March 2026 News!
- Mar 6
- 9 min read
Table of Contents |
A Short Note From the Association President
3rd Brigade News
20th Anniversary of Operation Swarmer
2026 Reunions
2026 Board Elections
Dates in Rakkasan History
Rakkasan Legacy - In Memory
Fundraiser
Chapter News
Treasurer's Report
Contact Us
President's Note |
My Fellow Rakkasans:
Welcome to March. We are about two months away from the 2026 National Rakkasan Reunion, set to begin on May 13, 2026. Registration numbers have been strong, and we expect a great turnout. Rakkasans from all Battalions and Units, as well as all year groups dating back to the 1950s, will be present, with significant representation from Desert Storm and GWOT. We have numerous activities and events planned for the Reunion. Don't miss the camaraderie or the fun.
If you're unable to attend, think about sponsoring an active-duty soldier for the Memorial Dinner or assisting in keeping our Hospitality Room well-stocked for everyone to enjoy. Any support would be greatly appreciated. Contributions can be made online or sent to Mike Smith (contact us at info@rakkasanassociation.org).
As we move into spring, we are working on two projects that we aim to complete. The first is the restoration of the 3/187th1968 KIA Memorial, which has suffered damage over the years and needs replacement. Information is available in the Fundraiser section below. We are also collaborating with Fort Campbell Engineers to carry out essential repairs on the Rakkasan Pylon. More details about this project will be provided in the coming months.
In addition, we recently conducted the 2026 National Rakkasan Association Board Elections, which concluded on February 15, 2026. Consequently, we are pleased to welcome two new members to our Board of Directors. Rick Perry has assumed the role of Association Secretary, and Marcos Amador now occupies Position #8. I extend my heartfelt thanks to Erik Lind and Harv Watson for their years of dedicated service to the Rakkasan Association.
Hope to see many of you in May!
LVNF
Bob
3rd brigade news |
A MESSAGE FROM RAK 6
RAKKASANS!
The Regiment remains focused on preparing for ground combat. This is how we are executing.
Rakkasans in Action: Validating Lethality and Combat Medicine
In February, The Regiment formally validated its tactical proficiency in Operation Lethal Eagle 26.1, where companies demonstrated battlefield dominance by using suppressive fire to breach complex trench systems. Dog Company, White Currahee 2-506 earned the title of the Brigade’s Most Lethal Company, showing exactly what excellence looks like across the formation.
In Garrison, 120 combat medics completed Basic Combat Casualty Care training. These medics sharpened the life-saving skills required for the modern, high-threat environments we now face. The Regiment is ensuring we are the most lethal, resilient force in the 101st.
Looking Ahead: Dominating the Next Fight and Celebrating Our History
In March, we prepare for our rotation at the Joint Readiness Training Center in Fort Polk, LA. The mission is a large-scale deep air assault into a contested area with drone, electronic warfare, and near-peer threat. We’re ready to put our skillset to the test, proving that the Rakkasans remain the standard for vertical envelopment and tactical dominance.
As we look beyond the training cycle, we are fast approaching RAK Reunion 2026, scheduled for May 13–17. This year we honor the 57th Anniversary of Hamburger Hill and the 35th Anniversary of Operation Desert Storm. We will welcome Veterans back to the footprint for several events, including the Rakkasans in Desert Storm and Gates of Fire LPDs, Golf Tournament, and the Silent Auction with Active Duty soldiers. Week of the Eagles begins May 18 and will be held at Fort Campbell. The 101st Airborne Division Association Reunion will be held May 18-23 in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. We look forward to celebrating with our Veterans and families.
Let Valor Not Fail!
COL Ryan Bell
RAK6
20th Anniversary of Operation swarmer |
Written by CSM Matt Strausbaugh
On 16 March 2006, elements of the 3rd BCT, 101st Airborne Division conducted what was called “the largest air assault operation since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.” Under the leadership of COL Steele, the Rakkasans and their Iraqi Army counterparts searched wide swaths of villages and desert in the Salahuddin Province. This operation was in response to the bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samarra two weeks prior and was meant to deal with the threat that Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi and his Al Qaeda in Iraq organization posed to the area and the overall effort in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
From 16 March to 22 March, Rakkasans captured over 100 insurgents and uncovered approximately 24 large weapons caches. Initially, the mission was supposed to last 36 hours, but with continued success it extended to almost a week.
