Military

United States Combat Jumps

Date Unit Operation Troopers Country Dropzone Aircraft Type Air delivery
8 November 1942 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion (PIB) Torch 556 Algeria Tafaraoui airfield, La Senia 39 C-47 Day Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump. Faulty navigation and a mix-up in signals dropped a number of the men in Spanish Morocco, where they were interned. Others dropped at various points far west of their objective. Only one plane reached the target airfield, but it met with antiaircraft fire and turned back without dropping its men. Another account claims that after a C-47 flight of over 1600 miles from England [the longest Airborne operation], the battalion seized Tafarquay Airport in Oran, Algeria by parachute assault.
15 November 1942 509th PIB Torch 300 - 350 Algeria Youks les Bains C-47 Day Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump. Troops jumped onto the enemy occupied airfield at Youks Les Bains in Algeria. The paratroops landed on a cleared area adjacent to the runway. Within twenty minutes the paratroops had assembled and secured the airfield. Some accounts state they accepted the surrender of the French Third Zouaves Regiment, while others state that they landed to reinforce the French garrison.
24 December 1942 509th PIB, Hdqt's. Co. Two French Paratroopers- 32 Tunisia El Djem C-47 Day Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump. With a mission to destroy an enemy railroad bridge, of the 30 paratroopers to descend on the objective only six returned to friendly lines.
9 July 1943 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment 3rd Battalion (Jumped first); 505th Regimental Combat Team (RCT), Includes: 505th PIR, 456th PFA & Co. B, 307th Engr. Husky I 3,406 Italy Gela, Sicily C-47 Night Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump, wing shackle bundle drops, Gliders
10 July 1943 504th Regimental Combat Team (RCT), Includes: 504th PIR, 1st & 2nd Btn.; 376th PFA & Co.A, 307th Engr. Husky II 2,304 Italy Gela, Sicily C-47 Night Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump, wing shackle bundle drops, Gliders
5 September 1943 503th PIR 1,700 New Guinea Nadzab, Markham Valley C-47, A-20s (smokescreens) Day Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump, wing shackle bundle drops
13 September 1943 504th Regimental Combat Team (RCT) Includes: 504th PIR, 376th PFA & Co. "A" 307th Eng. Avalanche 1,300 Italy Paestum, Salerno C-47 Night Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump
14 September 1943 505th Regimental Combat Team (RCT). Includes: 505th PIR, 456th PFA & Co.B 370th Engr. Avalanche 2,105 Italy Salerno, Paestum C-47 Night Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump.
14 September 1943 509th PIB Avalanche 640 Italy Avellino C-47 Night Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump. Dropped into the beachhead behind friendly lines as reinforcements and marched into battle on foot.
6 June 1944 82nd Airborne Division (507, 508) 505th RCT, Includes: 505th Parachute Infantry Reg., Co. B/307 Engineer Battlion & 456th Parachute Field Artillery Batalion. 28 Pathfinders, 504th PIR, (7 returned). Overlord, Titanic (Dropping of parachute dummies, "Oscar"). 6,418 France Normandy C-47 Night Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump, wing shackle bundle drops, Gliders
6 June 1944 101st Airborne Division [326, 377, 501, 502, 506] Overlord, Titanic (Dropping of parachute dummies, "Oscar"). 6,638 France Normandy C-47 Night Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump, wing shackle bundle drops, Gliders
3 July 1944 503rd PRCT, 1st Bn. Table Tennis 739 New Guinea Noemfoor Island C-47 Day Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump
4 July 1944 503rd PRCT, 3rd Bn. Table Tennis 685 New Guinea Noemfoor Island C-47 Day Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump
15 August 1944 1st Abn. Task Force (460th PFA, 463rd PFABn.; 509th PIB; 517th PCT; 551st PIB; 596th PCEng. Co.) Dragoon 5,607 France Cote d' Azur, Riviera C-47 Day Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump, wing shackle bundle drops, Gliders, (Dropping of 300 paratroop dummies, prior to landing)
17 September 1944 82nd Airborne Division (508), 505th RCT, Includes: 505th PIR, 456th PFA, & Co.B, 307th Engr.; 504th RCT, Includes: 504th PIR, 376th PFA, & Co.A, 307 Engr Market Garden 7,250 Holland Grave & Nijmegen C-47, CG-1 gliders Day Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump, wing shackle bundle drops, Gliders
17 September 1944 101st Airborne Division [501, 502, 506] Market Garden 6,769 Holland Eindhoven C-47, CG-1 gliders Day Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump, wing shackle bundle drops, Gliders
29 November 1944 - 5 December 1944 Co.C, 127th Abn.Eng, Bn. Co.C., 1st Pl.., 187th P/GIR 221st AB. Med. Co.; 457th PFA 11th Abn. Div. Hdqt's Group 511th Pcht. Signal Co. 11th Abn. Div. RECON Pl. Tabletop 241 Leyte Manarawat C-47, L-4, L-5 Day Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump, wing shackle bundle drops. Jumped one man at a time onto a table top plateau, using Cub L4's & L5's, one C-47 made 14 passes.
