with Tiger Royal Tanks and Panzer Grenadiers of the Panzer Lehr Division, at a town called Wardin. Establishing a C.P. in the Bastogne seminary, LTC Julian J. Ewell commanded until WIA at Recogne on 9 January. Heavy attacks against the east perimeter were fended off on 20-21 December, 1944. January 3-4 saw more heavy fighting as the 501 attacked north through the Bois Jacques forest as part of the push to close the Bulge at Houffalize. When LTC Ewell was WIA, LTC Robert A. Ballard took command of the 501 for the duration of WW2. The 501 was awarded another Presidential Citation for the defense of Bastogne.       The 501 moved with the 101st Division to the 7th Army front in mid January, and held a line along the Moder River, in Alsace-Lorraine, until relieved in February. They rode 40 & 8 boxcars to Mourmelon le Petit, France, where they lived in a tent city (M34 Pyramidal tents) for over two months. They remained there when the rest of the 101st departed for the Ruhr Pocket near Dusseldorf. The 501 was held in strategic reserve for possible deployment to jump on enemy Stalags to avert last minute massacres by the Nazis. These reprisals never occured, and the 501 eventually rejoined the division at Berchtesgaden. The 501 was inactivated in July, 1945, and throughout its existence was never a TO&E part of the 101st Division. This was changed in 1956, when the new 101st Airborne Division was activated.        THE AIRBORNE CREED I am an Airborne trooper! A PARATROOPER!    I jump by parachute from any plane in flight. I volunteered to do it, knowing well the hazards of my choice.     I serve in a mighty Airborne Force--famed for deeds in war--renowned for readiness in peace. It is my pledge to uphold its honor and prestige in all I am--in all I do.      I am an elite trooper--a sky trooper--a shock trooper--a spearhead trooper. I blaze the way to far-flung goals--behind, before, above the foe's front line. I know that I may have to fight without support for days on end. Therefore, I keep mind and body always fit to do my part in any Airborne task. I am self-reliant and unafraid. I shoot      true, and march fast and far. I fight hard and excel in every art and artifice of war. I never fail a fellow trooper. I cherish as a sacred trust the lives of men with whom I serve. Leaders have my fullest loyalty, and those I lead never find me lacking. I have pride in the Airborne! I never let it down!   In peace, I do not shrink the dullest of duty not protest the toughest training. My weapons and equipment are always combat ready. I am neat of dress--military in courtesy--proper in conduct and behavior. In battle, I fear no foe's ability, nor under-estimate his prowess, power and guile. I fight him with all my might and skills--ever alert to evade capture or escape a trap. I never surrender, though I be the last. My goal in peace or war is to succeed in any mission of the day--or die, if needs be, in the try.     I belong to a proud and glorious team--the Airborne, the Army, my Country. I am its chosen pride to fight where others may not go--to serve them well until the final victory.      I am the trooper of the sky! I am my Nation's best! In peace and war I never fail. Anywhere, anytime, in anything--I AM AIRBORNE!       AIRBORNE SCHOOL FORT BENNING, GEORGIA The United States Army Airborne School — widely known as Jump  School — conducts the basic paratrooper (military parachutist) training for  the United States armed forces. It is operated by the 1st Battalion  (Airborne), 507th Infantry, United States Army Infantry School, Fort  Benning, Georgia. The Airborne School conducts the Basic Airborne Course,  which is open to troops of both genders from all branches of the United  States Department of Defense and allied military personnel. The purpose of the Basic Airborne  Course is to qualify the student in the use of the parachute as a means of  combat deployment and to develop leadership, self-confidence, and an  aggressive spirit through mental and physical conditioning. All students  must volunteer to attend the course, and may elect to quit at any time. The course is three weeks long and  consists of three phases: "Ground Week", "Tower Week" and "Jump Week".  Rigorous physical training (PT) is emphasized throughout the entire course.  The initial entry PT test consists of the standard Army Physical Fitness  Test (APFT). All age groups must pass this test using the 17 – 21 age group  standards. The pullup requirement was lifted in October 2006. History In 1940, the War Department  approved the formation of a test platoon of Airborne Infantry under the  direction and control of the Army's Infantry Board. A test platoon of  volunteers was organized from Fort Benning's 29th Infantry Regiment, and the  2d Infantry Division was directed to conduct tests to develop reference data  and operational procedures for air-transported troops. First Lieutenant William T. Ryder  volunteered and was made the test platoon's platoon leader, Lieutenant James  A. Bassett was designated assistant platoon leader, and forty-eight enlisted  men were selected from a pool of 200 volunteers. The platoon moved into  tents near Lawson Field, and an abandoned hanger was obtained for training  and parachute packing. Lieutenant Colonel William C. Lee, a  staff officer for the Chief of Infantry, recommended that the test platoon  be moved to the Safe Parachute Company at Hightstown, NJ and train using  parachute drop towers from the New York World's Fair. Eighteen days after  forming, the platoon was moved to New Jersey and trained for one week