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In the days leading up to the fight for Hill 875, 4th ID units sought out the enemy south of Dak To. In more recent years, the group has become a source of inspiration for violent white supremacists in the United States, Brian Levin, a terrorism expert at California State University in San Bernardino, said in 2020. The 173rd Airborne Brigade is the U.S. Army Contingency Response Force in Europe, capable of projecting ready forces anywhere in the U.S. Europe, Africa or Central Commands' areas of responsibility. In September 2014, about 200 soldiers of 2nd Battalion, 503rd Airborne Regiment, 173rd BDE participated in the Rapid Trident exercise near Lviv in western Ukraine. [84] As the preparations for the brigade were in their final stages, it moved 10 trains and 300 trucks worth of equipment to the air base, as well as 120 busloads of soldiers. They earned the nickname Tien Bing (Chinese: ), literally Sky Soldiers, from the Taiwanese paratroopers. ; 1st and 3rd battalions of the 12th Inf. Stanton, Vietnam Order of Battle, pp. "He is not the unrepentant monster the prosecutors and the Court portrayed him to be," defense attorney Jonathan Marvinny said by email. [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. 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. The enemy loss in lives was about four times that of the allies.. In January 1966 they launched Operation Marauder, the first U.S. military operation in the Plain of Reeds. verso bottom right in pencil "Ambush of 173rd airborne / Iron Triangle 9/1965", Signed in pencil on verso lower right: "Tim Page 8/25", Circular stamp on verso lower right: "chromacolour.com.au * / ARCHIVAL / ILFOCHROME / CLASSIC", Image: 18 3/8 12 3/8 in. Address: 18458 East Orkney Street, Azusa CA 91702-0219. Melzer sent messages to members and associates of O9A and, in particular, a sub-group of O9A known as the RapeWaffen Division, providing details about his units anticipated deployment including troop movements, relevant dates, locations, armaments, topography, and security, all in connection with the proposed attack on his unit and the Military Base. Some 15 Army artillery batteries along with tactical air support provided immense firepower. At 06:58 the following morning, Alpha Company began moving alone up a ridge finger and triggered an ambush by the 6th Battalion of the 24th PAVN Regiment. [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". Ethan Phelan Melzer, aka Etil Reggad, 24, of Louisville, pleaded guilty to attempting to murder U.S. service members, providing and attempting to provide material support to terrorists, and illegally transmitting national defense information on June 24, 2022, before U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods, who imposed todays sentence. [71] The 173rd Airborne Brigade was reactivated in 2000 at Caserma Ederle in Vicenza, Italy,[3][5] using the assets of the SETAF Infantry brigade, primarily the 1st Battalion, 508th Infantry and Battery D, 319th Field Artillery. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. Melzer and his alleged co-conspirators used this information to plan what they referred to as a "jihadi attack" with the objective of causing a "mass casualty" event victimizing his fellow service members. remember that day and the jump that followed for the rest of our lives.. Specifically, Melzer corresponded with individuals belonging to an O9A subgroup known as the RapeWaffen Division, which is known to promote rape and murder as weapons in the groups pursuit of a race war. was inserted into a landing zone on Hill 823 and wound up losing 20 KIA, 154 WIA and two MIA. It is the United States European Command's conventional airborne strategic response force for Europe. The 173rd Airborne Brigade currently consists of 3,300 soldiers in seven subordinate battalions as well as a headquarters company:. A search of the battlefield revealed only 15 dead North Vietnamese. He was dead, but he kept me warm.. He then began passing information to O9A members using an encrypted application. 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. 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.. 5, March 1970 173rd Airborne Brigade Newsletter A bolt of an AK47 rifle betrayed an enemy ambush, and soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile) turned the tables on the Viet Cong. Get the latest military news, entertainment, and gear in your inbox daily. 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 . Subscribe to Task & Purpose Today. [69] Herbert was relieved of his command shortly after reporting to his superior the war crimes he had witnessed. In April 1969 Brigade commander Brig. [94] The entire battle for Kirkuk cost the brigade only nine casualties. The attached Assault Helicopter Company, the 335th AHC, the "Cowboys", deployed with the brigade all over Vietnam into mid-1968 and comprised the Airmobile capability along with the Caspers. Company D, 16th Armor was engaged in a battle that took place on 4 March 1968 at North Tuy Ha. [3] With combat experience already earned in other similar mountain regions in 2007 and 2008, the Brigade distinguished itself in combat regularly against the Taliban and fought tenaciously against them, while still promoting and attempting to legitimize the Afghan government. [110] The brigade returned in early 2013. [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. Melzer deployed abroad with the Army to Italy as a member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team . 