3 February 1945 511th PIR, 457th FABn. Shoestring 1,830 Philippines Tagaytay Ridge C-47 Dropped 240 paratroop dummies (Oscar) at Mt. Malepunyo prior to main jump.
16 February 1945 503rd PRCT, 462nd PFABn; 161st Airborne Engr. Btn. Topside 2,050 Philippines Corregidor C-47 A unique air/sea attack.
23 February 1945 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment: 1st Btn., Co.B; Hdqt's Co., 1st Btn.; Hdqt's Co., 1st Btn., Light Machine Gun Platoon Rescue 2,147 internees 130 Philippines Los Banos Prison Camp C-47 Jumped from 400 feet at 0700 hours.
24 March 1945 17th Airborne Division (507 PIR, 513 PIR, 464 PFA, 466 PFA, 139 AEB, 224 AMC, 155 AAB, 411 AQM, 517 ASC, 680 GFA 681 GFA, 717 AOC & 194 GIR). Also small units: MP's, Division Artillery, Reconnaissance Platoon, & Parachute Maintenance Co. Varsity 4,964 Germany Wesel C-47, C-46 Commando, CG-1 Gliders Day Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump, wing shackle bundle drops, Gliders
23 June 1945 511th PIR Gypsy 1,030 Philippines Aparri C-47
21 September 1950 MATS Korea C-119 Flying Boxcar C-119s initiated airdrops of food and ammunition to front-line UN troops.
20 October 1950 187th ARCT, 2nd Battalion DZ Easy 1,203 Korea Sukchon Seventy-one C-119s and forty C-47s Day Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump, platform Heavy drop Gun jeeps, 105mm artillery pieces
20 October 1950 187th ARCT, 1st, 3rd. Bn's. DZ William 1,470 Korea Sukchon C-119 Flying Boxcar Day Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump, platform Heavy drop Gun jeeps, 105mm artillery pieces
21 October 1950 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team (ARCT). DZ William 671 Korea Sukchon C-119 Flying Boxcar Day Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump, platform Heavy drop Gun jeeps, 105mm artillery pieces
07 December 1950 USAF MATS ? Korea C-119 Flying Boxcar Eight C-119s dropped bridge spans to the surrounded U.S. troops so that they could cross a 1,500-foot-deep gorge to break the enemy encirclement. This was the first air-dropped bridge in history of warfare.
23 March 1951 187th ARCT, 2nd & 3rd Bn's; 674th ABN Field Artillery Bn; 2nd & 4th ABN Ranger Co's, and Indian army surgical team. Tomahawk 3,486 Korea Munsan-Ni C-119 Flying Boxcar Day Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump, platform Heavy drop Gun jeeps, 105mm howitzers
12 February 1962 FTT-1 White Star SF Team Nam Beng Valley Campaign vs. Pathet Lao 12 Laos Nam Tha airstrip Day Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump
2 January 1963 Joint General Staff reserve ARVN Paratroopers with U.S. MACV "Red Hat" Advisors from Saigon Ap Bac 300 South Vietnamese, 2 Americans South Vietnam Ap Tan Thoi 7 x USAF C-123 Providers Day, Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump
1964 USAF C-130 squadron, Belgian Paratrooper Bn Dragon Rouge 324 Belgian Belgian Congo Stanleyville Airport C-130 Hercules Day Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump Equipment/supplies air-delivered: Gun jeeps, Crew-served machine guns
22 February 1967 173rd Airborne Brigade, 503rd P.I.R., 2nd & 3rd Btl's,; 3/319 Airborne Field Artillery Regiment (AFAR). Junction City 845 Vietnam Katum Day Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump Equipment/supplies air-delivered: Gun MULEs (M274s), 105mm artillery pieces, Jumped at 0900 hours.
