Isiolo, Kenya. (February 23, 2023): In this photo by Sergeant Christian Dela Cruz, U.S. Army paratroopers assigned to Chosin Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade demonstrate combat tactics during Exercise Justified Accord 23 hosted by the government of Kenya. This is the U.S. Africa Command’s largest exercise, led by the Army’s Southern European Task Force Africa, involving 20 countries to increase readiness for peacekeeping, crisis response, and humanitarian assistance missions.

The highlight of Justified Accord 23 involved over 1,000 participants holding live-fire field training exercises that included the 173rd Airborne Brigade, 2nd Security Forces Assistance Brigade, the 720th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Detachment and the 352nd Civil Affairs Command. The Massachusetts State National Guard provided sustainment support for Kenyan Defense Forces as part of a long-standing partnership.

The 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment is one of the most storied units in official airborne lore. This active-duty airborne infantry battalion Is stationed at Caserma Del Din, Vicenza, Italy, and their nickname is “The Rock”. The battalion has served in Korea, Germany, Italy and earned campaign ribbons in World War II, the Vietnam War, Operation Enduring Freedom—Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The 503rd earned Presidential Unit Citations for action at Corregidor, Phuoc Vinh, and Dak To during the Viet Nam War.