Question For Any Military Lineage Experts

[codenamedave]

I just recently noticed that a former outfit of mine might be considered part of the 101st Airborne Division. I had seen an article on the C-47 That's All Brother, and as I was going over the photos I kept thinking "Please don't let it have carried the 101st..." but I was disappointed in that.

Daily Mail article

Anyway between the article and the fact that a new manager and I had both been stationed in Ft. Kobbe, Panama I got to reminiscing and looking up our respective units. Now I had always thought of my old unit, the 2d/187th, as just being part of the 193d Brigade down in that Central American outpost, and never thought it might be related to any familiar, old-time Army unit. In fact I recall the Battalion Commander telling us it was an historic activation, as it was the first Light Airborne Infantry Battalion in Army history, which understandably led me to believe that it was in fact newly minted and not affiliated with anything extant.* Of course for the grunts at the time it was like "Yeah, yeah, 'historic'; is the chow hall still gonna be open when we get back or not?"

Judging from the wiki article on the 187th, it reads like the 2/187 was part of the 101st.

"In October 1983 the 1st, 2d, and 4th Battalions, 187th Infantry, were activated, and on 21 November 1984 a 5th Battalion was activated. The 1st and 2nd Battalions were assigned to the 193rd Infantry Brigade in Panama and the 3rd, 4th and 5th were assigned to the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell. The 4th and 5th were created by reflagging the existing 1–503rd and 2–503rd, the colors of which were soon reactivated in Korea within the 2nd Infantry Division. The Panama-based 2–187th included one airborne company (Moatengators) within the battalion, and later jump status was expanded to the entire battalion. 2/187th was the last airborne battalion of the 187th. During a realignment of the United States Army's combat forces in 1987 the 1st and 2d Battalions were inactivated and the 5th and 4th Battalions were reflagged as the 1st and 2d Battalions, respectively. Upon moving to the 101st, the 187th became air assault."

We called ourselves "Rakkasans", and I see nothing but 101st mentions on the Rakkasan Association's history page.

[url="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/187th_Infantry_Regiment_(United_States)]History of 187th Inf. reg.[/url]

So what say ye all, was the 2d/187th officially a part of the 101st, or nah?



* Yes, the only reason I know that word is because of The Shootist.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Ok, let's try this again.
I had a really good answer, but jumped on the wrong Battalion.
The answer appears to be Yes and Yes.
Assigned twice to the 101st Division.

(187th Airborne Infantry relieved 1 February 1951 from assignment to the 11th Airborne Division; assigned 1 July 1956 to the 101st Airborne Division)

Reorganized and redesignated 25 April 1957 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2d Airborne Battle Group, 187th Infantry, and remained assigned to the 101st Airborne Division (organic elements concurrently constituted and activated)

Relieved 1 February 1964 from assignment to the 101st Airborne Division

Inactivated 3 February 1964 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky

Redesignated 1 October 1983 as the 2d Battalion, 187th Infantry, assigned to the 193d Infantry Brigade, and activated in Panama

Inactivated 10 July 1987 in Panama and relieved from assignment to the 193d Infantry Brigade

Assigned 16 September 1987 to the 101st Airborne Division and activated at Fort Campbell, Kentucky

2d Battalion, 187th Infantry

 

[REM 3200]

Ok, let's try this again.
I had a really good answer, but jumped on the wrong Battalion.
The answer appears to be Yes and Yes.
Assigned twice to the 101st Division.

(187th Airborne Infantry relieved 1 February 1951 from assignment to the 11th Airborne Division; assigned 1 July 1956 to the 101st Airborne Division)

Reorganized and redesignated 25 April 1957 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2d Airborne Battle Group, 187th Infantry, and remained assigned to the 101st Airborne Division (organic elements concurrently constituted and activated)

Relieved 1 February 1964 from assignment to the 101st Airborne Division

Inactivated 3 February 1964 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky

Redesignated 1 October 1983 as the 2d Battalion, 187th Infantry, assigned to the 193d Infantry Brigade, and activated in Panama

Inactivated 10 July 1987 in Panama and relieved from assignment to the 193d Infantry Brigade

Assigned 16 September 1987 to the 101st Airborne Division and activated at Fort Campbell, Kentucky

2d Battalion, 187th Infantry

This covers it well.

I was at Ft. Campbell when the 2/187 was activated. Rakkasan!
Good Times !!

 

[codenamedave]

Oh dear.... I'm going to need a moment.

You see, my life my love and my lady has always been the 82d. Countless comments of "one-oh-worst", "puking buzzards", and "legs on strings" have passed my lips, and now I find out I was actually part of it? oy. Kinda like a Hatfield finding out he's a cousin of the McCoys. I'd always thought the thread stopped at the 193d.

Thanks for the info guys, and for that link, THE PILGRIM, I managed to miss that site in my searches. Looks like it's about the final word on U.S. Army unit history. The Rakkasan Association history page had some interesting trivia I hadn't seen before, as well. Don't know what happened to the link, I've tried it several different ways and it just keeps redirecting to this forum.

