List of known U.S. combat parachute jumps explained

This is a list of known parachute jumps into combat zones by troops and units of the United States military. Participation in such jumps is recognized by certain Parachutist Badges.

List of known U.S. combat parachute jumps[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]
DateUnitOperationTroopersCountryDropzone
8 November 1942509th Parachute Infantry Battalion (PIB)Torch556AlgeriaTafaraoui airfield, La Senia
15 November 1942509th PIBTorch300–350AlgeriaYouks les Bains
24 December 1942509th PIB, HQs Co; Two French paratroopers32TunisiaEl Djem
9 July 1943504th Parachute Infantry Regiment 3rd Battalion (Jumped first); 505th Regimental Combat Team (RCT), Includes: 505th PIR, 456th PFA & Co. B, 307th Engr.Husky I3,406ItalyGela, Sicily
10 July 1943504th Regimental Combat Team (RCT), Includes: 504th PIR, 1st & 2nd Btn.; 376th PFA & Co.A, 307th Engr.Husky II2,304ItalyGela, Sicily
5 September 1943503th PIR1,700New GuineaNadzab, Markham Valley
13 September 1943504th Regimental Combat Team (RCT) Includes: 504th PIR, 376th PFA & Co. "A" 307th Eng.Avalanche1,300ItalyPaestum, Salerno
14 September 1943505th Regimental Combat Team (RCT). Includes: 505th PIR, 456th PFA & Co.B 370th Engr.Avalanche2,105ItalySalerno, Paestum
14 September 1943509th PIBAvalanche640ItalyAvellino
6 June 194482nd Airborne Division (507, 508) 505th RCT, Includes: 505th Parachute Infantry Reg., Co. B/307 Engineer Battalion and 456th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion. 28 Pathfinders, 504th PIR, (7 returned).Overlord, Titanic (Dropping of parachute dummies, "Oscar").6,418FranceNormandy
6 June 1944101st Airborne Division [326, 377, 501, 502, 506]Overlord, Titanic (Dropping of parachute dummies, "Oscar").6,638FranceNormandy
3 July 1944503rd PRCT, 1st Bn.Table Tennis739New GuineaNoemfoor Island
4 July 1944503rd PRCT, 3rd Bn.Table Tennis685New GuineaNoemfoor Island
15 August 19441st Abn. Task Force (460th PFA, 463rd PFABn.; 509th PIB; 517th PCT; 551st PIB; 596th PCEng. Co.)Dragoon5,607FranceCote d' Azur, Riviera
17 September 194482nd Airborne Division (508), 505th RCT, Includes: 505th PIR, 456th PFA, & Co.B, 307th Engr.; 504th RCT, Includes: 504th PIR, 376th PFA, & Co.A, 307 EngrMarket Garden7,250NetherlandsGrave & Nijmegen
17 September 1944101st Airborne Division [501, 502, 506]Market Garden6,769NetherlandsEindhoven
29 November 1944; 5 December 1944Co.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.Tabletop241LeyteManarawat
3 February 1945511th PIR, 457th FABn.Shoestring1,830PhilippinesTagaytay Ridge
16 February 1945503rd PRCT, 462nd PFABn; Co. C, 161st Airborne Engr. Btn.Topside2,050PhilippinesCorregidor
23 February 1945511th Parachute Infantry Regiment: 1st Btn., Co.B; Hdqt's Co., 1st Btn.; Hdqt's Co., 1st Btn., Light Machine Gun PlatoonRescue 2,147 internees130PhilippinesLos Banos Prison Camp
24 March 194517th 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.Varsity4,964GermanyWesel
23 June 1945511th PIRGypsy1,030PhilippinesAparri
20 October 1950187th ARCT, 2nd BattalionDZ Easy1,203KoreaSukchon
20 October 1950187th ARCT, 1st, 3rd. Bn's.DZ William1,470KoreaSukchon
21 October 1950187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team (ARCT).DZ William671KoreaSukchon
23 March 1951187th ARCT, 2nd & 3rd Bns; 674th ABN Field Artillery Bn; 2nd & 4th ABN Ranger Cos, and Indian army surgical team.Tomahawk3,486KoreaMunsan-Ni
12 February 1962FTT-1 White Star SF TeamNam Beng Valley Campaign vs. Pathet Lao12LaosNam Tha airstrip
2 January 1963Joint General Staff reserve ARVN Paratroopers with U.S. MACV "Red Hat" Advisors from SaigonAp Bac300 South Vietnamese, 2 AmericansSouth VietnamAp Tan Thoi
22 February 1967173rd Airborne Brigade, 503rd P.I.R., 2nd & 3rd Btl's,; 3/319 Airborne Field Artillery Regiment (AFAR).Junction City845VietnamKatum
2 April 19675th Special Force Group (ABN), 1st Special Forces: Detachments, A-503 Mike Force & A-344, Operation Harvest Moon (Includes Montagnards)Harvest Moon356 (includes Montagnards)VietnamBunard, Phouc Long "Happy Dragon" Province
5 September 1967USMC, 1st Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP)Oregon10VietnamSouth
5 October 19675th Special Forces Group (ABN): Pathfinder Detachment (12 SF, 37 ARVN Pathfinders), "B" Co II CTZ (Pleiku) Mike Force (50 SF) & 275 LLDB (Includes Montagnards)Blue Max374VietnamBu Prang CIDG fighting camp, Quang Duc "Great Virtue" Province
