Between 2010 and 2011 one of the unit’s involved in Afghanistan’s International Security Assistance Forces was an infantry regiment with a long and historic record in America’s strategic efforts. The 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment (PIR) was made famous in the Stephen Ambrose book “Band of Brothers,” the HBO series of the same name, and the Stephen Spielberg movie “Saving Private Ryan.” The battalion’s deployment challenge coin was presented by the Command to assigned members during its time in eastern Afghanistan, to commemorate the soldier’s continued involvement with the unit and its heritage. This tradition provides a significant point of pride for deployed soldiers as the coin represents acknowledgement of their sacrifices and struggles during that time period.
The 506th was first constituted on July 1st, 1942 as the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) and garrisoned at Camp Toccata, Georgia in anticipation for US involvement in WWII. The 506th PIR quickly garnered the unit nickname for “Currahees” after the Native American Indian name for a nearby mountain on the boundaries of the camp. Prospective soldiers were required to hike three miles to the base of the mountain, run three miles up and three miles down, and then hike the required three miles back to the camp. The Cherokee word for Currahee also translates to “Stand Alone” and was adopted as the official unit motto. 
The first major operation the predecessor of the 2nd Battalion, 506th was during WWII in Operation Market Garden between September 17th and 25th, 1944. As part of the operation the larger 101st Airborne was assigned five bridges just north of the German defensive lines northwest of Eindhoven. The parachute drop was in daylight, was well targeted, and provided for controlled drops into the assigned drop zones. The 101st captured all but one bridge, the one at Son, which was destroyed with explosives by the German defenders as the 101st units approached. The ground forces of XXX Corps linked up with elements of the 101st Airborne on the second day of operations, but the advance of the ground forces was further delayed while engineers erected a Bailey Bridge at Son replacing the destroyed bridge. XXX Corps then continued its advance into the 82nd Airborne area of operations where it was halted just shy of Arnhem due to German counterattacks along the length of the deep penetration. The 101st Airborne continued to support XXX Corps advance during the remainder of Operation Market Garden with several running battles over the next several days.
The other significant operation for the 506th in WWII was its participation in the Battle of the Bulge between December 1444 and January 1945. Following Operation Market Garden, while resting and refitting in France, General Eisenhower called upon the 101st Airborne on 16 December to occupy the Belgian town of Bastogne by December 18th 1944, in order to deny the Germans access/control of its important crossroads. The short notice move left the unit ill supplied on essential items necessary for combat such as food, ammunition, arms, men, and winter clothing. German forces encircled the 506th, along with the rest of the 101st Airborne, almost immediately. In initial exchanges between combatants, approximately one third (about 200 men) of the battalion were killed in action, but likewise inflicted up to 1,000 German casualties and destroyed 30 enemy tanks. The 506th’s 1st battalion was put into reserve and the 2nd and 3rd battalions were put on the front lines. A supply drop on December 22nd helped to alleviate the hardships of troops to some extent, but the winter landscape still proved challenging. After the Third Army broke the encirclement, the 506th stayed on the line and spearheaded the liberation of Foy and Noville in January 1945, until being transferred to Haguenau. They were pulled off the front line in late February but still participated in the assault against the Ruhr Pocket and capture of Berchtesgaden. Lastly the 506th occupied Zell am See before preparing to deploy to the Pacific theatre, 