US Paratrooper - Airborne - US Pathfinder Patch - First In, Last Out

Description: HIGHLY DETAILED 4 US Paratrooper - Airborne - US Pathfinder Patch - First In, Last Out - Wax BackNice 4 5/8" embroidered patch, with merrowed edge and wax backing United States Army Pathfinder School The mission of the United States Army Pathfinder School is to train personnel in the U.S. Army and its sister services in a three-week course, during which the candidate pathfinder learns how to navigate dismounted, establish and operate a day / night helicopter landing zone, establish and operate day / night parachute drop zones (DZs), including computed air release system (CARP) DZs, ground marked release system (GMRS) DZs and Army verbally initiated release system (VIRS) DZs, conduct sling load operations, provide air traffic control (ATC) and navigational assistance to rotary wing (RW) and fixed wing (FW) airborne operations. All training and airborne operations will be conducted in accordance with FM 3-21.220 (Static Line Parachuting Techniques and Training) and FM 3-21.38 (Pathfinder Operations). The U.S. Army Pathfinder School is operated under the auspices of the 1st Battalion (Airborne), 507th Infantry Regiment. The 1-507th IR also oversees the doctrine and operation of the U.S. Army Airborne School and the U.S. Army Jumpmaster School. Development of the modern U.S. Army pathfinder The modern U.S. Army Pathfinders are an elite force making up less than .01% of the total Army. Their primary mission is to infiltrate areas and set up parachute drop zones and helicopter landing zones for airborne and air assault missions. The Pathfinders were created in World War II when American paratrooper units needed a way to mark areas and guide aircraft to a specific spot. Early airborne operations resulted in scattered drops up to seven miles from the target. Darkness and inclement weather made it extremely difficult for aircraft to find the drop zone. The 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion and 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division were working on an idea they had learned from the British. An elite force would go in prior to the main assault with visual and electronic signaling devices to guide aircraft to the drop zone and gliders to their landing zones. Their first use in combat was 13 September 1943 during combat jumps into Italy. WWII-era Pathfinders are most remembered for their jump into Normandy during the invasion of 1944 on June 6th, when they led the way for Allied forces into Europe. They were employed throughout Southern France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany in the course of Allied airborne operations until the end of the war in Europe. They were also used in the Pacific theater with the 11th Airborne Division during the liberation of the Philippines. The Korean War saw limited use of the Pathfinders by the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team during two combat jumps and operations. The Vietnam War saw the largest use of Pathfinders due to the developments of helicopter insertion and resupply which were pioneered by the 11th Air Assault Division (Test). Nearly every Army aviation battalion had a Pathfinder detachment and deployed them on nearly every mission. After the Vietnam War pathfinders were with the major Airborne units and various combat aviation battalions/groups. They also saw a growth in Army National Guard and Army Reserve Pathfinder platoons during the 1970s and 1980s. Many conducted joint task force missions in Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East. In the late 1980s through 1990 the Army started inactivating its pathfinder units in the belief those skills could be learned by regular troops attending Air Assault School and by individuals within the unit who were pathfinder qualified. Operations during the Panama invasion and the Gulf War showed that Pathfinders were an important factor in successful airborne operations and the Army needed more of them. The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), which had retained a pathfinder unit during and after the Vietnam War, expanded its existing company and raised a second in 2005 by converting its long range surveillance detachment (LRSD) into another pathfinder company, giving each of its two aviation brigades a company. The 82nd Airborne Division followed suit by converted its LRSD to a pathfinder company under the 2d Battalion, 82nd Aviation Regiment. Additionally, the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) at Fort Drum, New York, and the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii have formed provisional pathfinder companies (e.g., they are not reflected in the units' tables of organization and equipment) and conduct combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The pathfinder units today still live by the motto of "First In-Last Out" and wear the Pathfinder Torch. From a high of five pathfinder companies in the past decade, a reduction began with the 15 May 2015 inactivation of the 159th Combat Aviation Brigade in the 101st Airborne Division, which included the brigade's pathfinder company. Concurrently the 101st CAB was redesignated as the CAB, 101st Airborne Division, bringing it in line with other non-numbered divisional CABs. At this point the division assumed the