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. An official website of the United States government. 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. [114] This program was known as Fearless Guardian which was congressionally approved under the Global Contingency Security Fund. Email: wambicook@aol.com The 173rd Airborne Brigade currently consists of 3,300 soldiers[6] in seven subordinate battalions as well as a headquarters company:[7], All of these units are airborne qualified, making the 173rd Airborne Brigade the only separate airborne IBCT in the United States Army. U.S. aircraft hit enemy positions as close as 50 meters to the perimeter as GIs dug in for an NVA night attack. 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 One thing that we took a great deal of pride in was that every wounded soldier, many in very, very serious condition, reached the 71st Evac Hospital at Pleiku alive.. In April 1967, I was a first lieutenant commanding a rifle company in the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C. National 4th Infantry (IVY) Division Association. Prior to its deployment to the highlands, Peers' operations officer, Colonel William J. Livsey, attempted to warn the Airborne officers of the hazards of campaigning in the Central Highlands. Russian Column Reacts To Ukrainian Ambush. But Murphy says that during the actions around Dak To, 376 Americans were killed and 1,441 wounded. US Army soldier gets 45 years for neo-Nazi plot to ambush his own paratrooper unit . [71], It was Shinseki's idea to reactivate a few separate brigades and assign them their own support and sustainment units, which would allow them to function independently of division-level headquarters. It. [110] The brigade returned in early 2013. [106] The brigade repositioned the base three days later. Within a week these units began to fall apart due to desertions. 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 fire training exercise in Larnaca, Cyprus, Feb. 16, 2023, as part of Exercise Silver Falcon 23. He had been quietly discharged from the Ohio National Guard last year after his arrest, Military.com reported. 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 Satanist, neo-Nazi, and pro-jihadist group. Nva Kia, Dong Lach, After Unsuccessful Attempt to Free POWs. Also in the mix were six ARVN battalions. 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. He learned details about the deployment, mission and location, and then passed the information to members of his terrorist group. Melzer admitted to sharing sensitive information about his imminent deployment with the 173rd Airborne Brigade including unit location, movements and security with an occult-based neo-Nazi group called the Order of the Nine Angles. The goal, Melzer said in an unsealed indictment, was to plot an insider mass casualty attack. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. [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. 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. (Photo by Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images), Black Vietnam veteran receives long-awaited Medal of Honor. (46.7 31.4 cm) Sheet: 18 7/8 12 13/16 in. no news. [83] The use of the 173rd as a part of a special operations task force was a unique first in U.S. Army history. [W]ho gives a f---? he wrote. The 3rd Battalion, 503rd joined the brigade at Tuy Ha Province in September 1967 following the former's activation and training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. 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.. 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 Neo-Nazi soldier who planned to ambush army unit jailed for attempted murder Sky Palma. Noted for its roles in Operation Hump and Operation Junction City, the 173rd is best known for the Battle of Dak To, where it suffered heavy casualties in close combat with North Vietnamese forces. Ethan Phelan Melzer, 24, from Kentucky, planned a jihadist attack on his U.S. Army unit just before he was to deploy to Turkey and sent information about his unit's 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. [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. [143] On 13 May 2014, former 503rd Infantry Regiment Sergeant Kyle White received the Medal of Honor during a White House ceremony. 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. Former U.S. Army Soldier Sentenced to 45 Years in Prison for Attempting for Murder Fellow Service Members in Deadly Ambush. [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. Ambush of 173rd Airborne, South Vietnam Tim Page/Corbis Expand Favorite Artist Tim Page British, 1944-2022 Titles Ambush of 173rd Airborne, South Vietnam Date 1965, printed 2004 Place Vietnam Medium Silver dye bleach print Dimensions Image: 18 3/8 12 3/8 in. 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. 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. 3. . took place InTuyhoe then on to the kontum proence battle 3/68.then to ahn khe.gravy.then we went to lz english I Think.Dalat Was The LAST . 2023 Stars and Stripes. [15] The troop entered combat in 1944 and fought in three European campaigns; central Europe, the Rhineland and Ardennes-Alsace operations. All told, the 1st Brigade lost 86 KIA during Dak To, with the 3rd Bn., 8th Inf., accounting for 46 KIA and 3rd Bn., 12th Inf., sacrificing 24 KIA. 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. (Staff Sgt. While her case was underway, she ran for Secretary of State of Colorado, and lost the GOP primary. I wouldve died successfully . After the brigade finally left South Vietnam in 1971, the greater portion of the province reverted to VC control. [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. He was arrested in June 20020 and pleaded guilty in 2022. It conducted combat operations in Kandahar Province. [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. Reproduced from VFW Magazine, March 2006 issue, article by Tim Dyhouse. 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. ; and the attached 2nd Sqdn., 1st Cav Regt. "He is not the unrepentant monster the prosecutors and the Court portrayed him to be," defense attorney Jonathan Marvinny said by email. [51][52], The battle around Dak To became more costly as 4-503 of the 173rd was ordered to occupy Hill 823, south of Ben Het Camp, for the construction of Fire Support Base. Upon learning the importance and sensitivity of his upcoming deployment, Melzer immediately began passing that information to members of O9A. 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. "Todays sentence holds Mr. Melzer accountable for an egregious and shameful act of betrayal against his own military unit and his country," said Assistant U.S. Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Departments National Security Division. 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. One soldier who didnt survive the blast was chaplain Maj. Charles Watters. 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. The FBI New York Joint Terrorism Task Force investigated the case, with valuable assistance provided by the FBIs Legal Attach Office in Rome; the Air Force Office of Special Investigations; U.S. Army Counterintelligence; U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command; and the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service. Soldier Admits Plotting with Neo-Nazi Cult to Kill Fellow Troops", "U.S. In November 1967, North Vietnamese Army (NVA) units were determined to rid the Central Highlands of American forces. Because their heavily armored tanks required so much maintenance, the 173rd incorporated much of 4th ID's area of operation into their own. [104] Journalist Sebastian Junger and photographer Tim Hetherington were embedded with Battle Company of 2nd Battalion which saw extensive action in the Korengal Valley. The 173d Airborne Brigade was constituted 5 August 1917 as an infantry brigade and organized 25 August 1917 at Camp Pike, Arkansas as an element of the 87th Division. [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. An ex-soldier was sentenced 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, the Department of Justice announced Friday. 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. To walk away from Hill 875 would have diminished the importance of their sacrifices, Murphy concluded. remember that day and the jump that followed for the rest of our lives.. Want to write for Task & Purpose? On 1 December 1951, the troop was inactivated and released from its assignment to the 87th Infantry Division. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. 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. Following his time in service . On Nov. 7- 8, A and D companies of the 3rd Bn., 8th Inf., fought NVA units east of Hill 830, losing 21 KIA and 81 WIA in close combat. The changing face of the 173d Airborne Brigade now offers opportunies for both Female and Male individuals. Haynes never questioned anything until Spc. [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. He was arrested by the FBI on June 10, 2022 after investigators claimed he gave sensitive military information to the Order of Nine Angles, a British neo-Nazi Satanist group with pro-Jihadi views that encourages extreme violence in an effort to destabilize society and attempts to overthrow what it views as Jewish control of global culture and economics. [99] The brigade returned to Italy in March 2006. [75], In 2003, as preparations were being made for Operation Iraqi Freedom, the 173rd Airborne Brigade was assigned to be a part of an assault from the north of Iraq. The U.S. camps represented a major roadblock at the southern end of the Ho Chi Minh Trail. TWS is the largest online community of Veterans existing today and is a powerful Veteran locator. 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".
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