Latest news with #173rdAirborneBrigade
Newsweek
a day ago
- General
- Newsweek
US Army Paratroopers to See Major Pay Change
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The U.S. Army is restructuring its airborne forces, leading to pay changes for thousands of parachutist positions. According to a report from the American military newspaper Stars and Stripes, an administrative message delivered to service members on July 30 announced that more than 22,000 paratroopers will no longer receive their monthly $150 "jump pay." This is due to reclassifications of paid parachutist positions which will take effect in the upcoming fiscal year. The reduced number which will remain eligible for the payments will comprise those deemed more likely to deploy these capabilities in combat operations in the foreseeable future, Newsweek understands. When approached for comment, U.S. Army Spokesman Major Travis Shaw told Newsweek: "The decision resulted from a 16-week study, which concluded that transformation was needed because the previous structure exceeded the operational requirements." Why It Matters The removal of jump pay for more than 22,000 parachutists—a significant portion of the roughly 50,000 the army keeps on its rolls—signals a major shift in its priorities, emphasizing the need for combat readiness and resource management over the maintenance of a large and permanent airborne force. What To Know Jump pay—also known as Parachute Duty Pay—is an extra monthly bonus awarded to soldiers who are parachute-qualified and actively serving in airborne roles. The upcoming change will allow soldiers to attain their parachuting qualifications but will not require them to keep these up to date or take part in jump operations. Soldiers are generally required to jump once every three months to maintain jump status, a baseline considered inadequate among Army leadership for achieving proficiency. This change was discussed earlier this year. Lieutenant General Gregory Anderson, head of the 18th Airborne Corps, told Army Times in April that dozens of branches had been discussing how to improve the readiness of airborne operations since September. "We started to assume risk with the high-end forces that have to be ready to go tonight," Anderson told the outlet. "This is not about saving money; it's about getting readiness to where we need it." Paratroopers of the 173rd Airborne Brigade of the US Army in Europe take part in the military exercise Swift Response 2025 at the military base in Rukla, Lithuania, on May 16, 2025. Paratroopers of the 173rd Airborne Brigade of the US Army in Europe take part in the military exercise Swift Response 2025 at the military base in Rukla, Lithuania, on May 16, 2025. AFP via Getty Images/Petras Malukas Anderson added that limited aircraft had led to a broad "decline in collective airborne proficiency," and that devoting resources to over 50,000 airborne positions had reduced the readiness of assault forces. "We're trying to prop up a very big structure of 56,000 with dwindling resources, we're spreading those resources out, and we're undermining our own readiness goals," Anderson said during a podcast appearance in April. He added that many of those currently receiving jump pay are not currently meeting their "proficiency requirements." Major Shaw told Newsweek that removing 22,000 from paid active jump status "will refocus training and resources on critical forces to strengthen operational effectiveness." Soldiers who remain eligible will see an increase in this extra monthly allowance, as announced by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in May, with jump pay is set to increase from $150 per month to $200 for paratroopers. In addition, jumpmasters, who are responsible for training and leading airborne operations, "are going to receive an additional $150 a month in incentive pay," Hegseth told the audience of current and active members of the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Major Shaw told Newsweek that this will mean jumpmasters will be paid an additional $350 per month for these duties, and that this pay bump is in recognition of "the essential role of jumpmasters in developing combat-ready forces." What People Are Saying Lieutenant General Gregory Anderson, during an episode of the From the Green Notebook podcast, said: "Here's the big change: we're going to reduce the number of paid parachuter positions by 22,000. So currently, as of today, we have 56,000 paid parachuter positions in the Army. For historical context, the 101st and the 82nd at Normandy dropped fewer than 13,000 into Normandy." "It's not about the money per se, it's literally about—for the forces that will jump in the alpha echelon and fight off a potentially contested drop zone—we want them at the highest level of readiness," he added. "And three jumps … is not going to get us the readiness we need." One Redditor on the r/army forum, a community for current and former recruits as well as enthusiasts, wrote: "Even as someone who was Airborne I think this makes sense. The Army was paying over 20,000 people to be on jump status who realistically weren't going to be used as such. By having them still be Airborne qualified though they can quickly recreate Airborne units by having them go through refresher training if they ever needed. Sounds like they aren't going to save all that money though because they are going to boost the pay for the remaining Airborne troops and jumpmasters." What Happens Next? The changes are set to take effect in the 2026 fiscal year which begins October 1.