same organizational structure as the 10th Mountain Division, a light infantry unit. In the summer of 2016 the provisional pathfinder company in the 25th Infantry Division was inactivated, followed by the inactivation on 2 August 2016 of the remaining pathfinder company in the 101st Airborne Division in a ceremony at Fort Campbell, and then the provisional company in the 10th Mountain Division by October 2016. The last pathfinder unit in the Army, a company authorized by MTOE in the 82d Airborne Division, was inactivated in a ceremony on 24 February 2017 at Simmons Army Airfield at Fort Bragg. Training at the Pathfinder School continues, but there are no more pathfinder units. Course PrerequisitesAll applicants must have passed a valid physical examination within five years, have a minimum profile of 11121, have no speech impediment, have passed the APFT within the last six months and meet the Army height and weight standards IAW AR 600-9. Physicals for airborne qualified personnel must indicate “cleared to participate in airborne operations.” Applicants must have six months of service remaining on active duty upon completion of the course. Officers: Active Army, Reserve, or National Guard Officers (O–1 through O-3) assigned to a billet documented with the Skill Identifier “5Q” indicating a requirement to possess Pathfinder skills in the most recent Personnel Management Authorization Document or Updated Authorization Document. Attendance is restricted to Officers in the following Control Branches: InfantryArmorEngineersMilitary IntelligenceMultifunctional LogisticianEnlisted: Active Army, Reserve or National Guard Soldiers at the grades of E–3 through E–7, that have an Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery–General Technical score of 110 or above, and are from the following Military Occupational Specialties can attend Pathfinder School: InfantrymanIndirect Fire InfantrymanFire Support SpecialistAir Traffic Control OperatorCavalry ScoutMotor Transport OperatorParachute RiggerUnit Supply SpecialistOther Services: Active and reserve U.S. Marine Corps officers in the grades of O–1 through O–3 and enlisted personnel in the grades of E–4 through E–7 in logistics and combat arms may attend. Active and reserve U.S. Air Force enlisted personnel serving as combat control team/forward air controllers in the grades of E–5 thought E–7 may attend. Foreign Students: This course is releasable to military students from foreign countries on a case by case basis. Foreign countries desiring to place students in this course must meet one or more of the following criteria: (1) Have a signed Letter of Intent (2) Have a waiver from HQDA (3) Have USG release for training. Units sponsoring Foreign Students must ensure they meet all course prerequisites prior to reporting for Pathfinder training. Pathfinder Course schedule "Black Hats" release colored smoke to show their students the wind drift on a parachute drop zones they have established Week 1Student will in-process and receive pathfinder orientation. Students will be taught the fundamentals of air traffic control (ATC), including ground to air map marking. Pathfinder students will be taught proper MEDEVAC procedures and be capable of calling in a 9-line MEDEVAC request. Students will be taught the proper application of close air support (CAS) and learn how to implement it in the ground unit commander's tactical plan. The student will be taught the fundamentals of sling load operations and be certified to rig and inspect sling loads. Students will be taught how to plan and establish helicopter landing zones (HLZ) for day and nighttime operations. Week 2Students will be taught how to establish and operate HLZ/PZs. Students will be taught to establish day/night DZs (CARP, GMRP, and VIRS) for the insertion of personnel and equipment. Students will understand the 8 selection factors for selecting a drop zone and the duties and responsibilities of the drop zone support team leader (DZSTL). Students will complete the Basic Airborne Refresher (if applicable) and will be taught how to perform the duties of the GTA during a VIRS drop. Week 3Students will gain technical competence on the static load/unload procedures for a UH-60 and will be able to perform the duties in every position of the sling load hook-up team. Students will demonstrate the knowledge they have been taught during the course during the FTX, during which they are evaluated as a team leader/assistant team leader and ground to air/internal net recorder. Students will demonstrate proficiency in all areas of pathfinder operations and meet all graduation requirements. GraduationGraduates from the US Army Pathfinder School are awarded the Pathfinder Badge. Special recognitionCol. Robert L. Howard AwardThe Col. Robert L. Howard Award is awarded to the Distinguished Honor Graduate (DHG) of the Pathfinder class, with the highest overall grade point average with first time "gos" in every event. Instructor of the CycleThe title of Instructor of the Cycle will be awarded to the instructor that the students and Instructors vote had the greatest positive impact throughout the course of training. The selection will be approved by the HHC 1-507th company commander and first sergeant. PersonnelInstructors Instructors at the U.S. Army Pathfinder School are the famed and feared "Black Hats," named