Why "Nasty"

I selected the name Nasty to pay tribute to the unit I had the honor of commanding , the 618th Engineer Company (Light Equipment), also known as the "Nasty"!  The company was constituted and activated in 1943 at Camp Clairborne, Louisiana.  The company inactivated and activated off and on until 1952 when they were activated at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.  The 618th Engineers were now amongst the 18th Airborne Corp and 82nd Airborne Division.  At the time, none of the troops were airborne qualified.  Paratroopers typically referred to "non-Airborne" soldiers as "dirty, nasty, legs" for they had to march to the fight on foot versus dropping in from the sky.  Eventually all the troops of the 618th earned their jump wings and were able to drop their equipment from the air.  Even after becoming part of the elite airborne, they decided to hold on to the "Nasty" title and rally around it.  The Nasty went on to become one of the most versatile and dynamic companies in the Army, delivering engineers and their airfield repair equipment to the battlefield from above!

As a proud veteran and former commander of the 618th, I dedicated this to all the past, present, and future 618th engineers. I'm grateful to have served with the finest during OIF. 

 For my Nasty brothers and sisters.  Airborne, All the Way!

-CPT Sucic
Nasty 6