[19] The reorganization also allowed for the use of "separate" brigades which had no division headquarters and could be used for missions that did not require an entire division. For the medics in the mix, casualties represented far more than statistics. [The 173rd] were good soldiers and did their fair share, said Steve Stark, who was an artillery liaison specialist with 6th Bn., 29th Artillery, 1st Bde., 4th Inf. No weapons were discharged. contact us. Stanton, Vietnam Order of Battle, pp. Story tips can be sent tolouis.casiano@fox.com. The sharp ridges are covered with double- and sometimes triple-canopy jungle. February 15th, DVIDS Hub works best with JavaScript enabled, Version: 89f6906e9817dc7b192edf8e8d786e2b331150b5_2023-02-27T10:21:17, B-Roll Package: Squad Ambush with Cypriot Troops, Strategic Email: wambicook@aol.com SENATE GOP PLOTS CONFRONTATION OF WOKE PENTAGON AS MILITARY READINESS, MORALE PLUMMET, U.S Army badge is seen on a uniform of American soldier. A Kentucky man was sentenced today to 45 years in prison for attempting to murder U.S. service members, providing and attempting to provide material support to terrorists, and illegally transmitting national defense information. Melzer, who was a private assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vicenza, Italy, planned a jihadist attack on his Army unit in the days leading up to a deployment to Turkey and sent sensitive details about the unit including information about its location, movements and security to members of the extremist organization Order of the Nine Angles, according to court documents. Regt ., and supporting units such as the 335th Aviation Company. to Italy as a member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade . Membership. Melzer, 22, was arrested last spring in Italy, where he served with the 173rd Airborne Brigade, and pleaded not guilty in September to eight charges, including conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals . By unlawfully disclosing his units location, strength, and armaments to other O9A members and jihadists in furtherance of this ambush, Melzer traitorously sought to attack the very soldiers he was entrusted to protect. Assisting the LRS and 5th Group ODA were elements of the 82nd Airborne, Iowa National Guard, and ANA. [5] It was a subordinate unit of the U.S. Army's VCorps and after June 2013, subordinate to US Army Europe. Ethan Melzer infiltrated the U.S. Army in service of a neo-Nazi, white supremacist and jihadist group, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams said in a Department of Justice release on the sentencing. 98. cause another 10 year war in the Middle East would definitely leave a mark. Melzer also acknowledged in his messages that he deleted some of the communications regarding the planning of the attack because the plot amounted to treason. In 2019, he deployed to Italy as a member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, prosecutors said. This work, B-Roll Package: Squad Ambush with Cypriot Troops, by SGT Mariah Gonzalez, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. If the allegations are true in the Dominion filing, "this is precisely what Murdoch provided to the Trump campaign," he said. John Barnes of C Company earned a posthumous Medal of Honor when he saved the lives of several wounded men by throwing himself on a grenade. She is the spouse of an Army veteran and a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in journalism. The proposed bill is the latest among a string of measures targeting trans youth. 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. In 2020 he was told he would be transferred to a sensitive base in Turkey, which is when he allegedly began plotting the attack. Last year a former member of an Air Force security team was sentenced to life in prison for murdering a police officer in the name of sparking a second civil war. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 25th Div Support Troops Taking Cover from Prop Wash. One of the most notable units to operate out of a FOB was the brigade's 74th Long-Range Surveillance (LRS) detachment. The Army did not immediately respond Friday to comment about when Melzer was discharged from the service. Yarborough said the bill aims to protect children from what he described as a radical, prurient agenda.. 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. (Photo: U.S. Army) The jungle is laced with vines and thorns, and in it live diverse snakes, a million leeches and about half the mosquitoes in the world. Another historian called the terrain probably the wildest in South Vietnam if not all Southeast Asia., CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR SOCIETY PHOTOS. The song was based on the story of Niles Harris, a member of the 173rd, during Operation Hump. In April 1969 Brigade commander Brig. The LRS detachment was also tasked at times for recon and intel gathering for other brigade assets, and target acquisition and designation for U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, and RAF aircraft. [119][122][121] The paratrooper was charged with leaking classified information (including the unit's location) to the RapeWaffen Division and the Order of the Nine Angles (O9A), a European Satanic occult-based neo-Nazi and white supremacist group that is also anti-Semitic, and has expressed admiration for Nazis such as Adolf Hitler and Islamic jihadists. 