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. The affidavit claims that Peters then attempted to kick an officer, and shouted when ordered to stop kicking. Soldier Admits Plotting with Neo-Nazi Cult to Kill Fellow Troops", "U.S. In approximately October 2019, Melzer deployed abroad with the Army to Italy as a member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. Melzer secretly used an encrypted messaging application to propose, advocate for, and plan a deadly attack on his fellow service members. Nearly surrounded, Lozada jumped from his covered position and fired his M-60 from the hip, providing further cover for fellow soldiers when he was mortally wounded. 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. [34] The 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment[35] and the 161st Battery, Royal New Zealand Artillery[36] were attached to the brigade for one year in 1965. [40], The attached helicopter unit became the Casper Aviation Platoon, befitting a separate infantry brigade as the only separate aviation platoon deployed in Vietnam. If the allegations are true in the Dominion filing, "this is precisely what Murdoch provided to the Trump campaign," he said. According to survivors, he was on his knees giving last rites to a dying paratrooper when the bombs hit, killing him instantly. Two more companies arrived after dark and provided much-needed food and water to the exhausted troopers. 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.. was inserted into a landing zone on Hill 823 and wound up losing 20 KIA, 154 WIA and two MIA. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. . 98. [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. [82], On 26 March 2003, 954 soldiers of the 173rd Airborne Brigade conducted a combat jump from C-17 aircraft onto Bashur Airfield in Northern Iraq[3][86] under the command of Colonel Mayville. [92] Between 30 March and 2 April, the 173rd Airborne Brigade, along with the Special Forces detachment and the Kurdish forces, engaged and destroyed the 2nd, 4th, 8th and 38th Iraqi Infantry divisions as well as a force loyal to Ansar al-Islam. The artist, Queensland, Australia; purchased by MFAH, 2010. The online process consists of the following 2 easy and fully-integrated steps: Step 1 - Fill out all of the required information in the membership application; you will be presented with interactive forms based on your profile and circumstances (e.g. Haynes never questioned anything until Spc. She is the spouse of an Army veteran and a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in journalism. Soldier Used Upcoming Deployment to Plan Deadly Attack on Unit Within a week these units began to fall apart due to desertions. from around the world. While he was deployed to Italy as a member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team in the fall of 2019, Melzer "consumed propaganda from multiple extremist groups" such as O9A and the Islamic. "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. 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. 3rb Battalion News - Bullentin Board Melzers sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods. "In approximately October 2019, Melzer deployed abroad with the Army to Italy as a member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. The platoon was surrounded and wiped out with 22 killed and one missing. [79][80][81], The 173rd Airborne Brigade was made part of Task Force Viking, a special operations task force that contained elements of the 10th Mountain Division[82] and the 10th Special Forces Group. Melzer was listed Friday as an inmate at Metropolitan Detention Center Brooklyn in New York, according to the Bureau of Prisons. A U.S. soldier wears an Army Airborne patch during military drills in Kazlu Ruda, Lithuania, on March 1, 2022. prosecutors alleged that Melzer intended to spark a jihadist terror attack on his own unit. Task Force Gun Devil included Headquarters and Service Battery, 3-319th (including two provisional maneuver platoons); Company D, 2504th; Company B, 1508th; Company A, 1-325th; a military police platoon (4th PLT 13th MP Co.); a rotating Romanian mechanized infantry battalion; a Canadian dismounted infantry company (3rd Bn Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry); and an Afghan National Army company advised by French special forces. Craig Holman, a government affairs lobbyist at campaign watchdog Public Citizen, explained to Business Insider Friday that non-monetary goods or services, including "non-public opposition research, provided to a candidate free of charge or at a discount for campaign purposes, is defined under the campaign finance law as an in-kind contribution, subject to the reporting requirements and contribution limits.". Sign up to receive a daily email of today's top military news stories from Stars and Stripes and top news outlets Membership. In order to successfully accomplish this mission, the battalion . The complaint also argues that the Trump campaign broke the law by not disclosing the contribution. A former soldier was sentenced to 45 years in prison for attempting to plot with a hate group to attack his unit. [73], In 2002, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry (2-503rd) activated, providing a second infantry battalion. It is a merciless land of steep limestone ridges, some of them exceeding 4,000 feet, wrote Robert Barr Smith in, Vietnam magazine. 