Daily Mail
06-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
'Killer' dad's former army squadmate reveals how they were 'betrayed' amid manhunt over daughters' murders
A former soldier who served with triple murder suspect Travis Decker has shared how his fellow squadmates feel 'betrayed' by the accusations that he killed his three young daughters. The soldier, who asked to remain anonymous, told how he served with the now 32 year old as part of the 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team while stationed in Italy in 2017. At the time, Decker had already had his first daughter, Paityn, with his now ex-wife, Whitney. He is now accused of killing Paityn, nine, as well as his younger daughters, Evelyn, eight, and Olivia, five. The former paratrooper has not been seen since he picked up the girls for a schedule three-hour visit on Friday, and on Monday their bodies were found at a campsite in Leavenworth - 20 miles from their Washington state home. Their wrists had been bound with zip ties and each of them had been suffocated with a plastic bag. 'All of us who served with him feel betrayed and are beyond distraught with the news,' the former squadmember told Fox 13 amid warnings to residents in remote parts of the state on Thursday to 'lock their doors and windows' amid the ongoing manhunt for the former soldier. They say Decker is considered dangerous, given his extensive military training and propensity for violence. He joined the US Army in 2012 and served a tour in Afghanistan two years later. But by 2017, Decker had been removed from the elite Ranger Regiment after he failed to complete Ranger School, his former squadmate said. By the time he joined the 173rd Airborne Brigade - which is known for conducting specialized airborne operations, including parachute jumps and air assault - he was quiet and a bit of an outcast. Still, Decker was a hard worker in his unit - and even a bit of a narcissist as he spoke about following in his father's footsteps as a Green Beret and expressed a desire to return to Special Forces, the source claimed. He said it felt like Decker had something to prove, noting that he spoke about his father a lot - and even worshipped the man. Yet Decker never did go back to Special Forces, and in 2021 he transferred to the Washington Army National Guard - where he rose to the rank of sergeant. He was listed as a full-time member of the Army National Guard until 2023 or 2024, when he switched to part-time. But he stopped attending mandatory monthly drills a little over a year ago, and the Guard is in the process of a disciplinary discharge. Those who were close with Decker have since said he has suffered from complex PTSD and borderline personality disorder after leaving active military service. Still, the source said he remained connected with Decker on social media - until the accusations that he murdered his daughters emerged, and Decker deleted nearly all of his social media posts, photos and videos, and unfollowed most of his former Army buddies. Army paratrooper Travis Decker, right, assigned to 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, is pictured in 2016 during the 173rd Airborne Brigade's Expert Infantryman Badge testing phase at the 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command's Grafenwoehr Training Area in Germany It is believed he was not taking medication for the borderline personality disorder when he failed to return the three girls home on Friday, with court documents saying Whitney 'expressed concern' over his alleged deteriorating mental state. She reportedly told police Decker was supposed to seek mental health treatment and anger management counseling as part of a parenting plan, but there was no sign he had followed through, the documents show. Whitney also stated in September divorce proceedings that he had been 'struggling to maintain stability' since they separated and it was beginning to affect their daughters. She said that at times he would have the girls sleep at an armory while he was in the National Guard, despite her objections, according to the Seattle Times. She further claimed Decker - was prone to 'outbursts' and would come into her house yelling for the girls - would sometimes fail to pick up after promising to do so. In one instance, Whitney wrote that her youngest daughter, Olivia, called her crying during a visit with Decker and said she could not find her father - before Evelyn came home with welts between her legs. 'I do not want to keep Travis from the girls at all,' Whitney wrote in the court filing. 'To the contrary, I have bent over backwards to facilitate that relationship. 