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The 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment was constituted in 1942 and assigned to the 101st Airborne Division. The regiment fought throughout the European campaign in World War II, including the Normandy invasion and the Battle of the Bulge. After the war, the regiment was reorganized and eventually became the 502nd Infantry Regiment. Since 1974, the regiment has been an air assault rather than parachute unit.

The 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry has a particularly long history of overseas service. During the Vietnam era, the battalion served with the 101st Airborne Division in Southeast Asia. Following Vietnam, 1-502 participated in deployments and contingency operations including Bright Star in Egypt, operations in Panama, and peacekeeping in the Sinai.

More recently, Cobra Company has been heavily involved in the 101st’s post-9/11 operations. During deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, the company conducted combat operations, security and stability missions, partnered with local security forces, and helped train allied forces. For example, during an Afghanistan deployment, Cobra Company established the Cobra Academy, a six-week program that trained Afghan soldiers in weapons, tactics, battle drills, and escalation-of-force procedures.

In Iraq, Cobra Company operated in Baghdad during the difficult period of sectarian violence, conducting patrols and security operations in neighborhoods affected by the conflict.

Mission and identity

At its core, Cobra Company’s mission is that of a light infantry company within an air assault brigade: to be capable of rapidly deploying by helicopter, closing with and defeating enemy forces, securing key terrain, conducting patrols and raids, and providing security and stability in support of larger 101st Airborne Division operations.

The company’s identity is strongly tied to the “Strike” tradition of the 2nd Brigade and the “Cobra” identity of Company C. Its history reflects the broader evolution of the 101st Airborne Division—from a World War II parachute formation to today’s highly mobile air assault force capable of rapidly deploying infantry wherever needed.

One good illustration of the company’s broader mission is its deployment to Cameroon, where Cobra Company provided force protection and maintained a quick-reaction capability while continuing to train and maintain infantry readiness.

In short: Cobra Company represents a lineage of infantrymen whose job has remained remarkably consistent despite changing technology and battlefields—rapidly deploy, close with the enemy when required, protect friendly forces and populations, and accomplish the mission as part of the 101st Airborne Division.