for the black baseball caps they wear as a part of their garrison uniform. The Black Hat is a symbol of expertise, awarded to Airborne, Jumpmaster and Pathfinder instructors who are certified to teach others how to properly conduct airborne operations. StudentsPathfinders students are drawn primarily from the U.S. Army, but its sister services send students as well. For all prospective students, an assignment in a billet requiring pathfinder skills is generally required. In the Army, prospective students would most likely be assigned to pathfinder units, like those found in the 101st, 10th Mountain and 82nd Airborne. In the U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force and U.S. Marine Corps, prospective students would most likely be assigned to a unit conducting drop zone operations, helicopter operations or special operations units. HISTORY:Today’s U.S. Army Pathfinders trace their illustrious history and legacy back to the beginning of World War II. The Pathfinder concept first appeared in U.S. Forces in England during preparation for the invasion of North Africa (Operation Torch) in 1942. The 2d Battalion, 503d Parachute Infantry Regiment (later re-designated as the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion) borrowed ideas and equipment from the British airborne forces. Despite their efforts, the initial drop in North Africa in November 1942 was widely dispersed due to coordination difficulties and aerial navigation problems on the 12-hour flight route from England. The airborne phase of the invasion of Sicily in July 1943 drove home the need for a U.S. Pathfinder capability. Landings of American and British airborne forces were widely dispersed due to high winds, navigation errors, friendly antiaircraft fire, and a lack of positive control of the inbound troop carrier aircraft. Some paratroopers were dropped more than 60 miles from their assigned drop zones. The after-action report pointed to an immediate need for specially trained and equipped parachute elements that could enter an objective ahead of the main airborne force to locate and mark parachute drop zones (DZ) and glider landing zones (LZ), and provide positive guidance and control of the troop carrier aircraft. These elite groups would precede the main airborne force with visual and electronic signaling devices to guide aircraft to the designated DZs. The first U.S. Pathfinder teams were organized in the 82d Airborne Division at Biscari Airfield in Sicily by Captain John Norton* and Lt. Col. Joel Crouch, U.S. Army Air Corps. Shortly thereafter, these teams performed flawlessly in the highly successful night airborne reinforcement of the Salerno beachhead on the mainland of Italy on 13 and 14 September 1943. LT William B. Jones of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) was the first Pathfinder to jump in a combat operation (13 September is National Pathfinder Day). The 505th PIR’s Pathfinders led the way for that unit’s successful drop the next night. The 509th PIB also attempted to employ their Pathfinders during a night drop east of Avellino, but high winds interfered with navigation of the Pathfinder aircraft, and terrain limited beacon effectiveness. The drop was again widely scattered. * Later Commanding General, 1st Cav Div (Airmobile) in Vietnam, 1966-67 On February 25, 1944 Brig. Gen. Williams, IX Troop carrier command, opened the first Pathfinder school at North Witham, England. Each Pathfinder team consisted of 9 to 14 signaling specialist with two Eureka sets and nine Holophane lights, plus a five man security detachment. Each Pathfinder team was assigned to a specific aircrew. They worked, ate, and lived together as a team. After further expansion and training in England with the British 6th Airborne Division, Pathfinders led the Normandy invasion (Operation OVERLORD) during the early hours of D-Day, 6 June 1944. Captain (later Lt. Colonel) Frank Lillyman, leader of the 101st Pathfinders, was among the first Americans to land in France at 0015 hours on 6 June. Pathfinders also were employed during Operation DRAGOON, the invasion of Southern France, but results were not good due to fog and darkness that created navigation problems for the Pathfinder aircraft. Some Pathfinders landed 18 miles from the assigned DZs. Pathfinders later led the large airborne operations in Holland (Operation MARKET-GARDEN); controlled the airborne resupply of American forces at various locations including units surrounded at Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge and provided navigational checkpoints on the west side of the Rhine River for the jump across the Rhine (Operation VARSITY). The original U.S. Pathfinder patch was designed in May 1944 by Corporal William Prescott of the 2nd Bn 505th PIR. The winged torch insignia was inspired by the New York Athletic Club’s logo which Prescott’s father had helped design. The earliest pathfinder patch was sewn on the left uniform sleeve with a downward angle and proudly worn by both aircrews and Pathfinders. The new insignia was not issued in time to be worn on D-Day. A variation of this first patch later became the Army’s standard cloth Pathfinder insignia until replaced in 1968 by the current smaller metal badge. In the Pacific theater, the 11th Airborne Division also employed Pathfinders in two successful operations