'But I cannot have our girls staying in what is essentially a homeless shelter, at times unsupervised, with dozens of strange men or staying in a tent or living in his truck with him, both in extreme temperatures and unknown areas for their safety.' Still Whitney reiterated to authorities how she did not believe her ex was dangerous and said he loved his daughters. She said the girls had a 'good relationship with Decker and enjoy their time with him,' and noted that he had never failed to return the girls before, according to a police affidavit. Speaking out for the first time on Thursday through her attorney Arianna Cozart, Whitney said she then realized her daughters were in 'substantial danger' when Decker failed to bring them home. She said se begged police to issue an Amber Alert but was told the case did not meet the requirements, as Decker had custodial privileges and there was no indication that he would harm the girls. But Whitney has now alleged this 'was a tragedy that could've been completely' avoided had officials intervened. She believes 'something broke inside' of Decker and that he 'would not have done what he did if he was himself', Cozart revealed in a heartbreaking statement early Thursday morning. 'He clearly had some sort of break and everything that he had been living with, everything that had been bottled up inside of him for so long as far as trauma, just won out,' Cozart told the Seattle Times. 'We may never know if it could've meant the difference between life and death for those girls … but it could've made a huge difference,' Cozart told the newspaper. She added that a judge recommended in September that Travis undergo a psychiatric evaluation and treatment, but Travis needed an advocate and had no luck getting those services by himself. 'Had Travis been provided the mental health resources that he so badly needed as a veteran, the Amber Alert never would have been the issue. Her babies wouldn't be dead, frankly,' Cozart argued, according to KOMO. 'No one believed Travis was ever capable of this,' she continued. 'He was a loving father. He did love those girls. His behavior really hadn't changed with Whitney, but what she started hearing after they all went missing, some of the red flags happening in other areas of his life, she suspected the worst.' Whitney had even told police that when Decker went to pick up the girls Friday, he was 'quieter than usual' which was 'out of character' for him. He had also allegedly been talking about getting rid of his dog due to housing and financial struggles. By Tuesday, a judge issued a warrant for Decker's arrest and ordered he be held without bail.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Army medics were moving blood to the frontlines with drones in a major recent exercise
When medics with the 173rd Airborne Brigade called for blood supplies to treat combat wounds in a major exercise last month, the flying machines slashed life-saving minutes in transport time and used fewer troops to do it. 'The difference is someone dying and someone not, because four minutes is substantially faster than 20 or 30,' said 1st Sgt. Cyril Clayton, a senior medic with the 173rd Brigade. 'As far as risk to the force goes, we've cut it from probably five to two.' The Army has long relied on the bravery of helicopter pilots or fast-moving ground vehicles to get medical resources into the hands of medics treating wounded soldiers on the frontlines, including blood supplies. In a recent exercise held in Lithuania, that meant moving blood supplies three to four kilometers, which could take five soldiers 20 to 30 minutes in a field ambulance. But for Swift Response 2025, a mobility and airborne exercise with Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden across the Baltic and Arctic regions, the 173rd used drones to move blood. The use of drones is part of the Army's effort to move blood supplies faster and closer to soldiers injured in combat, as the U.S. prepares for a large-scale conflict with more casualties but fewer chances for safe air evacuations to hospitals outside of combat. U.S. military researchers have estimated that 15–20% of traumatic deaths are potentially preventable, and 66–80% of deaths are caused by blood loss. In addition to cutting down on risk to the service's already-limited medical personnel, using drones to carry blood supplies was also a stepping stone towards a future where the drones could transport injured patients from the front lines to field hospitals for life-saving care, said Maj. David Hourani, a surgeon for the 173rd Airborne Brigade. 