The
1st Battalion (Assault), 131st Aviation Regiment is a
U.S. Army helicopter battalion. The unit first deployed to Kuwait in 1998 in support of "Operation Desert Fox." After several rotations in Kuwait the unit then entered Kosovo in 2003 (KFOR-5A) in support of "Operation Enduring Freedom". It deployed to Iraq in September 2006 as a subordinate unit of
Task Force Mustang as part of
Operation Iraqi Freedom and also in June 2011 as a part of
Task Force Nomad in support of Operation New Dawn. The battalion currently flies UH-60 Blackhawk aircraft. It is home based at
Dannelly Field,
Alabama, and Mobile,
Alabama as part of the
Alabama Army National Guard 122d Troop Command. In 2006 the battalion was made up as follows: • HHC – Headquarters and Headquarters Company "Palehorse" • Company A – "Death's Angels" – UH-60 Blackhawk – Flight Company – Hope Hull, AL • Company B – "Mobile Mafia" – UH-60 Blackhawk - Flight Company – Mobile, AL • Company C – "Killdevils" – UH-60 Blackhawk - Flight Company, (
North Carolina Army National Guard). • Company D – "Ghostriders" – Aviation Maintenance Company – Hope Hull, AL • Company E – "Diamondbacks" - Forward Support Company - Hope Hull, AL After several months of
Theater Immersion Training at
Fort Hood, Texas and
Fort Sill,
Oklahoma, the composite battalion deploying to Iraq were certified "Fit to Fight" by Lt. Gen.
Russel L. Honoré, commanding general,
First U.S. Army, on 30 July 2006. The unit shipped to
Kuwait in late summer 2006, completed "
boots on the ground" training at
Camp Buehring, and entered Iraq in September as one of five battalions of
Task Force Mustang in support of
Operation Iraqi Freedom. The
battalion principally flew out of
Balad Air Base (AKA)
Camp Anaconda) and flew missions all over Iraq. As a unit of Task Force Mustang, the 1st Battalion 131st Aviation consisted primarily of Alabama Army National Guard personnel, but also includes Army aviation guard personnel from additional states including an entire company from
Arkansas. Whilst in Iraq their command chain included
Combat Aviation Brigade, 36th Infantry Division 4th Infantry DivisionIII Corps (United States). ==References==