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Close air support was impossible for the same reasons. 12/24/2003. Four additional battalions were activated or designated at Bamberg and Schweinfurt, Germany. Its "glorification of violence and mysticism has found a renewed international audience," he said. Bnh nh was not easily pacified by military action alone. Nicholas Slayton While several of its units, including the 2-503rd and A/3-319th were ordered to Tuy Ha to repair and refit,[64][65] the 173rd was transferred to Camp Radcliff in An Kh and Bong Son areas during 1968, seeing very little action while the combat ineffective elements of the brigade were rebuilt. [102] In the early 2007, the 173rd again deployed to Afghanistan, as Task Force Bayonet, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF 0709),[102] their first deployment as a fully transformed brigade combat team. Alpha Company managed to survive repeated attacks throughout the day and night, but the cost was heavy. In essence, Washington Green was a second Operation Fairfax, but without the presence of ARVN regulars. His first duty assignment was with Alpha Company, 3d. According to survivors, he was on his knees giving last rites to a dying paratrooper when the bombs hit, killing him instantly. He was awarded the Medal of Honor nearly 60 years after he was nominated. On Nov. 20, 1967, Pfc. In approximately early May 2020, the Army informed Melzer that he would be reassigned to a unit scheduled for a further foreign deployment, where the unit would be guarding an isolated and sensitive military installation (the Military Base). The 173rd was the only separate brigade to have support formations permanently assigned to it, though other separate brigades would receive support elements of their own a year later. You slept with corpses. [123][124][122][120][121][119][125] He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Four days later, A, B, C and D companies of the 4th Bn., 503rd Inf., fought the NVA for four hours in the Ngok Kam Leat chain of hills and adjacent Hill 823, losing 16 KIA and 37 WIA. In 2020 he was told he would be transferred to a sensitive base in Turkey, which is when he allegedly began plotting the attack. Russian Tank Gets Absolutely Shredded by Ukrainian Fire. [6] Controlling the oil fields had been a specific operational goal of the Task Force[85] because they were viewed as the most valuable strategic asset in northern Iraq. [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. (Markus Rauchenberger/Army) A former Army private who pleaded guilty last year to plotting. Some 15 Army artillery batteries along with tactical air support provided immense firepower. While her case was underway, she ran for Secretary of State of Colorado, and lost the GOP primary. Forward-based in Italy and Germany, the Brigade routinely trains alongside NATO allies and partners to build interoperability and . The 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team ("Sky Soldiers") is an airborne infantry brigade combat team of the United States Army based in Vicenza, Italy. Melzer, who held the rank of private while in the Army, was a member of the Order of Nine Angles, a Neo-Nazi and Satanic organization which has praised both Adolf Hitler and al-Qaeda. Following is a description of the unit which operated from Late Summer of 1968 and was disolved just prior to the Battalion move to Phan Thiet on September 1, 1969. 98. A second base was opened in Vicenza called Del Din and is the current headquarters of the 173rd. Pre-deployment workups in the weeks that followed provided Melzer with terrorist threat training and access to numerous classified briefings, information that he immediately funneled via encrypted messaging applications to members of the Order of the Nine Angles. Though they were severely bloodied, the paratroopers inflicted even heavier losses on the NVA. From April 1969 until its withdrawal from South Vietnam in 1971, the brigade served in Bnh nh Province. The sign had read "American who read this die. A former counterintelligence officer gave a statement under oath that "he saw interrogators punch and kick prisoners, beat them with sticks, administer electrical shocks and urinate on them. Also in the mix were six ARVN battalions. 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. [3][30] The brigade, organized as Task Force Bayonet, assumed control of Regional Command-South (RC South). The weather, however, during the Nov. 1-23 continuous battles was excellent, according to F. Clifton Berry, Jr., in The Illustrated History of Sky Soldiers, The Vietnam War, with dry conditions and daily high and low temperatures between 91 and 55 degrees. The next day, Pfc. One of the few combat operations that brigade conducted during this time was an amphibious assault against PAVN/VC forces as part of an operation to clear the rice-growing lowlands along the Bong Son littoral. The Justice Department will use all available resources to disrupt and bring to justice those who would aid foreign terrorist organizations and use violence to harm our men and women in uniform or any American anywhere., Ethan Melzer infiltrated the U.S. Army in service of a neo-Nazi, white supremacist and jihadist group, said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York. The brigade returned most recently from a deployment stretching from late 2013 to late 2014. 4th ID had to relocate their forces from Turkey to Kuwait and were subsequently slowed down in Baghdad. The following year, he deployed to Italy with the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. 