'The force of drone movement on human tissues is about as good as we can do prior to actual humans,' Hourani said. Army medics use a range of blood supplies, including whole blood, red cells, platelets, and plasma. For each. Personnel have to keep it on ice until ready to use. During Saber Junction in September, line medics parachuted with blood supplies — a technique that they quickly learned was not the best option because of the need to maintain the temperature with ice. 'There's definitely a limited shelf life on how long we can keep units,' Clayton said. 'The requirements for ice are heavy and anytime you're going to jump something under canopy, that's a concern so they need rapid ability to either recool or have access to ice, which are both tall orders.' Additionally, the violent G-forces and impacts of parachuting can cause damage to the blood cells' outer membrane. 'Main concern for us is — is it safe to deliver human tissue at those speeds, at the force being applied to that tissue? Is it still gonna be viable when it gets to the patient that needs it?' Clayton said. 'Each of those cells in that bag is potentially life-saving. Any force outside of normal parameters could potentially damage those cells … and then they're no longer viable for resuscitation.' The exercise began with blood support detachment personnel bringing whole blood supplies to medical laboratory specialists at a main command post. There, teams loaded up around 18 units of blood — enough for roughly five casualties, depending on injuries — onto the drones in a Collins Box, a cardboard shipping container with Styrofoam insulation. The technicians loaded and then flew the drone to the field hospital, said Capt. Jessica Knoll, commander of the brigade's support medical company. Once the blood was delivered, the operators flew the drone back to the command post for another resupply. They were able to make two long-distance movements of three to four kilometers into battle and three smaller-scale rehearsals. 'In an actual combat theater, it could be 20-30 [kilometers],' Clayton said. 'I don't think there would be any issues with temperature for that amount of time. The biggest thing is going to be the navigation piece. They're just covering that much distance.' From the exercise, the medical team realized two challenges: resources and airspace. In order to keep drones powered up for hours or flying, they needed a tent to house the equipment, a generator to charge batteries and a viewing station for the operators. In a future large-scale conflict, militaries will need to 'deconflict' the airspace above the battlefield, accounting for thousands of drones and regular aircraft like helicopters taking flight above ground forces. 'If a helicopter is coming in low, the drones are grounded, whereas if the helicopter is maintaining airspace above 500 feet, drones are good to fly at 100-200 feet,' Knoll said. 'It really comes down to the drone operator being aware of what's going on and then being able to quickly react to any incursions into our reserve airspace to ensure that there's no in-air collisions.' As the Army expands the number of drones within its formations, the service is planning to have drone experts down to the platoon level in infantry and artillery units. But for medical companies, the use cases will look and feel different. In combat, medics are considered 'protected' under the rules of war set by the Geneva Convention, which means their drones cannot be used for offensive operations. 'For medical, we have to adhere to the Geneva Convention, all of ours are resupply, in which case, they are much bigger because they have to be able to handle a payload,' Knoll said. 'Our concerns are making sure that we're using the drones defensively and not offensively, and ultimately to render aid to service members in need and not for defense.' The 173rd Medical Company tested Class II-designated drones, which weigh between 21 and 55 pounds, and fly as high as 3,500 feet. During the exercise, they used the TRV 150 cargo drone, which is roughly 8.5 feet long and 6 feet wide, weighs around 125 pounds, and can carry 150 pounds of cargo. They also used the FlyingBasket drone, which is around 5 feet wide, weighs 150 pounds and can carry up to 220 pounds. Knoll said that the two drone teams weren't confident flying more than 30 minutes at a time because of the drone's battery life. They also kept the drones within five kilometers for communication. 'We need more training. We need more time with the pilots flying the drones,' Knoll said. 'Then we need the platform to be available for us to do that training and we definitely want to continue developing this and really push the limits of what these drones are capable of so that we can push the limits of what we can do medically.' The 173rd company plans to use drones for blood resupply at exercises next fall and spring. In the meantime, their drone pilots will continue running simulations with and without payloads. Navy SEAL Team 6 operator will be the military's new top enlisted leader Veterans receiving disability payments might have been underpaid, IG finds Guam barracks conditions are 'baffling,' Navy admiral says in email Navy fires admiral in charge of unmanned systems office after investigation The Pentagon wants troops to change duty stations less often