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. The 1st Battalion, 50th Infantry (Mech), 173d Airborne Brigade has the mission of keeping open and securing the section of Route 19 from An Khe Pass to the 4th Infantry Division's area of operations. Its "glorification of violence and mysticism has found a renewed international audience," he said. US Army soldier gets 45 years for neo-Nazi plot to ambush his own paratrooper unit . (U.S. Army Photo by Visual Information Specialist Davide Dalla Massara) Read more Image Jumping in July, 173rd Airborne at Aviano [47] In August of that year, the brigade received its distinctive unit insignia. 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). . Two more companies arrived after dark and provided much-needed food and water to the exhausted troopers. In May 2020, Melzer was reassigned to a unit preparing for deployment. 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. or redistributed. 2023 Stars and Stripes. [53] The following morning Bravo Company was relieved by Lieutenant Colonel David J. Schumacher's 1503, which (against the admonitions of Colonel Livsey) was divided into two small task forces. Official websites use .gov For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. On 1 July 2006, a documentary inspired by the song and based on the brigade's actions during the operation premiered on the GAC Channel. Melzer began active service as an Army infantryman in June 2019 and deployed that October to Vicenza, Italy, as a member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade. [143] On 13 May 2014, former 503rd Infantry Regiment Sergeant Kyle White received the Medal of Honor during a White House ceremony. [94] As Task Force Bayonet, the brigade included the: 503rd Infantry; 1st Battalion, 508th Infantry; 173rd Combat Support Company; 74th Infantry Detachment (LRS); Battery D, 319th Field Artillery; 501st Forward Support Company; and the attached 1st Battalion, 63rd Armor of the 1st Infantry Division from Rose Barracks, Germany; 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry of the 4th Infantry Division from Fort Carson, Colorado; and Company B, 110th Military Intelligence Battalion of the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) from Fort Drum, New York. These battalions were: the 4th Battalion (Airborne), 319th Field Artillery Regiment, the 173rd Brigade Support Battalion (Airborne), and the Special Troops Battalion[100] stationed at Warner Barracks in Bamberg, Germany, as well as the 1st Squadron (Airborne), 91st Cavalry Regiment, stationed in Schweinfurt, Germany. [23] The soldiers of the 173rd Airborne Brigade created a patch with a wing on it to symbolize their status as an airborne unit, along with red, white, and blue, the national colors of the United States. The Order of the Nine Angles, a U.K.-based anarchist operation that espouses antisemitic and satanic beliefs, is known for encouraging its membership to infiltrate the military, among other organizations, with the goal of dismantling from within, according to court documents. Greeley, a combined search and destroy effort by elements of the U.S. 4th Infantry Division, the U.S. 173rd Airborne Brigade, and Army of the Republic of (ARVN) 42nd Infantry Regiment and Airborne units. These formations were termed "brigade combat teams". The obstruction charge carries a minimum sentence of six months in jail. [78] They jumped from aircraft of the 62nd Airlift Wing, 446th Airlift Wing, 437th Airlift Wing and the 315th Airlift Wing ( this included the 728th Airlift Squadron), along with a Tactical Air Control Party of USAF Airmen from the 4th Air Support Operations Squadron[90] and the 786th Security Forces Squadron. Neither Fox nor the Trump campaign could be immediately reached for comment by Raw Story. Subscribe to Task & Purpose Today. Accessed 26 November 2015. Yashinski, Michael E. SGT. The 4th Battalion launched an unsuccessful attack at around 3 p.m., and pulled back to defensive positions after dark. "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.". It is the United States European Command's conventional airborne strategic response force for Europe. In October 2019, Melzer and his unit were deployed to Italy as a member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. Supporting the Veterans, Soldiers and Friends of the 4th Infantry Division Since 1919. Within a week these units began to fall apart due to desertions. Though they were severely bloodied, the paratroopers inflicted even heavier losses on the NVA. One hit outside the perimeter, killing 25 NVA troops. 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. 16 December 1967. Meanwhile, NVA soldiers began a ferocious attack on A Company at the bottom of the hill. 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. just looking for anyone from Aco 3/503 173rd abn{sep}Iwas with this unit from12/3/67through 68 saw combat 12/27/67 bad stuff. Some 42 Americans (many of them already wounded) were killed and 45 wounded in the wars worst friendly fire incident. 