Oh, well. Onward!

 

[vonn]

Never have been able to figure out how the Army comes up with changes in unit assignments. Lots of different units in today's 101st than when I was in. Guess I am just getting old.

 

[REM 3200]

Never have been able to figure out how the Army comes up with changes in unit assignments.

A very large dart board, I think.

 

[jlrhiner]

A very large dart board, I think.

And a blindfold.

 

[MG34/bar]

When my unit went to Vietnam in July, 1965 (1st Brigade, 101st) we were assigned to the 1st & 2nd battalions of 327 Inf. but the 187 (can't remember which battalion) remained at Ft. Campbell until 1967 when the 2nd and 3rd brigades went in country.

 

[codenamedave]

Never have been able to figure out how the Army comes up with changes in unit assignments. Lots of different units in today's 101st than when I was in. Guess I am just getting old.

It's the why that gets me. I guess if you can't make any qualitative improvements, just shuffle stuff around and call it something new. According to the US Army Center of Military History, the 187th was first part of the 101st back in 1956, but yeah there is a real hodge-podge of different units that are part of the division nowadays.

Then again, we got a guy who was actually there who saw a unit of the 187th at Ft. Campbell when the U.S.A.C.M.H. says there weren't any!

When my unit went to Vietnam in July, 1965 (1st Brigade, 101st) we were assigned to the 1st & 2nd battalions of 327 Inf. but the 187 (can't remember which battalion) remained at Ft. Campbell until 1967 when the 2nd and 3rd brigades went in country.

 

[bummer]

I served with 4/327 Inf in Alaska when we were the 172nd Brigade (sep) then switched over to the 1/17th Inf when we became 6th ID (L). When I was at Fort Polk a guy came to us from Panama it was either 1/10 Inf or 4/10 Inf , we were 3/10 Inf . So his old unit was reflagged to another in the 193 rd

 

[codenamedave]

I served with 4/327 Inf in Alaska when we were the 172nd Brigade (sep) then switched over to the 1/17th Inf when we became 6th ID (L). When I was at Fort Polk a guy came to us from Panama it was either 1/10 Inf or 4/10 Inf , we were 3/10 Inf . So his old unit was reflagged to another in the 193 rd

Ah, the plot thickens. I just went and did some more looking around, for Ft. Kobbe and the 193d in general, and found this under the 193d wiki entry:

"In October 1983, the 1st and 2d Battalions, 187th Infantry were assigned to the 193d Infantry Brigade in Panama as a result of reflagging the 4th Battalion, 10th Infantry and the 3d Battalion, 5th Infantry, respectively. Company A, 2d Battalion, 187th Infantry was on jump status and later this was expanded to the entire battalion. During a realignment of the United States Army's combat forces in 1987 the colors of the 1st and 2d Battalions were inactivated in Panama and reactivated at Fort Campbell, KY. This resulted in 2-187th being reflagged as the 1st Battalion (Airborne), 508th Infantry while 1-187th was reflagged as the 5th Battalion, 87th Infantry."

It also sez the 193d went from genius level, largest since WWII, organized Task Force to providing basic training at Ft. Jackson!

The only knowledge I had for the previous Airborne Co. down there was A Co, 3d/5th, the outfit my manager was with. Don't know 'bout y'all, but I've had about all the reflagging I can handle and my head hurts.

 

[MG34/bar]

Hi Guys,

It bothered me that I couldn't remember the battalion of the 187 that was with the 101st when I was, so I got out some of my old books, and found that it was the 3rd Bat. that was assigned to the 101st in 1964 and went to Vietnam in 1967 ("History of US ARMY Airborne Infantry" Vol. 3 by Geoffrey T. Barker, p.22). Hope this helps (hard to remember stuff anymore, as I turn 75 this month).

 

[bummer]

Ah, the plot thickens. I just went and did some more looking around, for Ft. Kobbe and the 193d in general, and found this under the 193d wiki entry:

"In October 1983, the 1st and 2d Battalions, 187th Infantry were assigned to the 193d Infantry Brigade in Panama as a result of reflagging the 4th Battalion, 10th Infantry and the 3d Battalion, 5th Infantry, respectively. Company A, 2d Battalion, 187th Infantry was on jump status and later this was expanded to the entire battalion. During a realignment of the United States Army's combat forces in 1987 the colors of the 1st and 2d Battalions were inactivated in Panama and reactivated at Fort Campbell, KY. This resulted in 2-187th being reflagged as the 1st Battalion (Airborne), 508th Infantry while 1-187th was reflagged as the 5th Battalion, 87th Infantry."

It also sez the 193d went from genius level, largest since WWII, organized Task Force to providing basic training at Ft. Jackson!

The only knowledge I had for the previous Airborne Co. down there was A Co, 3d/5th, the outfit my manager was with. Don't know 'bout y'all, but I've had about all the reflagging I can handle and my head hurts.

When I was in Alaska , C (Charlie) company of every line Infantry BN was Airborne , I think C Battery of the Artillery BN also was on jump status. I don't remember if other units were.