71st Airborne Brigade (United States)

The 71st Airborne Brigade was an airborne brigade of the United States Army and the Texas Army National Guard. The 71st Airborne Brigade was active from 15 December 1967^[1] until 1 November 1973. It was a result of the National Guard total force reorganization to fill the gap and improve in National Guard airborne infantry capabilities from the consolidations of 1st Battalion (Airborne) 151st Infantry into D & E co (LRP) 151st Infantry of the Indiana National Guard on 1 December 1967^[2][3] and consolidations of the 1st Battalion (Airborne) 225th Infantry into E & F co (LRP) 425th Infantry of the Michigan National Guard on 1 February 1968.^[4][5]

The formation traces its history to the 71st Infantry Brigade of the 36th Infantry Division in World War I, when it had the 141st and 142nd Infantry Regiments, along with the 132nd Machine Gun Battalion, assigned.

The 71st Airborne Brigade consisted of three airborne infantry battalions:^[6]

• 1st Battalion (Airborne), 143d Infantry
• 2nd Battalion (Airborne), 143d Infantry
• 3rd Battalion (Airborne), 143d Infantry

These infantry battalions were supported by an airborne field artillery unit headquartered in Port Arthur, Texas:

• 1st Battalion (Airborne), 133d Field Artillery

The 71st Airborne Brigade (separate) and its successor 36th Airborne Brigade reinforced the 82nd Airborne Division as a 4th Brigade. All 3,300 troopers of the 71st Brigade were authorized to be jump-qualified. On 1 November 1973, the brigade was inactivated and a reduced number of its personnel and amount of equipment were used to activate the 36th Airborne Brigade, a TDA headquarters.^[7] The brigade only had two battalions: 1-143d and 2-143d. On 1 April 1980 the brigade was inactivated and the two battalions were reorganized and reflagged as other types of units. Company A of 2-143d formed Company G (Ranger), 143d Infantry,^[8] a corps-level LRRP unit (later LRS)^[9] that remained active until 2001.^[10][11]

The brigade's lineage lives on today, embodied in the 71st Battlefield Surveillance Brigade.^[5][7]

See also

• 71st Airborne Brigade Video Documentary, 1968

References

1. "Texas National Guard Reorganization Goes Into Effect Friday; Units Listed". Amarillo Globe Times. December 12, 1967. p. 8.
2. "National Guard New Look". Muncie Evening Press. December 2, 1967. p. 10.
3. "Guard to Have Six New Units". The Daily Reporter. December 2, 1967. p. 1.
4. Martino, Sam (December 13, 1967). "Guard Set To Realign In January". Lansing State Journal. pp. A3, A4.
5. Rottman, Gordon L. (1990). US Army Airborne 1940-1990. Osprey Publishing. p49.
6. Aumiller, Timothy S. "United States Army Infantry, Artillery, Armor/Cavalry Battalions, 1957-2011" p31, from
7. "Post World War II Texas National Guard".
8. "Guard Disbands Brigade". The Victoria Advocate. April 12, 1980. pp. 7A.
9. Faulkner, Michael (September 23, 2001). "Co. G 143rd Infantry (LRS)". Unofficial Unit Page for Co. G 143d Infantry (LRS). Archived from the original on December 21, 2001.
10. Jacobs, Janet (August 13, 2001). "Paratroopers mark retirement on unit with one last jump". Austin American~Statesman. pp. B1. Archived from the original on February 16, 2024.
11. Lemmer, Paul (August 18, 2001). "The Houston Light Guard: A Narritive". Co G. 143rd LRS. Archived from the original on October 22, 2002.