As a specialist, I air assaulted in with 3rd PLT, D CO, 3-187th IN. We landed on our initial HLZ expecting heavy contact but were met by an eerie quiet when the brown out settled. Afterwards, we walked for what seemed forever to our first objective. For the next six days we hit village after village and ran metal detectors on berm after berm. Due to the contact we expected, each of us was carrying well over 100 lbs of individual equipment. We moved from objective to objective by helicopter assault or by convoy. The convoys were so packed that a lot of times we ended up riding on tops of Humvees like GIs on tops of Sherman tanks in WWII.
The timeline is a little blurry now twenty years later, but I do remember during the operation we went a while without a resupply and therefore ran out of food. At one point, we had just cleared a village and were moving into the desert to set up a patrol base for the night when we noticed an Iraqi following us. Through the interpreter he explained that he thought we looked pretty rough and invited us to stay at his house for the night and that he would also feed us. That evening we had a grand meal of goat meat
over rice with curry sauce. I shared a platter with my friend from another platoon, Josh Isbell, and goat meat never tasted so good.
I would be remiss if I did not mention that on the first day of Swarmer, and away from the operation, CPL Nyle Yates of B CO was killed in action while manning an OP in the city of Samarra. Word of his death reached us on the morning of the third or fourth day. For those that knew him it was a blow, and for the entire unit the rest of the operation had a gloomy cloud hanging over it. We charged on as good Rakkasans and would take time to mourn his loss later.
Twenty years later, I look back on Operation Swarmer with a sense of pride. It was a unique experience to be part of an operation that size. When I tell that story to my Soldiers now, or some of the army aviators I work with, they find it hard to wrap their brains around the magnitude of it. When I think about carrying all that weight all those days, enduring the suck with my brothers, and denying a safe haven to the insurgency, it makes me smile. It’s an honor to have been part of Rakkasan history. Ne desit virtus!
CSM Matt Strausbaugh
Rakkasan, 2003-2013
2026 Reunions |
2026 National Rakkasan Association/Hamburger Hill Chapter Reunion
45th Anniversary & Reunion of the Association - 57th Anniversary of Hamburger Hill - 35th Anniversary of Operation Desert Storm - 20th Anniversary Operation Swarmer.
Time is ticking!! The 2026 reunion begins May 13, 2026 and the core dates run through May 17, 2026 with an optional extension for ODS specific events on May 17 and 18, 2026. The reunion will be held at the Country Inn & Suites in Clarksville, TN with some events held at FT Campbell.
Make you lodging reservations ASAP and remember to also register for the reunion. For detailed information, please check out the Events Page on our website.
2026 Elections |
The 2026 National Rakkasan Association Board elections have come to a close!
The voting phase ended on February 15, 2026 and the ballots were tallied shortly thereafter. The results are as follows:
Vice-President - Frank Peterson (unopposed)
Secretary - Leslie "Rick" Perry
Board Position 6 - Beau Brumfield (unopposed)
Board Position 8 - Marcos Amador
The new board members were sworn in during an Association Board meeting during the recent Snowbird Reunion. Congratulations and welcome to the Board!!
Additional information and ballots can be found on the Elections Page of our website.
2026 Scholarship |
The Hamburger Hill Chapter will be sponsoring scholarships in 2026. The purpose of the Hamburger Hill Chapter/Rakkasan Scholarship Program is to provide financial assistance to students toward their post-high school education who have demonstrated a potential to become a contributing citizen to our nation and represent the ideals that the military represents.
An applicant is eligible to apply if he/she has a family member who served in the 187th Inf Regiment or has served in the 187th.
The applicant’s sponsor is a Life Member in good standing in the Rakkasan Association.
The applicant may not have received this award previously.
Applications are due by April 15, 2026. When completing the application, please be prepared to submit most recent transcripts and a picture of self. For more information, click on link below.
dates in rakkasan history |
March 2, 2002
Operation Anaconda
US forces, to include the 3rd Brigade - Task Force Rakkasan - launched an assault into the Shah-i-Khot Valley to pursue al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters. This operation lasted through March 18, 2002 and marked the first large-scale battle in the post-2001 war in Afghanistan since the battle of Tora Bora in December 2001. It was the first operation in the Afghanistan theater involving a substantial number of U.S. forces in direct combat activities.
Photo from Timothy Aponte.
