The 4th Battalion, 68th Armor (Light) (Airborne) was the 82nd Airborne Division’s first parachute-qualified armor battalion, equipped with M551 Sheridan light tanks. Activated in the 1980s, it gave paratroopers unique armored firepower until its inactivation and transition into the 3rd Battalion, 73rd Armor. Airborne Apparel Company is proud to offer reproductions and unique designs that celebrate the legacy of the 4th Battalion, 68th Armor (Airborne).
The 4th Battalion, 68th Armor (Airborne) was activated at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in 1984 as part of the 82nd Airborne Division. It was created to provide the division with an airborne armor capability, ensuring paratroopers had direct-fire armored support immediately after an airborne assault.
Equipment & Capabilities
The battalion fielded the M551 Sheridan light tank, an air-droppable armored fighting vehicle armed with a 152mm gun/launcher system capable of firing both conventional rounds and Shillelagh anti-tank missiles. This gave the 82nd Airborne Division something no other airborne unit possessed: the ability to drop tanks into combat.
The Sheridans of 4-68 Armor were designed to deploy by parachute or be air-landed by C-130 aircraft, providing shock effect, anti-armor capability, and bunker-busting firepower to airborne infantry.
Operations & Service
Though activated late in the Cold War, the battalion maintained rapid deployment readiness alongside the rest of the division. Its Sheridans were poised to be part of contingency plans worldwide. Elements of its lineage later contributed to combat operations in:
-
Operation Just Cause (Panama, 1989): Airborne Sheridans supported paratroopers in seizing Torrijos/Tocumen Airfield and conducting urban combat.
-
Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm (1990–1991): Airborne armor provided firepower during the division’s deployment to the Persian Gulf.
Transition into 3-73 Armor
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Army reorganized its airborne armor assets. The 4th Battalion, 68th Armor was inactivated, and its personnel and mission were reflagged as the 3rd Battalion, 73rd Armor (Airborne). This transition ensured continuity of airborne armor within the 82nd Airborne Division, with 3-73 Armor carrying on the Sheridans’ legacy through Panama, Desert Storm, and into the 1990s.
Identity & Legacy
-
Branch/Role: Armor – Airborne Qualified
-
Nickname: Often referred to simply as the “Airborne Tank Battalion” prior to the reflagging.
-
Motto: Carried the traditions of the 68th Armor Regiment, “Vitesse et Puissance” (“Speed and Power”).
-
Unique Distinction: One of only two battalions in Army history to field parachute-qualified tanks, preceding the famed 3-73 Armor.
Enduring Significance
Though its existence was relatively brief, the 4th Battalion, 68th Armor (Airborne) represented a bold experiment in airborne warfare: combining light tanks with paratroopers for maximum impact. Its transition into 3-73 Armor ensured its legacy lived on, and it remains a proud chapter in the history of the 82nd Airborne Division’s armored capabilities.
Airborne Apparel Company is proud to offer reproductions and unique designs that celebrate the legacy of the 4th Battalion, 68th Armor (Airborne).