(Photo by Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images), Black Vietnam veteran receives long-awaited Medal of Honor. A former U.S. Army soldier was sentenced to 45 years in prison for attempting to provide a Europe-based neo-Nazi, Satanist, and pro-jihadist group by giving it classified information to attack his unit, federal prosecutors said Friday. 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. 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). While there, he consumed extensive propaganda from numerous extremist groups, including O9A and ISIS, and routinely downloaded and accessed videos of jihadist attacks and executions, court documents showed. Gen. John W. Barnes officially ended the unit's pair-off program and replaced it with Operation Washington Green, an intensive area security effort with territorial and paramilitary forces in Bnh nh Province. It. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 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. [3] [111] Also in mid-2013, 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment (ABN) moved from Schweinfurt, Germany to Grafenwoehr, Germany. A gavel rests on the judges bench in the courtroom of the 39th Air Base Wing legal office at Nov. 14, 2019, at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey. [115], In 2017, some 600 personnel (1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment) were deployed to the Baltic countries to be positioned in Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia for six weeks to coincide with the duration of the joint Russian/Belarusian strategic Zapad 2017 exercise that began 14 September 2017.[116][117][118]. Capt. It was a subordinate unit of the U.S. Army's V Corps and after June 2013, subordinate to US Army Europe.. Artillery from A Bty., 3rd Bn., 319th Artillery Regt., and air strikes started ravaging the hilltop. [82] A few days later, the 173rd and 10th Special Forces Group departed for northern Iraq. The paratroopers esprit de corps, elitism and personal pride would not permit that.. The participating US units brought substantial air, artillery, engineer, and other support to the combined endeavor from their parent units, and American and Vietnamese commanders generally colocated command posts, shared a common area of operation, and planned and carried out operations together. The brigade was the first major United States Army ground formation deployed in Vietnam, serving there from 1965 to 1971 and losing 1,533 soldiers. The 173rd Airborne Brigade currently consists of 3,300 soldiers in seven subordinate battalions as well as a headquarters company:. MICHAEL LEVENSON. Jesus, they were all over the place, one paratrooper recalled. He and others then passed these messages to a purported member of al-Qaida, according to the Justice Department. [78] The resulting wear and tear of 4th ID's M1 Abrams and M2 Bradleys made them an ineffective unit in tight urban areas such as Jar Salah. One paratrooper said of the enemy: They fight like theyre all John Waynes, three clips and making every bullet count., A Merciless Land Combat was brutal, close and fought in the unforgiving terrain of the Central Highlands. [78] VCorps was not able to surround Baghdad as quickly as it had hoped because of a lack of available forces in the north. Army paratroopers assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade conduct a combined arms exercise in Germany. [129], Captain Willard, a fictional character portrayed by Martin Sheen in the 1979 film Apocalypse Now, was a member of the 173rd assigned to Military Assistance Command, Vietnam Studies and Observations Group. He then eliminated nine enemy soldiers who were assaulting his position. Melzer is a 22-year-old infantryman assigned to the 173rd Airborne's 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, in Vicenza, Italy, 173rd spokesman Maj. Chris Bradley told Military.com. [128], Illinois Route 173, which runs for 66 miles along the Illinois/Wisconsin border was designated the "173rd Airborne Brigade Highway" in 2008. [70] It was decided that the 173rd would be used to help rebuild the division, which had been converted into an airmobile formation during the Vietnam War. (the Red Warriors), participated in the final assault on Hill 875. Nva Kia, Dong Lach, After Unsuccessful Attempt to Free POWs. C/4-503 was then assigned the mission of relieving Task Force Black and they too encountered significant PAVN fire, but they made it, reaching the trapped men at 15:37. "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.". Former Army soldier Ethan Melzer was sentenced to more than four decades in prison for an attempted plot to ambush and kill his comrades in a jihadi attack while deployed abroad. I would've died successfully cause another 10 year war in the Middle East would definitely leave a mark," authorities said. 173rd Airborne Brigade deploys to South Vietnam The lead element of the 173rd Airborne Brigade ("Sky Soldiers"), stationed in Okinawa, departs for South Vietnam. So heavy, in fact, that the NVAs 32nd, 66th and 174th regiments were unable to participate in the 1968 Tet Offensive. Regt ., and supporting units such as the 335th Aviation Company. Melzer deployed abroad with the Army to Italy as a member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team . The package also includes a provision authorizing the state to fine, suspend, or revoke the license of any public lodging establishment or public food service establishment if the establishment admits a child to a live adult performance that depicts or simulates nudity, sexual conduct, or lewd exposure., Alejandra Caraballo, a clinical instructor at Harvard Law Schools Cyberlaw Clinic in a tweet described the measure as a full elimination of recognition and a limitation on access to care for all trans people, including adults.. The plan eliminated regiments but reintroduced brigades to the Army's structure, allowing three brigades to a division. The surviving paratroopers of A Company hustled up the slope and into a perimeter formed by the beleaguered C and D companies. 