United States Combat Jumps
Airborne OperationsWith regards to the US Army, under the provisions of Army Regulation 600-8-22, paragraph 7-25, the designation of a combat assault landing is determined and approved by the Senior Army Commander in the theater of operations. An assault landing is classified as one of the following: Combat parachute jump, free fall combat jump, helicopter assault landing, combat glider landing, or amphibious assault landing. This table includes assault landings involving combat parachute jumps or free fall combat jumps. |
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| Date | Unit | Operation | Troop Strength | Dropzone | Country | Aircraft | Type Air Delivery / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Nov 1942 | 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion (PIB) | Torch | 556 | Tafaraoui Airfield, La Senia | Algeria | 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 at that time), the battalion seized Tafarquay Airport in Oran, Algeria by parachute assault. |
| 15 Nov 1942 | 509th PIB | Torch | 300-350 | Youks les Bains | Algeria | 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 Dec 1942 | Headquarters Company, 509th PIB; Two French Paratroopers | 32 | El Djem | Tunisia | 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 Jul 1943 | 3rd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR); 505th Regimental Combat Team (RCT): 505th PIR; 456th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion (PFAB); Company B, 307th Engineer Battalion | Husky I | 3,406 | Gela, Sicily | Italy | C-47, CG-1 | Night Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump, wing shackle bundle drops, Gliders. 3/504th PIR jumped first. |
| 10 Jul 1943 | 504th RCT: 1st and 2nd Battalion, 504th PIR; 376th PFAB; Company A, 307th Engineer Battalion | Husky II | 2,304 | Gela, Sicily | Italy | C-47, CG-1 | Night Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump, wing shackle bundle drops, Gliders. |
| 5 Sep 1943 | 503th PIR | 1,700 | Nadzab, Markham Valley | New Guinea | C-47, A-20 | Day Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump, wing shackle bundle drops. A-20 aircraft were used to create smokescreens to cover the jump. | |
| 13 Sep 1943 | 504th RCT: 504th PIR; 376th PFAB; Company A, 307th Engineer Battalion | Avalanche | 1,300 | Paestum, Salerno | Italy | C-47 | Night Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump. |
| 14 Sep 1943 | 505th RCT: 505th PIR, 456th PFAB; Company B, 370th Engineer Battalion | Avalanche | 2,105 | Salerno, Paestum | Italy | C-47 | Night Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump. |
| 14 Sep 1943 | 509th PIB | Avalanche | 640 | Avellino | Italy | 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 Jun 1944 | 82nd Airborne Division: 504th PIR; 507th PIR; 508 PIR; 505th RCT: 505th PIR, 456th PFAB, Company B, 307 Engineer Battlion; Pathfinders | Overlord, Titanic (Dropping of parachute dummies, "Oscar") | 6,418 | Normandy | France | C-47 | Night Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump, wing shackle bundle drops, Gliders. Of 28 Pathfinders from 504th PIR, only 7 returned. |
| 6 Jun 1944 | 101st Airborne Division: 326 PIR; 377th PIR; 501st PIR; 502nd PIR; 506th PIR | Overlord, Titanic (Dropping of parachute dummies, "Oscar") | 6,638 | Normandy | France | C-47 | Night Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump, wing shackle bundle drops, Gliders. |
| 3 Jul 1944 | 1st Battalion, 503rd Parachute Regimental Combat Team (PRCT) | Table Tennis | 739 | Noemfoor Island | New Guinea | C-47 | Day Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump. |
| 4 Jul 1944 | 3rd Battalion, 503rd Parachute Regimental Combat Team (PRCT) | Table Tennis | 685 | Noemfoor Island | New Guinea | C-47 | Day Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump. |
| 15 Aug 1944 | 1st Airborne Task Force: 517th Parachute Combat Team: 509th PIB; 551st PIB; 460th PFAB; 463rd PFAB; 596th Parachute Combat Engineer Company (PCEC) | Dragoon | 5,607 | Cote d' Azur, Riviera | France | 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 Sep 1944 | 82nd Airborne Division: 508th PIR; 505th RCT: 505th PIR; 456th PFAB; Company B, 307th Engineer Battalion; 504th RCT: 504th PIR; 376th PFAB; Company A, 307th Engineer Battalion | Market Garden | 7,250 | Grave; Nijmegen | Holland | C-47, CG-1 | Day Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump, wing shackle bundle drops, Gliders. |
