506th PIR Helmet 1st Battalion NCO/Officer

The 506th regiment was initially formed during World War II at Camp Toccoa, Georgia in 1942 where it earned its nickname, "Currahees", after Currahee Mountain which is located in Toccoa training camp.

Paratroopers during training ran from Camp Toccoa up Currahee Mountain and back, memorialized in the HBO series, Band of Brothers, with the shout "three miles up, three miles down!". The Cherokee word, which translates to "Stand Alone", also became the unit's motto. Members of the unit also wear the spade (♠) symbol on the helmet outer and the Screaming Eagle patch (indicating membership of the 101st Airborne Division) on the left sleeve.

During World War II, the only commanding officer of the regiment was Colonel Robert F. Sink. As such, the 506th was sometimes referred to as the "Five-Oh-Sink". On 10 June 1943, the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment officially became part of the 101st Airborne Division, commanded by Major General William Lee, the "father of the U.S. Army Airborne".

506th PIR Helmet 1st Battalion NCO/Officer

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