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. For the bravery and sacrifices of its paratroopers around Dak To, the 173rd earned the Presidential Unit Citation. Lieutenant Sanford later said of Olive's act that "It was the most incredible display of . [5] The 173rd incurred 1,533 deaths and around 6,000 wounded. As part of this intensive training, Melzer learned details about the purpose, layout, and security of the Military Base. [69] Herbert was relieved of his command shortly after reporting to his superior the war crimes he had witnessed. [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. He allegedly pledged his allegiance to O9A and relayed sensitive information about his unit's upcoming deployment including the location, movement and security of the service members. Melzer, who held the rank of private while in the Army, was a member of the Order of Nine Angles, a Neo-Nazi and Satanic organization which has praised both Adolf Hitler and al-Qaeda. The 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. I wouldve died successfully . [105] Though the platoon was able to drive the insurgents back with air support, the fight resulted in 9 soldiers killed and 16 wounded; the deadliest attack on troops in the country since 2005. 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. 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. [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. 173RD Airborne Brigade Sergeant Major CSM Christopher D. Clapin CSM Christopher D. Clapin entered active duty service on 7 January, 1998. Under the direction of the 173rd Airborne Brigade, the 1/50th formed this special collection of hand picked volunteers. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Seven soldiers from the brigade lost their lives during the deployment. "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 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. Story tips can be sent tolouis.casiano@fox.com. Prosecutors said Melzer was involved with the group starting in 2017 and joined the U.S. Army the next year specifically to help O9A "infiltrate its ranks," according to a Justice Department statement Friday. National 4th Infantry (IVY) Division Association. 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. most respected brigade in the army. [5][7][24] This was a significant change as it signified the ability for the brigade to deploy its forces and sustain itself with its newly integrated support teams. [7] The 1st Battalion (Airborne), 508th Infantry was reflagged as 1st Battalion (Airborne), 503rd Infantry Regiment to resume the Vietnam-era lineage of the 503rd Infantry battalions under the 173rd IBCT(A). After. The source of the debate strategy information possibly from reporting not yet publicly revealed or somehow indicated in the ads wasn't immediately clear. Following his time in service . Activated in 1915, as the 173rd Infantry Brigade, the unit saw service in World War I, but is best known for its actions during the Vietnam War . The fighting was intense and lasted into the fall, when the North Vietnamese seemingly withdrew. [82] This force was assisted by Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq and tasked with attacking key airfield and oil production positions deep in northern Iraq. 15 August 1969. This legislation sends a strong message that Florida is a safe place to raise children. Assistant U.S. On the afternoon of 21 November, both battalions moved out to take the crest. Div., charging up the south slope. [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. 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. .] [3][44][45] The operation saw three brigades controlling eight battalions dropped by helicopters and US Air Force aircraft into War Zone C, in Ty Ninh Province. Bringing the 173d Airborne . 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. 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. Although its roughly 4,000 soldiers . 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. To walk away from Hill 875 would have diminished the importance of their sacrifices, Murphy concluded. [132], Numerous servicemen from the 173rd, mostly from the Vietnam era, gained notability after their military careers ended. He was arrested in June 20020 and pleaded guilty in 2022. 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. A lock (LockA locked padlock) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. $6.98 delivery Mar 14 - Apr 4 . Todays sentence took that opportunity from him.". 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. [78] Task Force 1-63 consisted of HHC/1-63rd Armor, C/1-63rd Armor and B/2-2nd Infantry. DEDICATION. The Vietnamese then unleashed B-40 rockets and 57mm recoilless rifle fire on the Americans. Soldier Admits Plotting with Neo-Nazi Cult to Kill Fellow Troops", "U.S. 74th LRS operated out of FOB Price near the town of Gereshk in the Helmand Province. The 173rd Airborne Brigade is the U.S. Army's Contingency Response Force in Europe, providing rapidly deployable forces to the United States European, African, and Central Command areas of responsibility. On 1 December 1951, the troop was inactivated and released from its assignment to the 87th Infantry Division. Former Pvt. Training also included securing roads, bridges, and other infrastructure and treating and evacuating casualties. 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. Louis Casiano is a reporter for Fox News Digital. 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. "Operational Report Lessons Learned (1 May 1969 31 July 1969)." Rick Holmes of C company, 2nd battalion, 503rd infantry, 173rd airborne brigade, sits down on January 3, 1966, in Vietnam. 