1968–73?Military Assistance Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group (MACV-SOG) Airborne Studies Group (SOG 36)Eldest Son, Italian Green, Pole BeanNorth Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia
28 November 1970Recon Team Florida, CCN, MACV-SOG (High Altitude Low Opening [HALO])3 Americans, one ARVN officer and 2 MontagnardsLaosNVA road inside Laos
7 May 1971Captain Larry Manes' Recon Team, CCN, MACV-SOG (HALO)4 AmericansSouth VietnamBetween Ashau Valley and Khe Sanh, NVA trail extension of Laotian Highway 921
22 June 1971Sergeant Major Billy Waugh's Recon Team, CCN, MACV-SOG (HALO)4 AmericansSouth Vietnam60 miles SW of Danang
22 September 1971Captain Jim Storter's Recon Team, CCC, MACV-SOG (HALO)4 AmericansSouth VietnamPlei Trap Valley, NW of Pleiku
11 October 1971Sgt. 1st Class Dick Gross' Recon Team, CCC, MACV-SOG (HALO)5 AmericansVietnam25 miles, SW of Pleiku in the Ia Drang Valley
23 October 1983Navy SEAL Team and USAF CCTUrgent Fury15GrenadaPort Salines
25 October 198375th 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 Fury16(?)GrenadaPoint Salines
25 October 1983Navy SEAL TeamUrgent Fury11GrenadaGovernor's residence
25 October 198375th Ranger Regiment 1st and 2nd Bns; and two paratroopers (SGT Spain and SPC Richardson from 307th Engineer Bn)Urgent Fury500GrenadaPoint Salines airfield
20 December 1989Unit: 75th Ranger Regiment; 82nd Airborne Division Ready BrigadeJust Cause4,000PanamaRio Hato east to Fort Cimarron
20 December 198975th Ranger Regiment; 82nd Abn Div, 1st Brigade Task Force: 1-504th PIR, 1-505th PIR; 2-504th PIR; 4-325th PIR, Co B and C; A/3-505 PIR; 3-73rd Armor (Abn); 82nd MP Co (Abn), 3 platoons. All joined to form: Task Force Pacific.Just Cause2,176PanamaTorrijos-Tocumen Airport
15 January 1991Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (HAHO)Desert Storm12IraqNorthwest desert
Dec. 1991Navy SEAL Team 6Raw DealHaitiNavassa Island
19 October 200175th Ranger RegimentOperation Enduring Freedom200AfghanistanObjective Rhino[7]
13 November 20013-75th Ranger RegimentOperation Enduring FreedomAfghanistanIn the vicinity of Alimarden Kan-E-Bagat
25 February 20032-75th Ranger Regiment; 3-504th PIROperation Enduring FreedomAfghanistanNear Chahar Borjak, Nimruz Province
24 March 20033-75th Ranger Regiment; 24th Special Tactics SquadronOperation Iraqi FreedomIraqNorthwestern desert region of Iraq, Objective Serpent in the vicinity of Al Qaim
26 March 2003173rd Airborne Brigade, 786th Security Forces SquadronOperation Northern Delay954IraqBashur Drop zone
28–29 Mar 200327th Engineer Battalion; 3-75th Ranger Regiment; 24th Special Tactics SquadronOperation Iraqi FreedomIraqAt H1 Airfield
3 July 200475th Ranger Regiment, Regimental Reconnaissance Company Team 3 (HALO)Operation Enduring FreedomAfghanistanSoutheastern Region (Tillman Dropzone)
31 July 2004USMC 1st Reconnaissance Battalion (HAHO)[8] Operation Iraqi Freedom6IraqNear Baghdad
30 May 2007ODA 074, 3-10th Special Forces Group (HALO) Operation Iraqi Freedom11IraqNinewah Province
11 July 200975th Ranger Regiment, Regimental Reconnaissance Company, Team 1 Operation Enduring FreedomAfghanistan

Notes and References

  1. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/airborne-jumps.htm United States Combat Jumps
  2. Book: Plaster, John L. . SOG: The Secret Wars of America's Commandos in Vietnam . 1997 . New York . Simon & Schuster . 0-684-81105-7 . 295-301 .
  3. http://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/web/go0610.pdf Units Credited With Assault Landings, General Orders No. 10
  4. http://www.dvidshub.net/publication/issues/8254 Hitting the ground with coalition partners
  5. http://www.specialforcesassociation.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Combat_Jump_Record_03.07.2013.pdf History of Military Operational Parachute Jumps
  6. https://www.businessinsider.com/combat-jumps-us-troops-have-made-since-september-11-2019-10#4-various-regimental-reconnaissance-detachment-jumps-in-afghanistan-4 These are the only 5 combat jumps by US troops that we know about since September 11
  7. Book: Naylor . Sean . Relentless Strike: The Secret History of Joint Special Operations Command . 1 September 2015 . St. Martin's Press . 112 . English.
  8. Web site: ON THIS DAY: FIRST HIGH-ALTITUDE HIGH-OPENING (HAHO) JUMP IN COMBAT. History of the Marine Corps.