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
From drone delivery to transfusions, blood plays vital combat role
From transfusion training to drone deliveries and even simulated fluid, the Army is finding ways to get blood where it's needed most. On May 15, soldiers with the 173rd Airborne Brigade's Charlie 'Lifeline' Company, 173rd Brigade Support Battalion conducted drone-based blood resupply in a full-scale hospital exercise at Pabrade Training Area, Lithuania, as part of Exercise Swift Response 2025. 'Aerial resupply of blood is pretty cool for us,' said Capt. Jessica Knoll, commander of Charlie Company. 'One big initiative we're working on is getting whole blood as far forward as possible. Having drone capability means we're not risking soldiers driving into hostile areas just to deliver blood. A drone — not to say it's expendable — but it's more expendable than a soldier's life.' How the Army is improving care in the field to keep soldiers alive Soldiers used a TRV-150 drone to deliver simulated blood to Role 1 field carte locations. The exercise, which included elements from the 160th Forward Resuscitative Surgical Detachment, the 519th Field Hospital, the 68th Theater Medical Command and the 7384th Blood Detachment, bridged the gap between point of injury and higher-level medical care, according to the release. It also showed how troops can reduce risk to medics while increasing soldier survivability in austere locations. 'This is our third time working with Flying Basket to drop blood using drones,' Knoll said. 'We've tested a few methods — paratroopers jumping with blood at Saber Junction, pushing blood out of airplanes — but this drone delivery is really buying down risk. Instead of sending an entire medic crew forward, we can now send a drone with Class VIII supplies or blood. 'So far, we've flown about 3 kilometers with the drone, but it's capable of more. That's just what we've trained for now.' And where did those blood products come from? The Landstuhl Regional Medical Center Blood Services Program recently partnered with the 86th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron at Ramstein Air Base to provide real and simulated blood products for the Defender Europe 25 Exercise on May 14 and 15. Defender Europe is the largest annual Army deployment to the European Theater. An estimated 25,000 U.S., allied and partner troops, 29 allied and partner nations and 18 host nations participate in the exercise. For the exercises, troops at the center prepared more than 1,000 real and simulated blood products for transport on U.S. Air Force aircraft to Lithuania. A U.S. military report estimates that 15% to 20% of traumatic deaths are preventable, and 66% to 80% of those deaths occur from hemorrhage, according to the release. 'Providing both real and simulated blood products is crucial for supporting real-world contingencies and the fighting military force,' said U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Raymond Clark, non-commissioned officer-in-charge of the LRMC Blood Services Program. 'Real blood ensures immediate availability for transfusions during combat casualties, addressing critical needs for volume resuscitation and oxygen-carrying capacity.' But simulated blood has its role, too. 'Simulated blood products, on the other hand, play a vital role in training and preparedness,' Clark added. 'They allow medical personnel to practice life-saving procedures in realistic scenarios without depleting limited real blood supplies. This dual approach ensures readiness, improves medical skills, and ultimately enhances the survivability of our soldiers on the battlefield.' Not to be outdone, the skills portion of the exercise was on display in the theater as well. On May 18, combat medics and medical personnel with the 501st Aviation Battalion, 1st Armored Division conducted point-to-point blood transfusions in Hohenfels, Germany. Medics participating in Exercise Combined Resolve 25-2 focused training on providing blood to simulated critically injured troops in a simulated mass casualty event using a 'walking blood bank' tactic, according to the release. 'A point-to-point blood transfusion entails taking blood from one person and ensuring that it's the same blood type or something acceptable for the recipient's blood type,' said Capt. Aaron Chapman, an air medical physician assistant with the 501st Aviation Battalion, 1st Armored Division. That's a crucial skill for what experts expect to be a daunting casualty care environment in future battles. 