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. All rights reserved. [103] Throughout their 15-month deployment, the brigade participated in more than 9,000 patrols throughout the region. "Ethan Melzer infiltrated the U.S. Army in service of a neo-Nazi, white supremacist and jihadist group. Attorneys Sam Adelsberg, Matthew J.C. Hellman and Kimberly J. Ravener for the Southern District of New York are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance provided by Trial Attorneys Alicia Cook of the National Security Divisions Counterterrorism Section and Scott Claffee of the National Security Divisions Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. Paratroopers with the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team fighting on Hill 823 during the Battle of Dak To. (U.S. Army Photo by Visual Information Specialist Davide Dalla Massara) Read more Image Jumping in July, 173rd Airborne at Aviano A second base was opened in Vicenza called Del Din and is the current headquarters of the 173rd. 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. [123][124][122][120][121][119][125] He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Task Force Black consisted of Charlie Company supported by two platoons of Dog Company and Task Force Blue which was composed of Alpha Company and the remaining platoon of Dog Company. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. [34] During more than six years of continuous combat, the brigade earned 14 campaign streamers and four unit citations, the Presidential Unit Citation, a Meritorious Unit Commendation, a Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry, and a Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal. He used his membership in the military to pursue an appalling goal: the brutal murder of his fellow U.S. service members in a carefully plotted ambush. The 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team ("Sky Soldiers") is an airborne infantry brigade combat team of the United States Army based in Vicenza, Italy. The Brigade deployed to France in 1918 as part of the Division, but did participate in any named campaigns. After the end of major combat operations in mid-2003, the 173rd Airborne Brigade did not engage in any major battles, though it was regularly involved in skirmishes with Iraqi insurgents. The 173rd Airborne Brigade (Sky Soldiers) is the U.S. Army's Contingency Response Force in Europe, providing rapid forces to the United States European, Africa and Central Commands areas of responsibilities. Of the 3,200 paratroopers from the 173rd deployed to Dak To, 27% were either killed (208) or wounded (645). from around the world. was inserted into a landing zone on Hill 823 and wound up losing 20 KIA, 154 WIA and two MIA. It is a merciless land of steep limestone ridges, some of them exceeding 4,000 feet, wrote Robert Barr Smith in, Vietnam magazine. Click here. In November 1967, the 173rd Airborne Brigade and the 4th Infantry Divisions 1st Brigade slugged it out with four NVA regiments in the Central Highlands. In 2020 he was told he would be transferred to a sensitive base in Turkey, which is when he allegedly began plotting the attack. [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. Regt., and supporting units such as the 335th Aviation Company. (See the sidebar on page 36 for the 4th IDs role.). New. [97] The Turkish forces were eventually released. The most prominent of these is the 2006 single released by the country music duo Big & Rich, entitled "8th of November". (67.1 51.8 3.2 cm), Museum purchase funded by the Mundy Family Foundation, courtesy of David and Stephanie Mundy. These brigades had difficulty operating without support from higher headquarters. However, in the long run the operation appeared no more successful than Fairfax's efforts to clean up Gia Dinh Province around Saigon prior to the Tet Offensive. 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. [113], In March 2015, a 173rd Airborne battalion of around 600 American paratroopers headed to Ukraine to train Ukrainian national guard troops. Market data provided by Factset. This week a former member of the Ohio National Guard was sentenced to six years in prison for manufacturing ghost guns and making threats against Jewish schools and synagogues. 25th Div Support Troops Taking Cover from Prop Wash. By integrating these support elements, the unit became able to maintain its fighting forces with all that is required to keep the ground soldiers supplied and moving. 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. The song was based on the story of Niles Harris, a member of the 173rd, during Operation Hump. The memo depicted Melzer as a product of neglect, abuse and a troubled family who found himself "in thrall to a bizarre satanic cult" and doubled down on his involvement when subjected to a Covid-19 lockdown in 2020 on base, where he was " drinking heavily, and spending far too much time online.". "Operation Rapid Guardian III 10 Years Ago", "U.S. forces find suspected gold cache in Iraq", "Enemy, Arms Captured During Operation Bayonet Lightning", "TIOH Heraldry Special Troops Battalion, 173 Airborne Brigade", Infantry Training Reinforces Combat Skills, Commander: Media reports on Afghanistan outpost battle were exaggerated, "ABC News: Even 500Lbs Bombs Couldn't Stop Taliban", "U.S. troops quit remote Afghan base after attack", "Army Prepares for Next Rotations in OEF", "DOD Announces U.S. Army In Europe Force Structure Changes", Ukraine crisis: France suspends delivery of Russian warship; US to send 200 troops as Putin talks of ceasefire, "Nagyszabs amerikai-magyar hadgyakorlat lesz", USAREUR to increase Baltic presence ahead of Russian war game, 173rd Airborne Brigade to head north and south, Russia's Zapad war games unnerve the West, "United States of America vs. Ethan Phelan Melzer", "U.S. Army Soldier Charged in Neo-Nazi Plot to Attack Fellow Troops", "Soldier Used Upcoming Deployment to Plan Deadly Attack on Unit, Indictment States", "US Army soldier accused of trying to help Satanic neo-Nazi group attack his own unit", "U.S. | Address: 18458 East Orkney Street, Azusa CA 91702-0219. Soldiers with the 173rd have faced some of the fiercest fighting in Afghanistan over the past decade. 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. [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. Police detained Peters as she allegedly tried to stop an officer from taking the iPad. In May 2010 2nd Battalion returned to 173rd IBCT(A) and was responsible for security and stability in northern and western Wardak Provinces.