on Luzon in the Philippine Islands in early 1945. One team moved stealthily through enemy lines on foot and the other landed by boat to locate and mark DZs for the assaulting parachute forces. The 11th Airborne Division was sent to Japan in 1945 for occupation duty at the end of the war, but it was not until 1947 that Pathfinders of the 11th Airborne Division were “formally” activated. During the Korean War the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team was organized out of the 11th Airborne Division in Japan and deployed to combat. The 187th did not employ their Pathfinders ahead of the main force during their initial jump at Sunchon in order to maintain operational security, but they were employed to successfully control follow-on parachute operations. Later in the war, Pathfinders were employed to lead the way for the jump at Munsan-Ni. Following the Korean War the Air Force took over responsibility for drop zone control of troop carrier aircraft during parachute operations. At that time the Army’s aircraft fleet was rapidly growing, and in1955 the Pathfinder School was established at Ft. Benning to provide trained Pathfinders to support airmobile operations. By 1958 the only Pathfinder units remaining in the Active Army were at the Infantry and Aviation Schools at Forts Benning and Rucker and in the 82d and 101st Airborne Divisions. The Vietnam War would see the widest use of Army Pathfinders. The Army’s 1963-65 test of the Air Mobility Concept by the 11th Air Assault Division (11th AAD) again proved the need for Pathfinders, but this time to support the conduct of airmobile operations using large numbers of Army helicopters and fixed wing transports. The 11th Pathfinder Company (Provisional) was organized in 1964 in the 11th AAD and deployed to Vietnam with the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) in 1965. Early combat operations of the 1st Air Cav showed a clear need for a Pathfinder capability in combat aviation units. Nearly every combat aviation battalion subsequently had a Pathfinder unit and employed them routinely, but very few employed them as widely and for as long as did the 1st Air Cavalry Division. The 11th Pathfinder Company (Provisional) was the first and largest Pathfinder unit to serve in Vietnam, and a 1st Air Cav Pathfinder team was among the last Army units to leave Vietnam in 1972. The 101st Airborne Division deployed to Vietnam in late 1967 to join its 1st Brigade that arrived in 1965. In 1968 the 101st was reorganized as an airmobile division with a four-section Pathfinder platoon. The 101st employed their Pathfinders in a similar manner as the 1st Air Cav until the division returned to the U.S. in 1972. In addition to the two airmobile divisions that had their own aviation assets and assigned Pathfinder units there was the 1st Aviation Brigade (The Golden Hawks) which was formed in 1966. The Golden Hawks brigade was responsible for 40% of the Army’s helicopter assets and most of its fixed wing assets which supported the remainder of ground forces in South Vietnam. After the Vietnam War, Pathfinders were in all major airborne units and various combat aviation battalions and groups, notably the 11th Aviation Group, by then stationed in Germany. There also was an increase in Army National Guard and Army Reserve Pathfinder detachments and platoons during the 1970s and early 1980s. In 1975, C Company (Pathfinder), 509th Infantry was activated as a separate company at the Army Aviation Center, Fort Rucker, Alabama, to provide training support to Aviation School. After becoming part of the newly formed 1st Battalion, 509th (ABN) Infantry Regiment on December 18, 1987, at the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC), Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, C Co continued its support of The Aviation School until it was reflagged in 1993 In the 1990s, the Army started disbanding its Pathfinder units. The rationale was that Pathfinder duties could be performed by members of a unit who were graduates of the Pathfinder or Air Assault Schools. However, operations during the Panama invasion and the Gulf War again showed that Pathfinders were an important factor in successful airmobile operations. The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) retained its Pathfinders after the Vietnam War, and in 2005 expanded its existing company and added a second company, giving one to each of its two combat aviation brigades. The 82d Airborne Division also organized a Pathfinder company in its aviation brigade. Additionally, the 10th Infantry Division (Mountain) and the 25th Infantry Division (Light) formed Pathfinder companies that conducted combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Today’s Pathfinder units (The Blackhats) continue to build upon the outstanding legacy of their predecessors. They proudly wear the Pathfinder Torch and still live by the official Pathfinder motto: SEMPER PRIMUS (Always First). However, in today’s airmobile operations Pathfinders control both landing zones (LZ) and pick-up zones (PZ), which means Pathfinders are always the last ones out during a combat extraction. This led to today’s warrior variation of the official motto: "FIRST IN, LAST OUT!”.

Price: 9.25 USD

Location: New Kensington, Pennsylvania

End Time: 2024-07-23T13:07:59.000Z

Shipping Cost: 4 USD