November, 5, 2025.

173rd infantry brigade combat team (airborne)

unit 31426, box 2

apo, at 09605

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Dear Sky Soldiers, Families, and Friends,

 

Whether you’re enjoying retirement, still serving, or keeping the Sky Soldier spirit strong wherever life has taken you, we hope this message finds you well. In Italy and Germany, the last sixty days have been full of training, remembrance, and preparation for the next chapter of the Brigade’s story. We wanted to share a few updates from your paratroopers on the ground.

 

King Battalion Trains in North Macedonia: Junction City 25

This fall, King trained in North Macedonia for Exercise Junction City 25, a combined, multinational artillery training event designed to stress systems, leaders, and sustainment processes in a complex and austere environment.

The exercise pushed King’s young leaders to adapt quickly and fight through uncertainty. Over a 72-hour period, all six platoons executed Artillery Tables VII–XII, conducting:

• 246 total fire missions

• 98 live-fire missions

• 148 dry-fire missions

• 709 artillery rounds fired and safely observed

• 6 MEDEVAC hoist operations with KFOR rotary-wing support

• Aviation, MEDEVAC, and small UAS integration under field conditions

Three platoons are now Table XII Qualified. The remaining platoons will certify in January to remain on glidepath toward Dynamic Front 2026 and African Lion 2026.

Training events like these make us one percent better every day. 

 

Honoring the Fallen: Operation Hump & 1LT Derek Hines

November 8 marked 60 years since Operation Hump and the Battle of Hill 875—the bloodiest day in the Brigade’s history. Paratroopers completed a memorial physical training event, calling out the names of the 48 Sky Soldiers who never came home. Their courage remains the standard we measure ourselves against.

We also honored the legacy of 1st Lt. Derek S. Hines, who was killed in action on September 1, 2005, in Afghanistan. On November 7, Soldiers and families ran a memorial 5K in his honor. Despite being wounded, Lt. Hines continued to return fire. He was awarded two Purple Hearts and the Bronze Star.

 

Looking Forward: Transition to the Mobile Brigade Combat Team

On November 12, the Brigade will officially transition from an Infantry Brigade Combat Team to a Mobile Brigade Combat Team (MBCT) during a ceremony in Grafenwöhr. As part of this transition, 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment will reflag as the 3rd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment. Just weeks before this transition, paratroopers of 1-91 CAV completed their final spur ride as a cavalry formation

The MBCT structure increases mobility, reach, and lethality across multiple domains.

Vehicle fielding begins in early 2026 and will conclude by early 2027.

The Army may be changing how we fight, but who we are remains the same.

 

 

Strengthening How We Fight: Communicators Academy

In mid-October, the Brigade hosted Communicators Academy at both Del Din and Ederle. Signal Soldiers from the 173rd trained alongside partners from the 207th Military Intelligence Brigade and Southern European Task Force–Africa.

Soldiers trained on setting up and defending tactical networks, managing Tactical Assault Kit (TAK) servers, validating Starshield connectivity, configuring Integrated Tactical Network nodes, and integrating mission command systems across joint platforms.

The training culminated in a ruck up Monte Berico—hauling communications equipment uphill before establishing a brigade-level command post at the summit.

 

Your Legacy Lives Here

Every time our paratroopers step off for a run, a jump, a field problem, or a deployment, they do so with the history, lessons, and values you handed down. The Herd continues to train hard, honor the fallen, and build the force that will carry the Sky Soldier legacy into the next fight. Thank you for paving the way. Thank you for still standing with us.

 

 

 

Sky Soldiers!