2 April 1967 5th Special Force Group (ABN), 1st Special Forces: Detachments, A-503 Mike Force & A-344, Operation Harvest Moon (Includes Montagnards) Harvest Moon 356 (includes Montagnards) Vietnam Bunard, Phouc Long "Happy Dragon" Province C-130 Hercules Day Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump
5 September 1967 USMC, 1st Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) Oregon 10 Vietnam
South		     
5 October 1967 5th Special Force Group (ABN), 1st Special Forces: Pathfinder Detachment (12 SF, 37 ARVN Pathfinders), "B" Co II CTZ (Pleiku) Mike Force (50 SF) & 275 LLDB (Includes Montagnards) Blue Max 374 Vietnam Bu Prang CIDG fighting camp, Quang Duc "Great Virtue" Province C-130 Hercules Day Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump
1968-73? Military Assistance Command Vietnam, Studies and Observations Group (MACV-SOG)Airborne Studies Group (SOG 36) Eldest Son, Italian Green, Pole Bean ? to sabotage enemy ammunition supply North Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia ? C-130 Hercules or MC-130 Combat Talon 13 separate static-line jumps. SOG commandos won ten Medals of Honor.
28 November 1970 Team RT Florida, Special Operations Group (SOG)   6 troopers, one ARVN officer and 2 Montagnards Laos NVA road, just inside LAOS   Command & Control North (CCN), Special Operations Group (SOG), High Altitude Low Opening team (HALO).
Formerly classified.
Jumped from 17,000 to 21,000 feet with oxygen, between 0001-0300 hours. Objective to close the Ho Chi Minh trail to NVA by calling in air strikes.
Individually extracted with V rings by helicopter.
STABO ( Stabilized Tactical Airborne Operation).
First men to receive combat stars on HALO wings.
7 May 1971 Team RT Alaska, Special Operations Group (SOG) 4 troopers     Ashau Valley, near Laotian Highway 921   Command & Control North (CCN), Special Operations Group (SOG), High Altitude Low Opening team (HALO).
Formerly classified.
Jumped from 17,000 to 21,000 feet with oxygen, between 0001-0300 hours. Objective to close the Ho Chi Minh trail to NVA by calling in air strikes.
Individually extracted with V rings by helicopter.
STABO ( Stabilized Tactical Airborne Operation).
First men to receive combat stars on HALO wings.
22 June 1971 Team One Zero, Special Operations Group (SOG) 4 troopers     60 miles SW of Danang   Command & Control North (CCN), Special Operations Group (SOG), High Altitude Low Opening team (HALO).
Formerly classified.
Jumped from 17,000 to 21,000 feet with oxygen, between 0001-0300 hours. Objective to close the Ho Chi Minh trail to NVA by calling in air strikes.
Individually extracted with V rings by helicopter.
STABO ( Stabilized Tactical Airborne Operation).
First men to receive combat stars on HALO wings.
22 Sept. 1971 Team Storter, Special Operations Group (SOG) 4 troopers     Plei Trap Valley, NW of Pleiku   Command & Control North (CCN), Special Operations Group (SOG), High Altitude Low Opening team (HALO).
Formerly classified.
Jumped from 17,000 to 21,000 feet with oxygen, between 0001-0300 hours. Objective to close the Ho Chi Minh trail to NVA by calling in air strikes.
Individually extracted with V rings by helicopter.
STABO ( Stabilized Tactical Airborne Operation).
First men to receive combat stars on HALO wings.
11 Oct. 1971 Team RT Wisconsin, Special Operations Group (SOG) 5 troopers and 5 Montagnards     25 miles, SW of Pleiku in the La Drang Valley   Command & Control North (CCN), Special Operations Group (SOG), High Altitude Low Opening team (HALO).
