US Army Patch Airborne c 509 Infantry 2 Bn Recon Germany sa

US Army 509 Airborne Patch 2 Battalion Reconnaissance Platoon Infantry 8 Division West Germany 1970 German made Embroidered on twill cut edge 79mm three and one sixteenth inches diameter.

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History

8 Infantry Division moved from Fort Jackson South Carolina to West Germany in 1957 tasked with the defence of Germany against Soviet and Warsaw Pact forces. 8 Div was organized as a partially Airborne Pentomic division with two of its five battle groups 1 Airborne Battle Group 504 Infantry and 1 Airborne Battle Group 505 Infantry on jump status

1 and 2 Battalions Airborne of 509 Infantry replaced 1 Airborne Battle Group 504 Infantry and 1 Airborne Battle Group 505 Infantry of 1 Brigade Airborne 8 Infantry Division US Army Europe in April 1963 at Lee Barracks in Mainz Gonsenheim West Germany under the ROAD reorganisation. The Recon Platoon was tasked to conduct reconnaissance and security operations to enable the Battle Group to exploit its reconnaissance surveillance and security information identified to reduce its vulnerabilities and to enable the Group to obtain the information necessary to win on the battlefield.

The two battalions retained airborne jump status and formed the infantry component of the 1 Brigade Airborne 8 Infantry Division Mechanized which also included 5 Battalion Airborne 81 Artillery Troop A Airborne 3 Squadron 8 Cavalry Company A Airborne 12th Engineer Battalion and Company B 8 Medical Battalion all also on jump status.

Throughout its time in Cold War Germany 8 Infantry Division would regularly deploy to the German countryside for training manoeuvres including commencing in January 1969 the yearly Exercise Reforger which simulated invasion of Western Europe by Warsaw Pact forces.

In January 1973 3 Battalion 509 Infantry was activated in Germany under 1 Brigade Airborne 8 Infantry Division. In August 1973 2 and 3 Battalions Airborne 509 Infantry were inactivated with 1 Battalion Airborne 509 Infantry with other 1 Brigade Airborne elements were transferred to Vicenza Italy to establish a separate Airborne Task Force. 1 Brigade ended its jump status and the Airborne Battalions were replaced by 2 Battalion 28 Infantry Regiment and 2 Battalion 87 Infantry Regiment. 1 Battalion Airborne 509 Infantry was inactivated in Italy on 1 July 1983.

This patch dates from 1970.