Combat Jump - TF VIking - Concede Nothing - OIF - Iraq w SVC Pillow

Turkey finally allowed American overflights on 23 March. This allowed Task Force Viking to expand to 50 individual Special Forces Operational Detachments-Alpha (ODAs) (formerly known as A-Teams.) Reinforcing the ODAs on 26 March, the 173rd made a combat jump onto Bashur airfield 40 miles (64 km) north of the "Green Line". This was the largest airborne assault since World War II. The 173d assumed the security mission of Bashur from 10th Group ODA's and Peshmerga, receiving the airborne insertion of 1st Infantry Division armor on 7 April, followed by the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit.