82nd airborne 2nd bn 505th inf

• Distinguished Lineage: The 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) is part of the famed 82nd Airborne Division, known as the “All American” Division, and was activated during World War II in 1942 at Fort Benning, Georgia. • Combat Jump into Sicily: The 2-505th participated in Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily, making its first combat parachute jump on July 9, 1943—only the second such jump in U.S. Army history. • D-Day Heroics: On June 6, 1944, the battalion parachuted into Normandy during Operation Neptune, the airborne component of D-Day, and fought fiercely to secure key objectives behind enemy lines. • Battle of the Bulge: The 2nd Battalion played a crucial role in the defense of the town of St. Vith during the Battle of the Bulge, helping to slow down the German advance in the Ardennes in December 1944. • First into Berlin: Elements of the 505th PIR, including 2nd Battalion, were among the first American troops to enter Berlin at the end of World War II, symbolizing the Allied victory. • Panama Invasion: During Operation Just Cause in 1989, the 2-505th participated in airborne assaults to restore democracy in Panama and remove dictator Manuel Noriega. • Grenada Operation: The battalion conducted a combat parachute assault in Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada in 1983, helping to liberate the island from a Marxist regime. • Decorations and Honors: The 2-505th has received multiple Presidential Unit Citations, French and Belgian Croix de Guerre, and the Netherlands Military Order of William for its valor in combat. • Global War on Terror: The battalion has deployed multiple times to Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001, serving in high-intensity combat and stability operations. • “H-Minus” Motto: The 505th PIR’s motto, “H-Minus,” refers to the unit being ready to jump before H-Hour, emphasizing its rapid deployment capability—an ethos upheld proudly by the 2nd Battalion.