| 17 Sep 1944 | 101st Airborne Division: 501st PIR; 502nd PIR; 506th PIR | Market Garden | 6,769 | Eindhoven | Holland | C-47, CG-1 | Day Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump, wing shackle bundle drops, Gliders. |
| 29 Nov - 5 Dec 1944 |
11th Airborne Division: Division Headquarters Group; 187th Parachute-Glider Infantry Regiment (P/GIR); 457th PFAB; 1st Platoon, Company C, 127th Airborne Engineer Battalion; 221st Airborne Medical Company; 511th Parachute Signal Company; Reconnaissance Platoon | Tabletop | 241 | Manarawat, Leyte | Philippines | 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 L-4 and L-5 aircraft. C-47 aircraft also had to drop in packets. One C-47 made 14 passes. |
| 3 Feb 1945 | 511th PIR; 457th PFAB | Shoestring | 1,830 | Tagaytay Ridge | Philippines | C-47 | Dropped 240 paratroop dummies (Oscar) at Mount Malepunyo prior to main jump. |
| 16 Feb 1945 | 503rd PRCT: 503rd PIB; 462nd PFAB; 161st Airborne Engineer Battalion | Topside | 2,050 | Corregidor | Philippines | C-47 | A unique air/sea attack. |
| 23 Feb 1945 | 511th PIR: Company B, 1st Battalion; Headquarters Company and Light Machine Gun Platoon, 1st Battalion | Los Banos Prison Camp Raid | 130 | Los Banos Prison Camp | Philippines | C-47 | Jumped from 400 feet at 0700 hours on 23 February 1945 on mission to rescue 2,147 internees. |
| 24 Mar 1945 | 17th Airborne Division: 507th PIR; 513th PIR; 194th Glider Infantry Regiment; 464 PFAB; 466 PFAB; 680th Glider Field Artillery Battalion (GFAB); 681st GFAB; 55th Airborne Anti-Aircraft Battalion; 139th Airborne Engineer Battalion; 224th Airborne Medical Company; 411th Airborne Quartermaster Company; 517th Airborne Support Company, 707th Airborne Ordnance Company; Misc small units: MP's, Division Artillery Headquarters, Reconnaissance Platoon, Parachute Maintenance Company | Varsity | 4,964 | Wesel | Germany | C-47, C-46, CG-1 | Day Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump, wing shackle bundle drops, Gliders. |
| 23 Jun 1945 | 511th PIR | Gypsy | 1,030 | Aparri | Philippines | C-47 | |
| 21 Sep 1950 | MATS | Korea | C-119 | C-119s initiated airdrops of food and ammunition to front-line UN troops. | |||
| 20 Oct 1950 | 2nd Battalion, 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team (ARCT) | 1,203 | DZ Easy, Sukchon | Korea | 71 C-119s, 40 C-47s | Day Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump, platform heavy drop gun jeeps, 105mm artillery pieces | |
| 20 Oct 1950 | 1st and 3rd Battalions, 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team (ARCT) | 1,470 | DZ William, Sukchon | Korea | C-119 | Day Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump, platform heavy drop gun jeeps, 105mm artillery pieces | |
| 21 Oct 1950 | 187th ARCT (-): ARCT Less 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Battalions | 671 | DZ William, Sukchon | Korea | C-119 | Day Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump, platform heavy drop gun jeeps, 105mm artillery pieces | |
| 7 Dec 1950 | MATS | Korea | C-119 | Eight C-119s dropped bridge spans to the surrounded US 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 Mar 1951 | 187th ARCT: 2nd and 3rd Battalions; 674th Airborne Field Artillery Battalion; 2nd and 4th Ranger Companies; Indian army surgical team. | Tomahawk | 3,486 | Munsan-Ni | Korea | C-119 | Day Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump, platform heavy drop gun jeeps, 105mm howitzers |
| 12 Feb 1962 | FTT-1 (White Star Team) | Nam Beng Valley Campaign vs. Pathet Lao | 12 | Nam Tha Airstrip | Laos | Day Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump | |
| 2 Jan 1963 | ARVN 8th Airborne Battalion w/ 2 US MACV "Red Hat" Advisors | Battle of Ap Bac | 302 | Ap Tan Thoi | South Vietnam | 7 C-123 | Day, Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump |
| 1964 | Belgian 1st Parachute Battalion (+) | Dragon Rouge | 324 | Stanleyville Airport | Congo | C-130 | Day Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump Equipment/supplies air-delivered: gun jeeps, crew-served machine guns. USAF aircraft delivered Belgian/mercenary paratroopers. |