March 17, 1971
Operation Dewey Canyon II/Lam Son 719
The 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Commander, LTC Bryan J Sutton, his S-3, MAJ Ronald O Scharnberg and the pilot were killed in a helicopter crash northwest of Khe Sanh Combat Base during Operation Lam Son 719.
Photo from Theresa Scheets, The Steel Thread Project.
March 18th/19th, 1968
Operation Box Springs/OPORD Rakkasan Chapparal
Operation Box Springs kicked off March 16, 1968 and ended March 21, 1968. The operation cost the Rakkasans fifteen (15) soldiers killed in action. 3/187th Delta Company Commander, CPT Paul Bucha was awarded the Medal of Honor for actions on March 18 and 19, 1968. During the same engagement, two Rakkasans were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross - LT Jeffrey Wishik (LTC retired) and Medic Dennis Moore (posthumous award). The 3/187th was awarded the Valorous Unit Award.
March 23, 1951
Operation Tomahawk
The 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team conducted an airborne attack of Communist forces near Munsan-ni, Korea. This is the Rakkasans' second combat parachute jump of the Korean War.
If you have dates in history, events or a person you would like us to highlight, please send us an email at info@rakkasanassociation.org. OEF/OIF Rakkasans, we could use your input.
rakkasan legacy - in memory |
Chris Applin
Chris Applin passed away on January 8, 2026. He served with the Rakkasans during the Vietnam War - Bravo Company, 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry in 1969. Chris was a regular at the Hamburger Hill Chapter Reunions.
A link to his obituary is below.
Robert J. Berry
Robert J Berry passed away on February 16, 2026. Robert served in the US Army in the early 1950's during the Korean War years to include H Company of the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team. Robert was a member of the Rakkasan Association as was very proud to have served as a Rakkasan.
fundraiser |
3/187th Memorial Stone Fundraiser
Vietnam 1968-1971
Rakkasan Alumni, the 3-187 Infantry is requesting your support to replace our Vietnam KIA Memorial Stone. The current stone contains the names of all the 1968 KIAs and has broken into several pieces. To honor all the Iron Rakkasan KIA from Vietnam, we are proposing an expanded memorial that includes all 252 KIA from ’68-’71. The stone will be upright and will list the KIA by year. It will sit on a rough-cut piece of quartz. It will be placed behind the Battalion headquarters underneath our Iron Torii. The area is used for Battalion formations, promotions, and award ceremonies. This area is significant as the gathering place for all Soldiers in the Battalion because it contains our parade field, Torii monument, and GWOT KIA memorial. This memorial is part of a broader effort to memorialize the Iron Battalion KIA from all conflicts we have participated in. The estimated cost for this memorial is $14,680. Any amount you are willing to donate will be greatly appreciated by the current and former members of the Iron Rakkasans. Thanks for your support!
chapter news |
Torrii Chapter
Based out of Clarksville, TN but accepts members from other areas.
President: Dave Reilly
Vice President: Louie Lee
Treasurer: CSM (Ret) Chuck Judd
Secretary: Sheila Patton
For information on the Chapter please email toriichapter@outlook.com.
Buckeye Chapter
Based out of Delaware, Ohio
President: Scott Hutmire
Treasurer: Hunter Everett
Meets at the VFW Reed Miller Post #3297
For additional information on the Chapter please email michael_smith672@yahoo.com.
Hamburger Hill Chapter
President: Bob Harkins
Vice President: Charlie Ricord
Secretary: Greg West
Treasurer: Mike Smith
The Hamburger Hill Chapter will be holding board elections during their annual meeting scheduled for May 14, 2026.
Treasurer's Report |
2025 End of Year Financial Report - The 2025 end of year financial report for the Rakkasan Association is available for download.
A Tax Smart Way to Support the Association - Consider supporting the Rakkasan Association through a Qualified Charitable Distribution. For more information, download the document below.
contact us/contribute |
Monthly E-Newsletters
If you have news or events that you would like to feature in future e-newsletters, please reach out to us. We welcome submissions of short stories about your experiences with the Rakkasans, information on important dates in Rakkasan history, the significance of staying connected, or other topics pertinent to the Rakkasan legacy, both past and present.
Photos & Memorabilia
If you have photos, memorabilia - either your own or a family member (father, grandfather, uncle, etc.) - that you would like to share with the Rakkasan Association, please reach out to us.
until next time - let valor not fail |
Comments