David Brasher

The 173d Airborne Brigade (Separate), known as the "Sky Soldiers," was activated in 1915 and reactivated in 1963 on Okinawa as the first major U.S. Army ground combat unit committed to the Vietnam War. The brigade made the first combat parachute assault of the war in 1967 during Operation Junction City and participated in numerous major operations, earning 14 campaign streamers and four unit citations. After Vietnam, the unit was inactivated in 1972 but reactivated in 2000 in Italy, serving as the U.S. Army’s rapid response force in Europe. Since then, the 173d has deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, continuing its tradition of airborne excellence and readiness.