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. 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. Under the bill Republican state Sen. Clay Yarborough introduced Friday, any court could intervene if a child is receiving gender-affirming care, the report said. [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. At the same time that Hello Dolly opened at Nha Trang airbase, a company of 173rd Airborne had walked into an ambush in Viet Cong base zone, known as the Iron Triangle. I slept with Joe. It was then, they contend, that Melzer broadened his extremism diet, consuming propaganda from the group then known as ISIS, or the Islamic State. Neither Fox nor the Trump campaign could be immediately reached for comment by Raw Story. 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. (U.S. Army Photo by Visual Information Specialist Davide Dalla Massara) Read more. [20] The brigade was also the only separate brigade to receive its own tank company,[21] in the form of Company D, 16th Armor. Todays sentence makes clear that Melzers brazen actions backfired and that this office along with our partners in law enforcement and the military will work tirelessly to bring traitors like Melzer to justice and to protect the safety and integrity of our armed services., Melzer betrayed his fellow soldiers and his country, said Assistant Director Robert R. Wells of the FBIs Counterterrorism Division. A second base was opened in Vicenza called Del Din and is the current headquarters of the 173rd. [85] Operation Iraqi Freedom began on 20 March with V Corps, consisting of the 101st Airborne Division, 82nd Airborne Division, and 3rd Infantry Division making a forceful push from the south, beginning the Iraq War. Task Force Black left Hill 823 to find the PAVN who had attacked B/4-503. 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. most respected brigade in the army. PDF Red devils: tactical perspectives from Iraq - Army University Press 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. [42] Soldiers of the brigade also took part in smaller humanitarian missions in between major combat operations. U.S. Army unprepared to deal with Russia in Europe - POLITICO 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. Centre for Analysis of the Radical Right. 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. War Zone 'C' ambush of the 173rd Airborne during the - reddit Read the full press release at the DOJ's website. Privacy Policy. Get the latest in military news, entertainment and gear in your inbox daily. It would be in combat 12 days later. If you served in 173rd Airborne Brigade, Join TWS for free to reconnect with service friends. The 173rds rifle companies sustained some 90% of the units casualties. [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. The 173rd had been operating near Bien Hoa Air Base outside Saigon and had been in combat only against the VC. [102] The 173rd IBCT(A) officially relieved the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division on 6 June 2007.[102]. [111] Also in mid-2013, 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment (ABN) moved from Schweinfurt, Germany to Grafenwoehr, Germany. Phone: (626)664-0219. Assistant U.S. Name: walter d. {whity} elmore Email: maryaelmore@yhoo.com B1: Submit Date: Wednesday, 20 May 2009 Time: 09:10:34 PM News. In 2020 he was told he would be transferred to a sensitive base in Turkey, which is when he allegedly began plotting the attack. Find 173rd Airborne Brigade unit information, patches, operation history, veteran photos and more on TogetherWeServed.com. The brigade returned most recently from a deployment stretching from late 2013 to late 2014. IE 11 is not supported. Scandal-plagued Republican former Mesa County, Colorado Clerk Tina Peters has been convicted of obstruction of government operations, reported 9News on Friday. [104][107] The 173rd's tour ended in July 2008, and the last redeploying paratrooper from the brigade returned to Europe by the beginning of August 2008. Michael Casey, Clark Dougan, Denis Kennedy, Shelby Stanton, et al., D/16 Official Army History January March, Last edited on 26 February 2023, at 17:39, Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal, 161st Battery, Royal New Zealand Artillery, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment (ABN), 201415 Russian military intervention in Ukraine, 34th Bercsnyi Lszl Special