173rd Airborne Brigade paratroopers secure NATO missile-defense sites

Photo By Sgt. A.M. LaVey | Paratroopers from Company A, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade arrive back home at Vicenza, Italy, March 12, 2015, after a rotation in Turkey as part of NATO Operation Active Fence.  

VICENZA, ITALY

03.12.2015

Story by Sgt. A.M. LaVey 

173rd Airborne Brigade

VICENZA, Italy - Paratroopers from the Company A, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade returned from NATO Operation Active Fence in Turkey, here March 12, 2015.

Two weeks earlier, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade arrived in southern Turkey in order to relieve them.

“Operation Active Fence is the United States’ contribution to the NATO Patriot missile defense mission,” said Sgt. Ian Carlson, an intelligence analyst, with 1st Battalion. “We are the security forces tasked to guard the missile sites from outside threats.”

Operation Active Fence started in December of 2012 in response to Turkey’s concern over spillover and direct threats from the chaos on its border in Syria. In response, NATO authorized the deployment of Patriot missile defense batteries. The U.S., Germany and Netherlands provided the initial forces. Spain has since replaced Dutch forces.

The 173rd Airborne Brigade, based in Vicenza, Italy, is the Army’s contingency response force in Europe and has the ability to rapidly deploy paratroopers with specialized parachute infantry capabilities anywhere in the U.S., European, Africa and Central areas of operations.

“These paratroopers left out of here on short notice…succeeding where others failed,” said Lt. Col. Robert S. Brown, the commander of 2nd Battalion. “They went down [to Turkey] and showed what right looks like to both our allies and to NATO leaders.”

The American paratroopers continue to improve on defense established by previous units and build upon developing the relationships and interoperability with their allies in the Turkish army’s 5th Armored Brigade, who they partner with for security at the sites..

“This mission demonstrates our ability to defend our NATO partner's sovereign borders, shows our commitment to NATO and the defense of our allies,” said Capt. Michael C. Agbay, commander of the current security detail.

Paratroopers from the 173rd Airbone are scheduled to continue to deploy in support of Active Fence throughout the year in order to ensure the paratroopers remain sharp and engaged when conducting security operations.

• Date Taken: 03.12.2015
• Date Posted: 03.19.2015 06:26
• Story ID: 157461
• Location: VICENZA, IT