501FSC, 173rd Abn Bde. The 173d, composed of two airborne infantry battalions and associated artillery, reconnaissance, and support elements was essentially given the mission originally assigned to the 4th Infantry Division, that of opening a was assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, which . "Jurors found Peters guilty of obstruction of government operations but acquitted her on a charge of obstruction of a peace officer. And about 60 of the dead paratroop-ers29%were killed by friendly fire.. A progressive PAC that advocates for campaign reform has filed a complaint with the Federal Elections Commission arguing that Fox Corporation head Rupert Murdoch broke the law when he shared Joe Biden's campaign ads scheduled to air on Fox with Donald Trump's son-in-law and then White House adviser Jared Kushner, the group reported Friday. [114] This program was known as Fearless Guardian which was congressionally approved under the Global Contingency Security Fund. Six helicopters from the 335th Aviation Company attempting to resupply the pinned-down troopers were shot down during the day. Before Hill 875 was even assaulted, the 173rd had already sustained 79 KIA and 287 WIA. Before that she was a reporter for Killeen Daily Herald and a freelance journalist for publications including The Alcalde, Texas Highways and the Austin American-Statesman. 99 U.S. Army paratroopers assigned to 2nd Battalion, 503rd Airborne Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade conduct an ambush on Cypriot troops during a force-on-force squad-level blank. Jesus, they were all over the place, one paratrooper recalled. He was arrested in June 20020 and pleaded guilty in 2022. During fierce, close-quarters fighting, some of the paratroopers made it into the PAVN trench line but were ordered to pull back as darkness fell. Of the 137 men that comprised the unit, 76 had been killed and another 23 wounded. Harold B. Birch, battalion commander at the time, recalled that about 14 Red Warriors were wounded in the attack, some by a misdirected American helicopter gunship.. For example, Melzer subscribed to encrypted online forums where he downloaded and accessed videos of jihadist attacks on U.S. troops and facilities and jihadist executions of civilians and soldiers, in addition to far-right, neo-Nazi, and other white supremacist propaganda. These include Congressmen Duncan Hunter and Charlie Norwood,[133][134] Archbishop of Baltimore Edwin Frederick O'Brien,[135] Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Robert M. Kimmitt,[136] business owner Barney Visser,[137] activists Stan Goff and Ted Sampley,[138] and Sergeant Major of the Army Gene C. "An arrest affidavit says that when officers tried to seize the iPad, people sitting at the table with her started passing around the tablet. The package also includes a provision authorizing the state to fine, suspend, or revoke the license of any public lodging establishment or public food service establishment if the establishment admits a child to a live adult performance that depicts or simulates nudity, sexual conduct, or lewd exposure., Alejandra Caraballo, a clinical instructor at Harvard Law Schools Cyberlaw Clinic in a tweet described the measure as a full elimination of recognition and a limitation on access to care for all trans people, including adults.. NVA snipers made the going slow, but B Company finally reached the perimeter by dusk. In fact, the first significant contacts were made by its elements on Nov. 3-4 around Hill 1338. 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. In November 2017, 2-503rd Infantry Regiment (The Rock) traveled in US Air Force C-130s to Belgrade, Serbia to conduct training with the Serbian Airborne Forces where they conducted two combined jumps at drop zones near Belgrade. There is something gut-wrenching about severely wounded men that I will never forget, recalled Earle Jackson, a 173rd medic who served on Hill 875. [18], In the late 1990s, Army leaders including General Eric Shinseki began shifting the Army force toward brigade centered operations. By Nov. 19, the NVAs 174th Regiment, moving south along the Laos/Cambodia border, had covered the retreat of the 66th Regiment. Paratroopers with the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team fighting on Hill 823 during the Battle of Dak To. Every objective was taken. [76] The original plan was for the 173rd to be attached to the 4th Infantry Division as a flexible force of airborne troops to complement the heavy weapons of the division's three brigades. . (Photo by Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images), "Ethan Melzer infiltrated the U.S. Army in service of a neo-Nazi, white supremacist and jihadist group," said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams. After. The 173rd Airborne paratroopers trained the Ukrainians on how to better defend themselves against Russian and rebel artillery and rockets. . 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. Del Din hosts 173rd Brigade Headquarters, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, the Brigade Support Battalion, and the Brigade Special Troops Battalion. Nine soldiers from the brigade lost their lives during the deployment. The 173rd Airborne Brigade, based in Vicenza, Italy, parachuted into Iraq in the early days of the 2003 U.S.