on the  250-foot free towers, which proved to be particularly effective - drops from  the tower added realism otherwise impossible to duplicate outside of an  airplane drop, and proved to the troopers that their parachutes would  function safely. Impressed, the Army purchased two and erected them on what  is now Eubanks Field at Fort Benning. Two more were later added, and today  three of the original four towers are still in use. Parachute landing  training was often conducted by the volunteers jumping from PT platforms and  from the back of moving trucks to allow the trainees to experience the shock  of landing. Less than forty-five days after it was formed, members of the  test platoon made their first jump from a Douglas B-18 over Lawson Field on  16 August 1940. Lieutenant Ryder and Private William N. (Red) King became  the first officer and enlisted man to make an official jump as paratroopers  in the United States Army. On 29 August, the platoon made the first platoon  mass jump held in the United States. Members of the original test platoon  formed the battalion cadre of the 501st Parachute Battalion, the first  parachute combat unit. The second, the 502d Parachute Infantry Battalion,  was activated on 1 July 1941. As more airborne units were activated, a  centralized training facility was organized at Fort Benning on 15 May 1942.  Over time, the U.S. Army Parachute School was known by a variety of names: The Airborne School (1 January 1946); Airborne Army Aviation Section, The Infantry School (1  November 1946); Airborne  Department, The Infantry School (February, 1955); Airborne-Air Mobility Department (February, 1956); Airborne Department (August 1964); Airborne-Air Mobility Department (October, 1974); Airborne Department (October, 1976); 4th Airborne Training Battalion, The School Brigade (January, 1982); 1st Battalion (Abn), 507TH Parachute Infantry, The School  Brigade (October, 1985); and 1st Battalion (Abn), 507TH Infantry, 11th Infantry Regiment (July, 1991). Ground Week Before you get to jump out of a plane  you must first learn how to land on the ground safely. The T-10D  round-shaped parachute that static-line paratroopers use gives a descent  rate of 23.5 ft/sec for 250 pounds suspended (the equivalent of one 200  pound jumper, 35 pounds of combat equipment, and 15 pounds of reserve  parachute), which is the equivalent of jumping from a two-story building.  For the jumper's safety, they must learn the skills required to safely  transition to landing and dissipate the energy upon hitting the ground over  their entire body, preventing injury. Soldiers are taught how to wear the  parachute harness correctly and how to use the special training gear. During  Ground Week, soldiers will spend a lot of time learning, practicing, and  perfecting their Parachute Landing Fall (PLF). This maneuver teaches a  soldier to transfer the energy of your fall (landing) up the sides of the  lower legs and knees, all the way up to side of the upper body. The key is  landing with your feet and knees together. To practice the PLFs, soldiers  will jump from platforms of various heights into sand or pebble pits  simulating the final stage of parachute landing. All the while, the Black  Hat instructors observe and correct the soldier's body position and PLF  technique. Over and over a soldier will practice the PLF - expect a  soldier's body to become quite sore from the repetitive falling as well as  the uniform to get beat up. This week culminates in practice landings from  the Lateral Drift Assembly, in order to simulate landing while moving across  the ground. The 34-foot tower is also used to simulate exiting an aircraft  in flight. To continue to week 2, you must pass all jump training test as  well as the physical fitness requirements. Some students that are unable to  advance may require additional training or get "recycled" to another class  due to lack of progress or injury. Tower Week The second week of Jump School  concentrates on the jump towers. Soldiers will continue using the 34-foot  tower and will also use the swing-landing trainer, the suspended harness,  and the 250-foot tower. Soldiers will become familiar with the mock door  trainer to simulate mass exit training (how to exit an aircraft in flight).  Parachute jumps from the 250-foot high tower culminate the second week of  training and are the final transition from ground training to actual  parachuting. Additionally, soldiers are taught the different phases of  parachute flight from aircraft exit, through opening shock and chute  deployment, then onto the deployment of the risers, steering the chute, and  all the way to landing. One critical skill learned is how to identify a  parachute malfunction and deal with it. This may involve emergency  procedures including when and how to deploy the reserve parachute. Soldiers  also learn about oscillation, landing falls, and how to recover from drag.  