3:504th Infantry

• Origins: The 3rd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment (3/504th PIR) traces its lineage to the original 504th PIR, activated in 1942 at Fort Benning, Georgia as part of the famed 82nd Airborne Division. • World War II Service: The regiment, including the 3rd Battalion, participated in the Sicily, Salerno, Normandy (D-Day), and Operation Market Garden campaigns, earning a reputation for toughness and bravery. • “Devils in Baggy Pants”: The Germans nicknamed the 504th PIR “Devils in Baggy Pants” after reading it in a captured diary, reflecting the fear and respect the unit inspired during combat in Italy. • Salerno Jump: The 3/504th was part of the first U.S. combat parachute assault in the European Theater at Salerno, Italy, in September 1943. • Battle of the Bulge: The battalion fought fiercely in the Battle of the Bulge, helping to defend the northern shoulder of the Allied lines in Belgium. • Cold War Deployments: During the Cold War, the 3/504th deployed to hotspots including the Dominican Republic (Operation Power Pack, 1965) and Grenada (Operation Urgent Fury, 1983). • Panama and Just Cause: The battalion participated in Operation Just Cause in Panama in 1989, helping to oust dictator Manuel Noriega. • Operation Desert Storm: Elements of the 3/504th deployed to Saudi Arabia and Iraq during the Gulf War in 1990-91, supporting rapid offensive operations. • Global War on Terror: Since 2001, the 3/504th has deployed multiple times to Afghanistan and Iraq, participating in major combat and stability operations. • Decorations and Honors: The 3/504th and the 504th PIR as a whole have earned numerous Presidential Unit Citations, foreign awards (including the French and Dutch Fourragère), and the respect of airborne forces worldwide.