2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment

2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment
Coat of arms
Active	1941–45 1951–83 1986–90 2001-present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army
Type	Infantry
Role	Airborne
Size	Battalion
Part of	173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team
Nickname(s)	The Rock
Engagements	World War II Vietnam War Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Iraqi Freedom
Commanders
Battalion Commander	LTC Robert "Todd" Brown
Command Sergeant Major	CSM David A. Dougherty
Insignia
Distinctive unit insignia

The 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (2-503rd) is an active duty airborne infantry battalion in the United States Army, assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team and stationed at Caserma Ederle, Vicenza, Italy. The battalion has served with the 2nd Infantry Division, the 11th Airborne Division, the 24th Infantry Division, the 82nd Airborne Division, and the 173rd Airborne Brigade; has been stationed in Korea, Germany, Italy and the United States; and earned campaign credits in World War II, the Vietnam War, Operation Enduring Freedom-Afghanistan, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

History

The lineage of Company B, 503rd AIR was redesignated on 1 September 1957 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2d Airborne Battle Group, 503d Infantry (2-503rd), assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division, and activated at Fort Bragg, North Carolina (organic elements concurrently constituted and activated).

2-503rd was relieved on 24 June 1960 from assignment to the 82nd Airborne Division and assigned to the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii. The following year, on 1 July 1961, it was relieved from assignment to the 25th Infantry Division and assigned on 26 March 1963 to the 173rd Airborne Brigade on Okinawa.

On 25 June 1963, 2-503rd was reorganized and redesignated as the 2nd Battalion (Airborne), 503rd Infantry.

Lineage and honors

Lineage

Constituted 14 March 1941 in the Army of the United States as Company B, 503d Parachute Battalion
Activated 22 August 1941 at Fort Benning, Georgia
Consolidated 24 February 1942 with Company B, 503d Parachute Infantry (concurrently constituted in the Army of the United States), and consolidated unit designated as Company B, 503d Parachute Infantry
Inactivated 24 December 1945 at Camp Anza, California
Redesignated 1 February 1951 as Company B, 503d Airborne Infantry, an element of the 11th Airborne Division, and allotted to the Regular Army
Inactivated 1 March 1957 in Germany and relieved from assignment to the 11th Airborne Division
Redesignated 1 September 1957 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2d Airborne Battle Group, 503d Infantry, assigned to the 82d Airborne Division, and activated at Fort Bragg, North Carolina (organic elements concurrently constituted and activated)
Relieved 24 June 1960 from assignment to the 82d Airborne Division and assigned to the 25th Infantry Division
Relieved 1 July 1961 from assignment to the 25th Infantry Division
Assigned 26 March 1963 to the 173d Airborne Brigade
Reorganized and redesignated 25 June 1963 as the 2d Battalion, 503d Infantry
Relieved 14 January 1972 from assignment to the 173d Airborne Brigade and assigned to the 101st Airborne Division
Inactivated 1 October 1983 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and relieved from assignment to the 101st Airborne Division
Assigned 16 December 1986 to the 2d Infantry Division and activated in Korea
Inactivated 29 September 1990 in Korea and relieved from assignment to the 2d Infantry Division
Assigned 16 December 2001 to the 173d Airborne Brigade and activated at Caserma Ederle, Vicenza, Italy
Redesignated 1 October 2005 as the 2d Battalion, 503d Infantry Regiment

(173d Airborne Brigade redesignated 16 September 2006 as the 173d Airborne Brigade Combat Team)^[1]

Campaign participation credit

World War II: New Guinea; Leyte; Luzon (with arrowhead); Southern Philippines
Vietnam: Defense; Counteroffensive; Counteroffensive, Phase II (with arrowhead); Counteroffensive, Phase III; Tet Counteroffensive; Counteroffensive, Phase IV; Counteroffensive, Phase V; Counteroffensive, Phase VI; Tet 69/Counteroffensive; Summer-Fall 1969; Winter-Spring 1970; Sanctuary Counteroffensive; Counteroffensive, Phase VII; Consolidation I
War on Terrorism: Campaigns to be determined^[1]
- Afghanistan: Consolidation I, Consolidation II, Consolidation III, Transition I
- Iraq: Liberation of Iraq (with arrowhead);^[2] Transition of Iraq^[3]

Note: The published Army lineage shows War on Terrorism "Campaigns to be determined". Comparison of the battalion's deployment dates with the War on Terrorism campaigns estimates that the battalion will be credited with participation in the six campaigns listed.

Decorations

Presidential Unit Citation (Army), Streamer embroidered CORREGIDOR
Presidential Unit Citation (Army), Streamer embroidered PHUOC VINH
Presidential Unit Citation (Army), Streamer embroidered DAK TO
Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1965-1967
Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered IRAQ 2003
Philippine Presidential Unit Citation, Streamer embroidered 17 OCTOBER 1944 TO 4 JULY 1945
Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1965-1970
Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Medal, First Class, Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1969-1971^[1]

Heraldry

Distinctive unit insignia

503rd Infantry Distinctive Unit Insignia

Coat of arms

503rd Infantry Coat of Arms

References

1 2 3 "Lineage and Honors Information: 2d Battalion, 503d Infantry Regiment (The Rock Regiment)." U.S. Army Center for Military History. 2 June 2010. Web. Accessed 23 November 2015. <http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/lineages/branches/inf/0503in002bn.htm>.
↑ Headquarters, Department of the Army. "General Orders 2006-10." 25 September 2006. Web. Accessed 24 November 2015. <https://www.hrc.army.mil/site/ASSETS/Awards/2014/New2014Awards/2006-10.pdf>.
↑ "Afghanistan Campaign Medal or Iraq Campaign Medal." The Adjutant General Directorate (TAGD). United States Army Human Resources Command. 6 August 2015. Web, accessed 12 October 2015. <https://www.hrc.army.mil/TAGD/Afghanistan%20Campaign%20Medal%20or%20Iraq%20Campaign%20Medal> Archived September 11, 2015, at the Wayback Machine..

External links

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