-led invasion and saw intense combat in Afghanistan. The most prominent of these is the 2006 single released by the country music duo Big & Rich, entitled "8th of November". MICHAEL LEVENSON. It is a merciless land of steep limestone ridges, some of them exceeding 4,000 feet, wrote Robert Barr Smith in, Vietnam magazine. Melzer betrayed his fellow soldiers and his country, FBI Counter Terrorism Assistant Director Robert R. Wells said following the sentencing. [33], The 1st and 2nd Battalions, 503rd Infantry were the first Army combat units from the 173rd sent into South Vietnam, accompanied by the 3rd Battalion, 319th Artillery. [63] For its combined actions during operations around Dak To, the 173rd Airborne Brigade was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation. The 173rd Airborne Brigade prides itself on being a forward stationed high-readiness unit, available to deploy to U.S. African, European and Central Commands within 18 hours of notification. "Grand Junction Police approached Peters in a bagel shop in Feb. 8, 2022, to execute a warrant related to her iPad, on which she is suspected of improperly recording a court hearing for her deputy clerk," said the report. He learned details about the deployment, mission and location, and then passed the information to members of his terrorist group. [95] The unit then took part in Operation Peninsula Strike, quelling Ba'ath party resistance and other insurgent groups. 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. The 173rd Airborne Brigade is the U.S. Army Contingency Response Force in Europe, capable of projecting ready forces anywhere in the U.S. European, Africa or Central Commands' areas of responsibility within 18 hours. [15] Four months later, the brigade returned to the United States, and was demobilized with the rest of the division in January 1919 at Camp Dix, New Jersey. All Rights Reserved. Melzer, who also goes by the name Etil Reggad, joined the Army in 2018. Today, the 173rd Airborne Brigade pauses to remember the loss of 48 Paratroopers during Operation Hump in Vietnam, on this day 52 years ago. By clicking below to download MFAH collection images, you agree that you have read and agree to the Terms and Conditions of MFAH Website Use: Brigade members received over 7,700 decorations, including more than 6,000 Purple Hearts. Deadly Prelude The Battle of Dak To was actually a series of intense clashes culminating in the decisive battle for Hill 875. A former U.S. Army soldier was sentenced to 45 years in prison Friday after he plotted to ambush his unit and illegally shared classified information with a violent transnational extremist organization, of which he was a member. You didnt know where to go, you did not know where to hide. Every Objective was Taken Throughout the day, U.S. airstrikes and artillery continued to pound the top of the hill, as the NVA lobbed mortars at the U.S. perimeter. In-Depth Coverage . Before this heroic act, according to his citation, Barnes dashed through the bullet-swept area, manned the machine gun [the team had been killed] and killed nine enemy soldiers as they assaulted his position.. Reproduced from VFW Magazine, March 2006 issue, article by Tim Dyhouse. This move was called the Reorganization Objective Army Division (ROAD) plan. The success of the program varied greatly from unit to unit, but the programs of the 173rd and Task Force South were generally regarded as effective. On 8 November 1965, the 173rd took part in Operation Hump, just north of Bin Ha on the outskirts of Saigon,[35] the capital of South Vietnam. [54] Task Force Blue drew the job of going to the relief of the beleaguered task force; however, Task Force Blue ran into resistance and was pinned down by enemy fire on all sides. [5][12][13], The 173rd Infantry Brigade was constituted on 5 August 1917 as an infantry brigade and organized on 25 August at Camp Pike, Arkansas,[14] as an element of the 87th Division[15] along with the 174th Infantry Brigade. Melzers sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods. 173rd Airborne Afghanistan Veteran Enduring Freedom Patch Design Military Cap Black. [15] Though the brigade in name did not exist during the war, the redesignation meant that it carried the lineage of the 87th Reconnaissance Troop, and when the brigade was reactivated, it would include the troop's lineage and campaign streamers. I wouldve died successfully . 