502nd Infantry Regiment - 101st Airborne Division Coffee Mug

The 502nd Infantry Regiment, "Strike" originally designated the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment (502nd PIR) during World War II, is a Army light infantry regiment within the 101st Airborne Division with a storied lineage covering action in World War II during Operation Overlord (Battle of Normandy), Operation Market Garden, Battle of the Bulge including the Siege of Bastogne & the Capture of Berchtesgaden. The 502nd also saw action in the Vietnam War, Both battalions were part of the 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, which was deployed to Vietnam from late 1967 to 1971. The Regiment was recognized for its role during the Tet Offensive in early 1968 and the Battle of Hamburger Hill in May 1969. The "Strike" Brigade moved to Saudi Arabia as part of Operation Desert Shield in late summer 1990 to deter a possible Iraqi invasion. During Operation Desert Storm, the 2nd Brigade and 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) cut the enemy’s lines of communications, struck deep into the country, threatened a strike against the capital, and shut off any escape. On February 25,1991, the "Strike" Brigade participated in the largest helicopter air assault in military history to establish FOB Cobra. The 502nd was involved in the Iraq War, and Afghanistan War. At present, two battalions, the 1st and 2nd, are assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division. Stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.