Scroll - 509th LRS Airborne Infantry Desert Classic License Plate

The 509th LRS Airborne Infantry, also known as the 509th Infantry Regiment, is an airborne infantry regiment of the United States Army. It is historically significant for being the first American unit to conduct a combat parachute assault and for pioneering airborne warfare during World War II. The regiment's 1st and 3rd Battalions remain active today, with the 1st Battalion serving as the Opposing Force at the Joint Readiness Training Center in Fort Polk, Louisiana, and the 3rd Battalion assigned to the 11th Airborne Division at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. The regiment's history includes the execution of the first U.S. combat parachute jump on November 8, 1942, during Operation Torch, and participation in the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium. The regiment has also participated in the Global War on Terror, with the 3rd Battalion deploying to Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2006–2007 and to Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom in 2009.