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. Melzer provided RapeWaffen membership with information on troop movements, relevant dates and locations, security details, weaponry and topography to facilitate a mass casualty jihadi attack, according to court documents. An official website of the United States government. She then had another arrest warrant issued against her after allegedly violating the terms of a protective order by contacting her former Mesa County office to demand a recount of that election. In the 1987 movie Lethal Weapon, the patch worn by Danny Glover's fictional character Roger Murtaugh during a retrospective of his time in Vietnam was that of the 173rd Airborne Brigade. 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. The 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team has received 21 campaign streamers and several unit awards, including the Presidential Unit Citation for its actions during the Battle of Dak To during the Vietnam War. A former soldier was sentenced to 45 years in prison for attempting to plot with a hate group to attack his unit. McKinney. Every objective was taken. A former Army private who pleaded guilty last year to plotting to murder members of his own unit with help from satanic neo-Nazis was sentenced today to 45 years in prison, the Justice Department announced. The 23rd and 26th Mike Force companies (indigenous outfits led by Green Berets) were engaged as well. [91] By 29 March the entire brigade was in Iraq and ready to conduct offensive operations.[91]. (Photo: U.S. Army) [62] Combined with noncombatant losses, this represented one-fifth of the 173rd Airborne Brigade's total strength. [41] Soldiers of the brigade became involved in Operation Attleboro in fall of 1966, an operation that started out as a small search and destroy mission north of Saigon, but eventually involved 22,000 troops from 21 battalions. .] 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. While there, he consumed extremists propaganda from O9A and the Islamic State. Under the program, the United States trained three battalions of Ukrainian troops over a six-month period. On Nov. 23, the 4th Battalion from the north slope coordinated a final assault on the hilltop with the 1st Bn., 12th Inf., 4th Inf. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Task Force Black left Hill 823 to find the PAVN who had attacked B/4-503. It. [26][31] As larger US Army commands were established in Vietnam, the brigade was assigned to the IIICorps and IICorps tactical zone, which they would serve in for the next six years. [78] Task Force 1-63 consisted of HHC/1-63rd Armor, C/1-63rd Armor and B/2-2nd Infantry. [97] The Turkish forces were eventually released. U.S. Army paratroopers assigned to 2nd Battalion, 503rd Airborne Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade and Cypriot troops train on the M4A1, Tavor x95, MG3, Negev 7.62, and RPG-7V in Larnaca . until 0400 est. On 23 June, the 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment (1st Brigade, 1st Air Cavalry Division) arrived to bolster the 173rd. It was the audio portion of film shot on Hill 724 in Vietnam where a pitched battle followed a highly successful Vietnam ambush in November 1967. 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. The 173rd secured these areas with company sized detachments, often patrolling the 4th ID's sectors with two unarmored M998 cargo Humvees at any given time. [66] The company commander, Captain Robert Helmick, was awarded the DSC. The goal of the activity was to exercise the combat, combat support and combat service units of both armies and to achieve a higher cooperation level in airborne operations planning, organization and management tasks. It was then, they contend, that Melzer broadened his extremism diet, consuming propaganda from the group then known as ISIS, or the Islamic State. While stationed abroad, Melzer consumed propaganda from multiple extremist groups, including O9A and the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, which is also known as ISIS. They participated in Operation Crimp in 1966, a failed attempt to root out VC forces from the C Chi tunnels. 2/503rd 2014-2015 [49] Charlie Company was ordered to support, but heavy vegetation and difficult terrain made movement extremely difficult. Haynes never questioned anything until Spc. Sky Soldiers Killed in Iraq. Nva Kia, Dong Lach, After Unsuccessful Attempt to Free POWs. [3] This was the brigade's fifth deployment since 2003, their fourth to Afghanistan as they prepare for a complete transition of the security of Afghanistan to the Afghan National Security Forces. [101], In 2006, the brigade was notified for a second tour of duty in Iraq from 2007 to 2008, but its deployment plan was changed to Afghanistan in February 2007 when the Pentagon announced that it would relieve the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division along with the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division. Melzer betrayed his fellow soldiers and his country, FBI Counter Terrorism Assistant Director Robert R. Wells said following the sentencing. Non-hostile - electrocution. "[69], From April until August 1971, the unit underwent the process of redeployment to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, the first time that the 173rd Airborne Brigade in name had returned to the United States since 1942. [48], On 20 June, Company C, 2nd Battalion (Airborne), 503rd Infantry (C/2-503) discovered the bodies of a Special Forces CIDG unit that had been missing for four days on Hill 1338, the dominant hill mass south of Dak To. Melzer was convicted of attempting to murder U.S. service members, providing and attempting to provide material support to terrorists, and illegally transmitting national defense information. (See the sidebar on page 36 for the 4th IDs role.). Neither battalion faced heavy resistance as the NVA had decamped during the night, denying the Americans a chance at some revenge. MICHAEL LEVENSON. 