4-503 suffered 28 killed 123 wounded, and four missing. [77] This meant that the entire northern front of the war would be conducted by the 173rd Airborne Brigade and Army special forces operating with aircraft from Europe as their only supply line. Given the province and its three major districts saw a massive influx of both foreign and domestic fighters due to the relatively calm winter prior to the brigade's arrival, its company-sized and platoon-sized elements found themselves in combat against anti-Coalition forces almost daily from the start of March 2010 until its relief. O9A espouses neo-Nazi, antisemitic and Satanic beliefs and promotes extreme violence to accelerate and cause the demise of Western civilization. [5], In mid-1968 at the instigation of II Corps commander General L Mng Lan, I Field Force, Vietnam commander General William R. Peers paired with the Brigade with the ARVN 22nd Division in Bnh nh Province in what was almost a replica of Operation Fairfax. Besides Melzer and O9A, the Neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen whose leader was arrested for plotting to attack Baltimores energy grid and other groups have tried to recruit active-duty and veteran service members or have their own members join the military for training. Pitts, White and Giunta each earned their medals for actions taken during bloody battles in. [6], On 11 October 2006, as part of the Army's "Unit of Action" modularized unit force restructuring that General Shinseki had originally envisioned the 173rd Airborne Brigade became the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team (an airborne IBCT). [24], In mid-1967, the 4th Infantry Division's 1st and 2nd Brigades conducting Operation Francis Marion in western Kon Tum Province were making heavy contact with People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) forces. The U.S. camps represented a major roadblock at the southern end of the Ho Chi Minh Trail. We need to let kids be kids, and our laws need to set appropriate boundaries that respect the rights and responsibilities of parents, while protecting children from the serious health, safety, and welfare consequences of social agendas that are totally inconsistent with how the overwhelming majority of parents want to raise their children.. IE 11 is not supported. $6.98 delivery Mar 14 - Apr 4 . General Deane sent his forces 20 kilometres (12mi) west and southwest of Dak To to search for the PAVN 24th Regiment. [71] These inactivations, along with subsequent reorganization of U.S. Army divisions, saw several divisional brigades stationed in bases that were far from the division's headquarters and support units. By unlawfully disclosing his units location, strength, and armaments to other O9A members and jihadists in furtherance of this ambush, Melzer traitorously sought to attack the very soldiers he was entrusted to protect.. The fighting was intense and lasted into the fall, when the North Vietnamese seemingly withdrew. The LRS detachment and 5th Group ODA conducted many combined and individual operations to ensure the stability of the region. . 2nd Battalion was initially attached to 4th Brigade, 4th Infantry Division and conducted stability and combat operations in Kunar Province for the first half of the deployment. [3][18] After the war, the troop reverted to reserve status and was posted at Birmingham, Alabama from 1947 until 1951. 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. The sign had read. Conetto, Al, "In the Beginning, there was the Hump,". One of these was the 101st Airborne Division, which had also been redeployed to Fort Campbell. arrested for plotting to attack Baltimores energy grid. [70] The brigade was inactivated on 14 January 1972 at the fort,[5] and its assets were used to form the 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, a parachute component within the airmobile 101st. "[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. Haynes never questioned anything until Spc. The 173rd participated in various operations with the objective of ensuring security and subduing Taliban insurgents in the mountainous regions along Afghanistan's border with Pakistan, near the Hindu Kush. "In approximately October 2019, Melzer deployed abroad with the Army to Italy as a member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. Market data provided by Factset. Melzer joined the U.S. Army in approximately 2018 and infiltrated its ranks as part of an insight role to further his goals as an O9A adherent. Get the latest military news, entertainment, and gear in your inbox daily. [25] They took their theme song from the television series Rawhide. [16] The brigade deployed to France along with the rest of the division in September 1918, but it did not participate in any campaigns and never saw combat, instead being utilized as a pool of laborers and reinforcements for frontline units. [131] In the 1998 movie The Siege, fictional Major General William Devereaux, played by Bruce Willis, states that he was in the 173rd Airborne Brigade at the same time that character Anthony Hubbard was in the 82nd Airborne Division. During the battle, Father Watters had ventured outside the perimeter at least five times, carrying wounded troops back to the aid station. [89] The paratroopers secured the airfield, allowing the C-17s to land and bring in the heavy armor and the 163rd Armor contingents. The acrid odor of decaying and rotting flesh combined with the smells of vomit, feces, urine, blood, gunpowder and napalm etched itself permanently into the memories of those who were on Hill 875, Murphy wrote. [121], In May 2021, as part of the NATO training exercise Swift Response 2021, soldiers of the brigade were simulating seizing and securing the decommissioned Cheshnegirovo airfield in Bulgaria.