The T-10C parachute is partially steerable using the parachute risers and  soldiers are taught the different techniques to steer their chutes into the  wind and aim for the Point of Impact at the center of the Drop Zone. The  second week completes a soldier's individual skill training and begins  building team effort skills. Once successfully completing the skills  required and the physical fitness requirements, a soldier progresses to jump  week. Jump Week Finally, soldiers get to practice  their new skills while jumping out of real aircraft in flight. The C-130 or  C-17 aircraft pick up the paratrooper students in front of the hangar at  Lawson Army Airfield. From there it is a very short flight to Fryar Field  (commonly referred to as "Fryar Drop Zone"), where all of the training jumps  are accomplished. Fryar Field is named after Private Elmer E. Fryar of the  United States Army's 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment, who posthumously  received the Medal of Honor for his actions in World War II. The Air Force aircraft fly at 1200  feet above the ground at an airspeed of about 130 MPH. After the flight crew  completes the pre-drop and slow-down checklists, soldiers rise out of their  seats and move at the jumpmaster's direction to one of two paratroop doors  (on each side of the aircraft). At "green light" one stick of soldiers exits  the plane - jumpers continue to move to the door until the red light is  illuminated. At that point the aircraft will begin its racetrack maneuver  circling back to the beginning of the drop zone and continue to do this  until all jumpers have jumped. A soldier must complete 5 jumps,  including one night jump, to graduate Airborne School. During jump week, the  schedule varies and soldiers will jump in a variety of configurations from  no load (Hollywood style) all the way to a full combat load jump. Jump week  can seem chaotic, with a large group of soldiers gathered in the ready-room  waiting to be loaded onto the aircraft one chalk at a time. Immediately  after landing on the Drop Zone (DZ), the soldiers collect their parachutes  and other gear and meet back at the rally point on one side of the DZ, where  they wait for a bus to take them back to Lawson Army Airfield to get ready  for their next jump. The jump schedule varies greatly based on class dynamics,  weather, and aircraft. Graduation is normally conducted at 0900 on Friday of  Jump Week at the south end of Eubanks Field on the Airborne Walk. However,  if there is inclement weather, or other factors delay the scheduled jumps,  graduation may be conducted on Fryar Drop Zone following the last jump.  Guests and family members are welcome to observe all of the jumps at the DZ,  attend the graduation ceremony, and participate in awarding the parachutist  wings to the soldiers. On graduation day, families typically spend only a  few minutes with their soldier, pinning on his or her new airborne wings.  The soldier frequently departs Fort Benning that day or the following day,  to attend another advanced military school or to report to another duty  station. Instructors The Airborne School instructors are  commonly referred to as "Black Hats", due to the distinguishing black  baseball cap with shiny brass rank insignia and parachutist badge that is  part of the instructor's uniform. However, all students at the school are  required to address them as "Sergeant (or Petty Officer in the case of a  Navy instructor) Airborne". A student's interaction with Black Hats consists  largely of shouting, "Yes Sergeant, Airborne!", and "No Sergeant,  Airborne!". Instructors may come from the United States Army, Marine Corps,  Navy or Air Force. The reasoning is that because students from four military  services attend, each service insists that they have at least one  representative to ensure quality instruction. The U.S. Coast Guard does not  usually participate in Airborne training as it does not directly relate to  the service's Homeland Security and daily search-and-rescue missions. The battalion was organized into six  companies: Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC) for administration  and command-and-control; four Line Companies (A, B, C, and D) execute the  Basic Airborne Course Program of Instruction (POI), and a parachute rigger  support Company (E). D company has since been disbanded, and a week-long  buffer occurs between class cycles. Students The vast majority of students at  Airborne School come from the U.S. Army. These include soldiers headed for  assignments to the 82nd Airborne Division, XVIII Airborne Corps, 4th BCT  25th Infantry Division, 16th Military Police Brigade, 173rd Airborne BCT,  75th Ranger Regiment, or the Special Forces Qualification Course. Also  Marine Recon units as well as ANGLICO Units attend. Recent BUD/S graduates,  USAF Combat Controllers, USAF Special Operations Weather Technicians, USAF  Pararescuemen and USAF Tactical Air Control Party also attend the school in  order to be jump-qualified. Summer cycles frequently include a substantial  numbers of cadets from ROTC and West Point. During in-processing, each student is  given a roster number (with the prefix C, N, or A to identify a cadet, NCO,  or officer, respectively), which is applied to the student's assigned  equipment and used as identification throughout training. All students are quartered in  gender-segregated company barracks for the entire course except for officers  and warrant officers, who are assigned to bachelor officer's quarters. Upon satisfactory completion of the  course, the student is awarded the United States Army Parachutist Badge  (commonly referred to as "Jump Wings"), regardless of branch or MOS, a  certificate from the school, and copies of orders authorizing its wear.
  • Condition: New

PicClick Insights - US Paratrooper - Airborne - US Ranger - Airborne Ranger -US Special Forces - ODA PicClick Exclusive

  •  Popularity - 36 watchers, 0.0 new watchers per day, 3,034 days for sale on eBay. Super high amount watching. 60 sold, 23 available.
  •  Best Price -
  •  Seller - 8,901+ items sold. 0% negative feedback. Great seller with very good positive feedback and over 50 ratings.

People Also Loved PicClick Exclusive