From 1963 the 26th Aviation Battalion had been associated with the
26th Infantry Division. A company of the battalion was established in Florida as part of the
Florida Army National Guard. Changes to the regimental system in the late 1980s led to the superseding of the battalion by a regiment, itself part of the Aviation Brigade,
26th Infantry Division. The 126th's lineage includes that of the 122d Aviation Battalion due to consolidation. The battalion was originally organized and Federally recognized on 18 November 1946 in the
Rhode Island National Guard at
Providence as the Medical Detachment,
43d Division Artillery. It was ordered into active Federal service on 5 September 1950 at Providence during the
Korean War. With the division, the detachment was deployed to Germany to defend against a possible Soviet attack. To replace the detachment at home stations, a National Guard of the United States (NGUS) unit with the same designation was organized and Federally recognized on 2 December 1952. On 15 June 1954, the Medical Detachment was released from active Federal service and reverted to state control, and Federal recognition was withdrawn from the NGUS unit. On 1 April 1959, it was converted and redesignated as the 43d Aviation Company, still part of the 43d Division, and relocated to
Warwick. It was relieved from its assignment to the 43d Division on 18 March 1963, just before the division was inactivated on 1 May. The 3d Battalion is part of the
Massachusetts Army National Guard. Its Headquarters and Headquarters Company is located on
Camp Edwards, which is part of
Joint Base Cape Cod in
Bourne, Massachusetts. ==Current structure==