| 22 Feb 1967 | 173rd Airborne Brigade (Separate): 2nd and 3rd Battalions (Airborne), 503rd Infantry; 3rd Battalion (Airborne), 319th Field Artillery | Junction City | 845 | Katum | South Vietnam | C-123, C-130 | Day Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump Equipment/supplies air-delivered: Gun MULEs (M274s), 105mm artillery pieces. Jumped at 0900 hours on 22 February 1967. |
| 2 Apr 1967 | A-503 and A-344, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces; MIKE Force Battalion | Harvest Moon | 356 | Bunard, Phouc Long "Happy Dragon" Province | South Vietnam | C-130 | Day Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump. |
| 5 Oct 1967 | B Company, II CTZ MIKE Force Battalion; Pathfinder Detachment | Blue Max | 374 | Bu Prang CIDG Camp, Quang Duc "Great Virtue" Province | South Vietnam | C-130 | Day Mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump. Pathfinder Detachment consisted of 12 US Special Forces peronnel and 37 ARVN Special Forces (LLDB) personnel. B Company, II CTZ MIKE Force Battalion consisted of 50 Special Forces Personnel and 275 ARVN Special Forces (LLDB) and indigenous personnel. |
| 1968-73? | Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, Studies and Observations Group (MACV-SOG) Airborne Studies Group (SOG 36) | Eldest Son, Italian Green, Pole Bean | North Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia | C-130E Combat Talon | Operations to sabotage enemy ammunition supply. Included 13 separate static-line jumps. SOG commandos won 10 Medals of Honor. | ||
| 28 Nov 1970 | RT Florida, Command and Control North (CCN), Military Assistance Command ,Vietnam - Studies and Observation Group (MACV-SOG) Ground Studies Group (SOG 34) | 9 | Ho Chi Minh Trail section | Laos | C-130E Combat Talon | Team consisting of 2 American personnel, one ARVN officer, and 6 "Montagnard" troopers. High Altitude Low Opening (HALO) jump from 17,000 to 21,000 feet with oxygen, between 0001-0300 hours. Objective to close the Ho Chi Minh trail by calling in air strikes. Individually extracted with by helicopter using STABO (Stabilized Tactical Airborne Operation) rig. First men to receive combat stars on HALO wings. Formerly classified. | |
| 7 May 1971 | RT Alaska, Command and Control North (CCN), Military Assistance Command ,Vietnam - Studies and Observation Group (MACV-SOG) Ground Studies Group (SOG 34) | 4 | Ashau Valley, near Laotian Highway 921 | Laos | C-130E Combat Talon | Objective to close the Ho Chi Minh tral by calling in air strikes. Formerly classified. | |
| 22 Jun 1971 | Team One Zero, Military Assistance Command ,Vietnam - Studies and Observation Group (MACV-SOG) Ground Studies Group (SOG 34) | 4 | 60 miles southwest of Danang | Southeast Asia | C-130E Combat Talon | Objective to close the Ho Chi Minh tral by calling in air strikes. Formerly classified. | |
| 22 Sep 1971 | Team Storter, Military Assistance Command ,Vietnam - Studies and Observation Group (MACV-SOG) Ground Studies Group (SOG 34) | 4 | Plei Trap Valley, northwest of Pleiku | Southeast Asia | C-130E Combat Talon | Objective to close the Ho Chi Minh tral by calling in air strikes. Formerly classified. | |
| 11 Oct 1971 | RT Wisconsin, Command and Control Central (CCC), Military Assistance Command ,Vietnam - Studies and Observation Group (MACV-SOG) Ground Studies Group (SOG 34) | 10 | 25 miles southwest of Pleiku in the La Drang Valley | Southeast Asia | C-130E Combat Talon | Team consisting of 5 Americans and 5 "Montagnard" troopers. Objective to close the Ho Chi Minh tral by calling in air strikes. Formerly classified. | |
| 25 Oct 1983 | Long Range Surveillance Detachment, 75th Infantry Regiment; TACP, 14th Air Support Operations Squadron | Urgent Fury | 16? | Point Salines | Grenada | MC-130E, C-130 | Night High Altitude Low-Opening (HALO) jump to set up radios to guide aircraft |
| 25 Oct 1983 | SEAL Team | Urgent Fury | 11 | Governor's residence | Grenada | MC-130E, C-130 | Night static-line parachute jump into the water |
| 25 Oct 1983 | 1st and 2nd Battalions, 75th Infantry Regiment; Det, 618th Engineer Company, 307th Engineer Battalion | Urgent Fury | 500 | Point Salines airfield | Grenada | MC-130E, C-130 | Day mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump Sgt. Spain and SPC Richardson of the 618th Engineer Company accompanied the Rangers |
