I was in one of the original paratroop units in Alaska. There were 3 Infantry battalions in Alaska -- the 1/60th and 4/23 battalions of the 172nd Infantry Brigade posted at Ft. Richardson near Anchorage and the 4/9th battalion of the 171st Infantry based at Ft. Wainright near Fairbanks. The "Charlie" company of each of those battalions was an airborne company equipped with a weapons platoon of 81mm mortars (I was 11C). Company O Rangers had been here in Alaska but was dissolved and the cadre used to start up the three airborne companies. IIRC that change occurred around Sep or Oct of 72. I got to Ft. Richardson on Mar 16, 1973. Very shortly after my arrival they disbanded the 171st and brought the 4/9 Inf and other associated units into the 172nd.
It was a silly command structure. In order to get a "mass" jump we had to work with 3 battalions just to get 3 companies onto the drop zone.
For us individual airborne companies it was a blast. On virtually every big field problem (2 per year that were Brigage wide with units from lower 48 and foreign nations) the airborne companies acted as aggressors so many time multiple jumps per FX, operating as guerrillas, etc. Not as much fun for the leg units when we would go to the range with "battalion mortars". Legs and airborne troops don't think the same sometimes. Legs went out one morning to fire danger close with their 81s....the army reg 200 meters. When we went out that after noon our FDC brain computed off the top of the gun chart (and got it approved by our Platoon Leader Lt) and our two gun section put a single round each of HE on delay (to limit frag). The round from my gun impacted 42 paces in from of my gun, considered the bunny boots and6 inches of snow that was estimated at 37 meters, book min range for the 81 was 72 meters. Now everything would have been great except Spec. Wight decided to stand up behind my gun 20 meters or so and watch the flight of the round. (easy to do at charge zero) To give him credit he did take some precaution and just before the round impacted he bent over and stuck his fingers in his ears. (The rest of us were pulling the buttons of our shirts to get lower (Willie and Joe quote). A matchhead size piece of frag passed just under his chin and hit him on the right wrist bone and stuck there sizzling. The squeal as he thrashed around on the ground was somewhat satisfying. What wasn't quite as fun was the conversation with my 4 tour Vietnam veteran Platoon Sgt (Sgt Wilson had a combat patch for every day of the week and was a great boss). Luckily I had covered my bellybutton with my instructions so all I got was a never again trust your platoon Lt. The conversation with the West Point platoon Lt was much more detailed according to rumor, being a good NCO the rest of the world was not privy to that conversation. I just wish I had a GoPro in those days, the video would have been awesome!!
Sometime after I discharge in Aug 76 they switched to true Airborne Battalions of the 506th and 501st at Ft Richardson and those guys have done several deployments to the Mid East.
I apologize if that was more answer that you were looking for but usually takes and bit of explaining for folks used to the usual "82 Airborne" answer....and you opened the memory gate.
Were you a paratrooper?
Airborne!!