'In today's world, in a large-scale combat environment, we won't have the luxury of someone coming to get us when we want a MEDEVAC,' he said. 'What that means is when we have guys who are losing a lot of blood, this will help us save those who need that blood using battle buddies, peers and other people who we know are willing and able to help.' The exercise involved taking blood from a patient and then returning it to them. This is known as autologous blood transfusion, according to the release. 'The idea is that this simulates real transfusion of blood in an emergency setting, but it significantly reduces the risks of having a blood transfusion reaction if we move blood from one patient to another patient,' said British Army Maj. Catriona Kemeny, a medical officer with the 4th Regiment, Army Air Corps. 'If we can train hard, maybe we can fight easy, so that actually when we have to do it in reality, we're already well practiced,' Kemeny said.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Yahoo
173rd Airborne builds its own FPV drone lab to get around procurement wait
The U.S. Army's rapid response unit in Europe is working quickly to build out its own arsenal of small, agile first-person view drones. The 173rd Airborne Brigade recently opened its own drone lab so that soldiers can build, train with and stockpile the tiny aerial machines that are becoming a fixture of the modern battlefield. The lab, set up at the 173rd's base in Caserma Del Din, Italy, is operated by soldiers from the brigade and the 414th Contracting Support Brigade. In fact, it was set up to get soldiers the tiny devices quickly and without having to go through larger procurement systems. Col. Joshua Gaspard, the head of the 173rd Airborne Brigade, ordered the lab to be established so that each one is made in-house, quickly and cheaply. The Army noted that each one costs roughly $1,000 to construct. 'It's a huge learning curve, but paratroopers are excited to be using these systems,' 1st Lt. Aiden Roberts said in an Army release on the lab. 'They see videos of FPV drones in Ukraine all over Instagram and the news media.' Roberts noted the various uses for these kinds of drones, including reconnaissance and direct attack, calling them 'basically steerable mortars.' FPV drones work as the name suggests, with the drones sending a camera feed back to the operator, who can get a first-person view via a monitor or goggles. The Army, like the rest of the U.S. military, is in a hurry to adapt to the proliferation of drones on the battlefield. While conflicts in the Middle East have seen U.S. forces working to shoot down uncrewed systems fired at ships or bases, the ongoing war in Ukraine has shown just how dangerous small, often commercially made drones can be. Beyond direct attacks, drones have been used as reconnaissance tools, spotters for artillery and as essentially tiny bombers, dropping small explosives on a target. As a result of their expanding use on the battlefield, the U.S. Army is working on developing protocols for defending against and repelling drone swarms, as well as how to integrate them into small-unit tactics. Units are working on 3D printing new drones and creating modular systems for quick interchangeable parts for specific missions. A memo from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth released in late April called for drones to be utilized by every Army division by 2026 and for counter-UAS measures to be added to maneuver platoons that same year. Most recently, Army Sec. Dan Driscoll noted in conversation with War on the Rocks that the danger of drones on the battlefield limits how far forward armor elements like tanks can be deployed. Images shared by the 173rd Airborne Brigade shows the lab workbenches full of pieces for small quadcopters, with motors, electrical pieces and plenty of wire and tools. The Army noted that the frames are printed in-house, with soldiers essentially building the drones from scratch, adding the various wires and pieces needed to get them able to fly. Additionally, soldiers are going through a 15-day course on how to operate the drones they build. The drones were recently used in a live-fire training exercise. Commandant says Marines should have a say in whether they change duty stations Space Force Special Operations Command is on its way Army reverses course on banning fun and games for soldiers in Kuwait A meal card foul-up at Fort Johnson underscores a bigger Army problem Sailor wins $7,500 settlement after his car was towed and auctioned off while deployed