| 20 Dec 1989 | Task Force Red: Elements, 75th Ranger Regiment; Division Ready Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division | Just Cause | 4,000 | Rio Hato east to Fort Cimarron | Panama | MC-130E, C-130, C-141B, C-5B | Night mass low-level tactical personnel static-line jump at 0100 hours, platform heavy drop LVAD, CDS LVAD Ranger M151 Gun jeeps, HMMWVs, Ammo, Food (MREs), water (CDS). Task Force Red consisted of 1,300 troops and the 82nd Airborne Division's Division Ready Brigade consisted of 2,700 troops |
| 20 Dec 1989 | Task Force Pacific: Elements, 75th Ranger Regiment; 1st Brigade Task Force, 82nd Airborne Division: 1-504th Infantry; 1-505th Infantry; 2-504th Infantry; C/4-325th Infantry; A/3-505th Infantry; 3-73rd Armor; 82nd Military Police Company (-) | Just Cause | 2,176 | Torrijos-Tocumen Airport | Panama | MC-130E, C-130, C-141B, C-5B | 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); Elements of the 75th Ranger Regiment jumped at 0124 hours, followed by the 1st Brigade Task Force, 82nd Airborne Division at 0145 hours. Task Force Pacific formed up on the ground by 0411 hours |
| 15 Jan 1991 | HALO Team, US Army Special Forces | Desert Storm | 12 | Northwest desert | Iraq | MC-130H or C-141B | |
| 1991-2 | USAF Airlift Squadrons/US Army Riggers | Provide Comfort | ? | Northwest desert | Iraq | MC-130H or C-130 | LVAD, Free drop Equipment/supplies air-delivered: Food (MREs), water, medical supplies (CDS) |
| 1993-5 | USAF 435th Air Wing; US Army 5th Quartermaster Detachment (Airdrop Support); | Provide Promise | ? | Mountains of Bosnia | Bosnia | C-130 | HVAD, delayed-timer LVAD, free drop MREs Free drop (TRIWALL cardboard box Aerial Delivery System TRIADS). Equipment/supplies air-delivered: Food (MREs), water, medical supplies (CDS). Initially container delivery system (CDS) bundles of US Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs, medical supply bundles. Later MREs freedropped using TRIADS system. |
| 19-20 Oct 2001 | Det, HHC, 75th Ranger Regiment; HHC, A, and C Companies, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment | Enduring Freedom | 200 | Objective Rhino at Dry Lake Airstrip | Afghanistan | C-141B | |
| 13 Nov 2001 | Det, B Company, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment | Enduring Freedom | ? | Vicinity of Alimarden Kan-E-Bagat | Afghanistan | ? | |
| 25 Feb 2003 | HHC, A, and C Companies, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment; Det, B/3-504th Infantry | Enduring Freedom | ? | Near Chahar Borjak, Nimruz Province | Afghanistan | ? | |
| 26 March 2003 | Task Force Viking / Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force - North: Det, 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group; HHC, 173rd Airborne Brigade; Det, 74th Infantry Platoon; 173rd Support Company, 250th Medical Detachment, D-319th Field Artillery; 501st Support Company; 2-503rd Infantry; 1-508th Infantry; 4th Air Support Operations Squadron; 86th Contingency Response Group | Iraqi Freedom | 954 | Bashur Drop zone | Iraq | 15 C-17 | Later classified as a combat jump, even though the objective was a coalition-held forward operating airfield. |
| 24 March 2003 | Det, HHC, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment; C Company, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment; Det, 24th Special Tactics Squadron | Iraqi Freedom | ? | Vicinity of the town of Al Qaim, near the Syrian boarder | Iraq | ? | |
| 26 March 2003 | Task Force Viking / Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force - North: Det, 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group; HHC, 173rd Airborne Brigade; Det, 74th Infantry Platoon; 173rd Support Company, 250th Medical Detachment, D-319th Field Artillery; 501st Support Company; 2-503rd Infantry; 1-508th Infantry; 4th Air Support Operations Squadron; 86th Contingency Response Group | Iraqi Freedom | 954 | Bashur Drop Zone | Iraq | 15 C-17 | Later classified as a combat jump, even though the objective was a coalition-held forward operating airfield. |
| 28-29 March 2003 | Det, HHC, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment; A Company, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment; Det, 27th Engineer Battalion; Det, 24th Special Tactics Squadron | Iraqi Freedom | ? | West of the Haditha Dam and the town of Haditha | Iraq | ? | |
| 3 July 2004 | Team 3, Regimental Reconnaissance Detachment, HHC, 75th Ranger Regiment | Enduring Freedom | ? | Southeastern region | Afghanistan | ? | Military free-fall jump |
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