The 3rd Battalion, 73rd Armor (Airborne), once the 82nd Airborne Division’s parachute-qualified armor battalion, evolved from the inactivation of the 4th Battalion, 68th Armor. Equipped with the M551 Sheridan light tank, 3-73 Armor gave paratroopers a unique armored punch from Grenada to Panama and Desert Storm before its inactivation in 1997. Airborne Apparel Company is proud to offer reproductions and unique designs that celebrate the legacy of the 3rd Battalion, 73rd Armor (Airborne).
The lineage of the 82nd Airborne Division’s airborne armor capability can be traced to the 4th Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, which was reactivated at Fort Bragg in 1984. Designed to provide the division with a dedicated armor element, 4-68 Armor operated the M551 Sheridan light tank—an air-droppable vehicle capable of deploying by parachute or air-landing to support rapid airborne assaults.
In the late 1980s, as part of a reorganization, 4-68 Armor was inactivated and its role assumed by the newly designated 3rd Battalion, 73rd Armor (Airborne). This ensured that the 82nd maintained a parachute-qualified tank battalion while aligning the Army’s regimental system more consistently across its armor branch.
Equipment & Capabilities
3-73 Armor inherited the Sheridans of 4-68 Armor and remained the Army’s only parachute-qualified tank unit. Its Sheridans were used to provide direct-fire support against enemy bunkers, fortifications, and light vehicles—capabilities otherwise lacking in the division’s infantry-heavy airborne structure. Later, as the Sheridans were phased out, the battalion fielded Humvee-mounted TOW anti-tank missile systems, though it was still best known as “the Airborne Armor Battalion.”
Combat Operations with the 82nd Airborne
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Operation Urgent Fury (Grenada, 1983): Though conducted before the official transition, Sheridans from 4-68 Armor were deployed alongside the 82nd to support the airborne assault—demonstrating the value of armor in airborne operations.
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Operation Just Cause (Panama, 1989): By this time under the 3-73 Armor designation, the battalion provided armored firepower during the seizure of Torrijos/Tocumen Airfields and urban fighting in Panama City. Sheridans and TOW-equipped Humvees gave the 82nd crucial fire support in street battles.
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Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm (1990–1991): 3-73 Armor deployed to Saudi Arabia and later Kuwait, where its Sheridans reinforced airborne defenses against Iraqi armored threats and contributed to the division’s rapid-deployment role in the Gulf War.
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Post–Cold War Operations: The battalion participated in smaller contingencies and reinforced America’s global rapid response mission into the mid-1990s.
Inactivation & Legacy
With the retirement of the M551 Sheridan light tank and no immediate replacement for an air-droppable armored vehicle, the Army inactivated the 3rd Battalion, 73rd Armor in 1997. This decision ended the airborne armor experiment, leaving the 82nd Airborne Division without its organic tank battalion.
Identity & Heritage
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Unique Army-wide Role: Only airborne-qualified armor battalion in the U.S. Army.
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Lineage: Transitioned from 4-68 Armor to 3-73 Armor, carrying forward airborne armor traditions.
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Motto: “Honor et Courage” (Honor and Courage)
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Nickname/Identity: "Airborne Thunder" & “Airborne Armor”
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Symbolism: Represented the ability to marry airborne mobility with armored firepower—a capability unmatched in the modern U.S. Army.
Enduring Significance
The 3rd Battalion, 73rd Armor (Airborne) embodied innovation in airborne warfare. From its roots in 4-68 Armor to its inactivation, the unit gave paratroopers confidence that tank firepower could join them even in the most austere battlefields. Its history remains a unique chapter in airborne and armor heritage.
Airborne Apparel Company is proud to offer reproductions and unique designs that celebrate the legacy of the 3rd Battalion, 73rd Armor (Airborne).