Operations Battalion, Military Assistance Command, Vietnam Studies and Observations Group, United States Army Center of Military History, "The United States Army - 173rd Airborne Brigade", The 173rd Airborne Brigade History, Our History, "3d Battalion, 319th Field Artillery Regiment - Lineage and Honors - U.S. Army Center of Military History (CMH)", "173rd Airborne Brigade becomes a brigade combat team", "Army to pair National Guard, Reserve units with active-duty units", The 173rd Airborne Brigade YouTube Channel, "The United States Army | 173rd Brigade Support Battalion"To Our Utmost", "Texas National Guard Patch Ceremony to initiate Army of One - Texas Military", "Pilot program links Reserve components with active units for training", "174th Infantry Brigade Homepage: History", "On Operations | VietnamWar.govt.nz, New Zealand and the Vietnam War". Joshua Magbanua/U.S. [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. The 173rd Airborne Brigade 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. The 23rd and 26th Mike Force companies (indigenous outfits led by Green Berets) were engaged as well. 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. 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. Video shows Peters yell at and struggle with the officers who detained her." 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. 173rd Airborne Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images [5] The 173rd incurred 1,533 deaths and around 6,000 wounded. (U.S. Army video by Sgt. Former Army private sentenced to 45 years in neo-Nazi plot to kill 173rd Airborne Brigade Captain earns Silver Star for actions during The author visited Afghanistan's Korengal Valley five times in 2007 and 2008 as a reporter embedded with part of the U.S. Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade as it attempted to thwart the Taliban in . Engineers of 1st Air Cav at Chu Phong Mt. 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. Consequently, the HHC 173rd Infantry Brigade was designated as the 87th Reconnaissance Troop in February 1942 and activated on 15 December 1942. [104] Journalist Sebastian Junger and photographer Tim Hetherington were embedded with Battle Company of 2nd Battalion which saw extensive action in the Korengal Valley. Rick Holmes of C company, 2nd battalion, 503rd infantry, 173rd airborne brigade, sits down on January 3, 1966, in Vietnam. Gold Star, Active Duty, etc.). Florida parents are worried about the radical, prurient agenda that has become pervasive across most forms of media, specifically targeting young children, Yarborough said in a statement. A former U.S. Army private was sentenced on Friday to 45 years in prison after he pleaded guilty last year to charges that he had shared sensitive information . But there was a silver lining: Investigators . On 23 April 2014, four paratrooper companies of the 173rd were deployed to Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to reassure America's NATO allies threatened by Russian military maneuvers along the borders of eastern Ukraine during the 201415 Russian military intervention in Ukraine. Today, the 173rd Airborne Brigade pauses to remember the loss of 48 Paratroopers during Operation Hump in Vietnam, on this day 52 years ago. New. He acknowledged that would likely be killed if he carried out the attack, writing, who gives a f--- [. [3] The 173rd Airborne Brigade currently consists of 3,300 soldiers in seven subordinate battalions as well as a headquarters company:. B-Roll Package: Squad Ambush with Cypriot Troops 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. [109], From November 2009 until November 2010, the 173rd IBCT(A) once again returned to Afghanistan, this time to the provinces of Logar and Wardak. The song was based on the story of Niles Harris, a member of the 173rd, during Operation Hump. 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. verso bottom right in pencil "Ambush of 173rd airborne / Iron Triangle 9/1965" in pencil on stamp "2/2k8" Signed in pencil on verso lower right: "Tim Page 8/25" Circular stamp on verso lower right: "chromacolour.com.au * / ARCHIVAL / ILFOCHROME / CLASSIC" Cataloguing data may change with further research. When he learned in 2020 that his unit would help guard a sensitive military installation overseas, he transmitted location, schedule and security information to the O9A subgroup known as RapeWaffen Division, prosecutors said. [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. [20] The 173rd Brigade was selected to become a separate brigade and a special airborne task force, which could deploy rapidly and act independently. A former Army paratrooper was sentenced to 45 years in prison Friday for plotting with a violent extremist group to ambush and kill members of his own Italy-based unit, federal law enforcement officials said. The company was able to take the hill but suffered 9 dead and 28 wounded. The sign had read. 