Formerly classified.
Jumped from 17,000 to 21,000 feet with oxygen, between 0001-0300 hours. Objective to close the Ho Chi Minh trail to NVA by calling in air strikes.
Individually extracted with V rings by helicopter.
STABO ( Stabilized Tactical Airborne Operation).
First men to receive combat stars on HALO wings.
25 October 1983 75th Ranger Regiment LRS Detachment, 82nd Abn Div. Combat Controllers (CCT), Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), 12 troopers; 4 troopers, 1st Bn, Tactical Air Control Parties (TACP). Urgent Fury 16(?) Grenada Point Salines MC-130 Combat Talons, C-130 Hercules Night High Altitude Low-Opening (HALO) jump (Set up radios to guide aircraft)
25 October 1983 SEAL Team Urgent Fury 11 Grenada Governor's residence MC-130 Combat Talon, C-130 Hercules Night static-line parachute jump into the water
25 October 1983 75th Ranger Regiment 1st, 2nd.Bn's. & Two paratroopers: Sgt. Spain and SPC Richardson, 618th Engineer Co., 307th Engineer Btn., Urgent Fury 500 Grenada Point Salines airfield MC-130 Combat Talons, C-130 Hercules Day Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump
20 December 1989 UNIT: (0100) Rangers, 75th Inf. Reg., Task Force Red, 1,300 troops; 82nd Abn. Div. Ready Brigade (DRB), 2,700 troops. Just Cause 4,000 Panama Rio Hato east to Fort Cimarron MC-130 Combat Talons, C-130 Hercules, C-141B Starlifter, C-5B Galaxy Night Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump, platform Heavy drop LVAD, CDS LVAD Ranger M151 Gun jeeps, HMMWVs, Ammo, Food (MREs), water (CDS)
20 December 1989 (0124) Rangers; (0145) 82nd Abn. Div., 1st Brigade Task Force: 1/504th PIR, 1/505th PIR; 2nd Bn., 504th PIR; 4th Bn., 325th Abn. Inf. Reg., Co. C; A Co., 3/505 PIR; 3rd Bn., 73rd Abn. Armor Reg.; 82nd Abn. MP Co., 3 platoons (0411). All joined to form: Task Force Pacific. Just Cause 2,176 Panama Torrijos-Tocumen Airport MC-130 Combat Talons, C-130 Hercules, C-141B Starlifter, C-5B Galaxy Night Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump, platform Heavy drop LVAD, CDS LVAD Equipment/supplies air-delivered: M551 Sheridan light tanks, Ranger M151 Gun jeeps, HMMWVs, Ammo, Food (MREs), water (CDS)
15 January 1991 Special Forces, HALO Team Desert Storm 12 Iraq Northwest desert MC-130 Combat Talons or C-141B Starlifter
1991-2 USAF airlift squadrons/Army Riggers Provide Comfort ? Iraq Northwest desert MC-130 Combat Talons, C-130 Hercules LVAD, Free drop Equipment/supplies air-delivered: Food (MREs), water, medical supplies (CDS)
1993-5 Units: U.S. Air Force's 435th Air Wing at Rhein Main Air Base, Germany, U.S. Army's 5th Quartermaster Detachment (Airdrop Support), the theater's air delivery asset. Container delivery system (CDS) bundles of U.S. Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs, medical supply bundles. Later MREs freedropped using TRIADS system. Provide Promise ? Bosnia Mountains of Bosnia C-130 Hercules HVAD, delayed-timer LVAD, free drop MREs Free drop (TRIWALL cardboard box Aerial Delivery System or TRIADS)Equipment/supplies air-delivered: Food (MREs), water, medical supplies (CDS)
19 October 2001 75th Ranger Regiment 200 Operation Enduring Freedom Afghanistan Objective Rhino at Dry Lake Airstrip C-141
26 March 2003 173rd Airborne Brigade 954 Operation Iraqi Freedom Iraq Bashur Drop zone 15 C-17 later classified as a combat jump, even though the objective was a coalition-held forward operating airfield.
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