3:509th Airborne

The 3rd Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment (Airborne), known as 3/509th Airborne, traces its lineage to the original 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion, a pioneering airborne unit of World War II that saw action in North Africa, Italy, and Southern France. Reactivated and redesignated multiple times throughout its history, the battalion has served as an elite airborne infantry force, most notably as part of the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. In the Global War on Terror, 3/509th Airborne has deployed to both Afghanistan and Iraq, conducting air assault operations, counterinsurgency, and security missions. The unit is recognized for its adaptability, toughness, and the proud heritage of the "Geronimo" nickname carried from its WWII origins.