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 3rd Battalion on Nov. 10-11 sustained another 18 KIA and 118 WIA on Hill 724 during a five-hour ground and mortar attack. Company commanders pulled their troops back and called for more firepower. [3][30] The brigade, organized as Task Force Bayonet, assumed control of Regional Command-South (RC South). This move was called the Reorganization Objective Army Division (ROAD) plan. Former soldier gets 45 years in prison for plotting with neo-Nazi group Only the battalion's Company B was available for the attack, which was borne by helicopter. During this operation multiple buildings belonging to the airfield were secured. 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: A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. He and others then passed these messages to a purported member of al-Qaida, according to the Justice Department. 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. 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. The investigation was carried out by the FBI New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, with assistance from the FBIs Legal Attach Office in Rome, U.S. Army Counterintelligence and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, among others. 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 Hebert's patrol was caught in a midnight ambush as it crossed what has become known the "Bridge of Death." [110] The brigade returned in early 2013. . According to court documents, Melzer planned a jihadist attack on his U.S. Army unit in the days leading up to a deployment to Turkey and sent sensitive details about the unit including information about its location, movements, and security to members of the extremist organization Order of the Nine Angles (O9A), a white supremacist, neo-Nazi and pro-jihadist group. Jesus, they were all over the place, one paratrooper recalled. [103] Throughout their 15-month deployment, the brigade participated in more than 9,000 patrols throughout the region. On the afternoon of 21 November, both battalions moved out to take the crest. 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. The next morning, Nov. 20, 4th Bn., 503rd Inf., set out to relieve the 2nd Battalion paratroopers. He was awarded the Medal of Honor nearly 60 years after he was nominated. 12/24/2003. Forward-based in Italy and Germany, the Brigade routinely trains alongside NATO allies and partners to build interoperability and . [60] This time the Americans gained the crest, but the PAVN had already abandoned their positions, leaving only a few dozen charred bodies and weapons. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, The paratroopers attempted to continue the advance, but the PAVN, well concealed in interconnected bunkers and trenches, opened fire with small arms and grenades. [18] 340 of the 570 173rd Airborne troops who attacked the hill became casualties. [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. The 173d Airborne Brigade was now attached to JSOTF-N as the conventional force. [78] VCorps was not able to surround Baghdad as quickly as it had hoped because of a lack of available forces in the north. [15] The troop entered combat in 1944 and fought in three European campaigns; central Europe, the Rhineland and Ardennes-Alsace operations. 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. "Melzer allegedly attempted to orchestrate a murderous ambush on his own unit by unlawfully revealing its location, strength, and armaments to a neo-Nazi, anarchist, white supremacist group, then-Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York at the time, Audrey Strauss, said in a statement at the time. Stanton, Vietnam Order of Battle, pp. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. 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. At the same time that Hello Dollyopened at NhaTrang airbase, a company of 173rd Airborne had walked into an ambush in Viet Cong base zone, known as the Iron Triangle. Rose L. Thayer is based in Austin, Texas, and she has been covering the western region of the continental U.S. for Stars and Stripes since 2018. 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. Those of us fortunate enough to be there will. Members of O9A have openly expressed admiration for Adolf Hitler and Osama bin Laden, among others. The dust-offs started coming within 30 minutes. C and D companies soon found themselves absorbing small-arms fire and grenade attacks from seemingly every direction. The plan eliminated regiments but reintroduced brigades to the Army's structure, allowing three brigades to a division. [citation needed]. They participated in Operation Crimp in 1966, a failed attempt to root out VC forces from the C Chi tunnels. [38], The brigade was the first unit sent into War Zone D to destroy enemy base camps, introducing the use of small Long Range Reconnaissance Patrols.