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. mfah.org/terms. The following day, the Army of the Republic of Vietnam's (ARVN) elite 1st Airborne Task Force (the 5th and 8th Battalions) and the 3rd Brigade, 1st Air Cavalry Division (5th Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment; 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry; and an additional infantry battalion) arrived to conduct search and destroy operations north and northeast of Kon Tum. [74] The unit finally reached "initial operating capability" on 14 March 2003, with all units ready for deployment. . For the bravery and sacrifices of its paratroopers around Dak To, the 173rd earned the Presidential Unit Citation. [130] He was depicted as being in "the 505th battalion", although no such unit was ever part of the 173rd. Deadly Prelude The Battle of Dak To was actually a series of intense clashes culminating in the decisive battle for Hill 875. Neither Fox nor the Trump campaign could be immediately reached for comment by Raw Story. "Melzer subscribed to encrypted online forums where he downloaded and accessed videos of jihadist attacks on U.S. troops and facilities and jihadist executions of civilians and soldiers," the Justice Department said. The obstruction charge carries a minimum sentence of six months in jail. New. The platoon was surrounded and wiped out with 22 killed and one missing. Del Din hosts 173rd Brigade Headquarters, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, the Brigade Support Battalion, and the Brigade Special Troops Battalion. Yarborough said the bill aims to protect children from what he described as a radical, prurient agenda.. LRS provided the 173rd Brigade command group with key recon and intel of the province, and held control of Helmand with a 5th Special Forces Group ODA element. As of the sentencing, Melzer is no longer a part of the Army, although it is not immediately clear when between his guilty plea and now he was discharged. 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. [99] The brigade returned to Italy in March 2006. She's scheduled for sentencing April 10," reported Janet Oravetz. NVA snipers made the going slow, but B Company finally reached the perimeter by dusk. The fighting was intense and lasted into the fall, when the North Vietnamese seemingly withdrew. Soldier charged with plotting 'mass casualty' attack on his own unit", "Army soldier charged with giving classified info to satanic neo-Nazi group", "Press Release - Statement regarding incident in Cheshnegirovo", "Big and Rich talk about inspiration behind their '8 November', "Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HR0886", "Medal of Honor Recipients Vietnam (A-L)", "Medal of Honor Recipients Vietnam (M-Z)", "Readout of the President's call with Specialist Salvatore Giunta", "Former sergeant to receive Medal of Honor for Afghanistan actions. The military has been dealing with an extremism problem for years, specifically far-right extremism, which has garnered increased attention recently. Justin Hebert was killed on Aug. 1. The next morning the three companies of 4-503 were chosen to set out and relieve the men on Hill 875. [86] The force had been strung out over a 10,000-yard drop zone, and it took 15 hours before it was completely assembled. He then eliminated nine enemy soldiers who were assaulting his position. On 1 December 1951, the troop was inactivated and released from its assignment to the 87th Infantry Division. 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. On Nov. 19, 1967, Chaplain Watters repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire in order to aid fallen men outside the perimeter. 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. 16 December 1967. The 173rd Airborne Brigade fielded the 1st, 2nd and 4th battalions of the 503rd Inf. The 173rd Airborne Brigade fielded the 1st, 2nd and 4th battalions of the 503rd Inf. [102] The 173rd IBCT(A) officially relieved the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division on 6 June 2007.[102]. Thus began the Battle of Dak To.. It was the first U.S. Army. Jon Simkins is a writer and editor for Military Times, and a USMC veteran. [79] The force also received force field artillery headquarters from the 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery, which brought a Tactical Operations Center, a Q-36 counterfire radar and Combat Observation and Lasing Team (COLT)a pair of Dragoneye Unmanned Aerial Vehicles from the US Marine Corps, to be operated by the Brigades Ground Surveillance Systems (GSS) team. 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 173rds rifle companies sustained some 90% of the units casualties. He was arrested in June 20020 and pleaded guilty in 2022. Resupply became a necessity, because of high ammunition expenditures and lack of water, but was impossible to accomplish: Six UH-1 helicopters were shot down or badly damaged that afternoon trying to get to 2503.[59].