The brigade HHC was constituted on 1 April 1988 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, and activated at Fort Drum, New York. As per an article by the
order of battle analyst Andy Johnson, the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade was a part of the
NATO and
Warsaw Pact orders of battle. The brigade is listed as having the following composite units:
3rd Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, and the C and D companies of the
25th Aviation Regiment. The brigade has played a key role in all Division missions, including support for
Hurricane Andrew relief in south Florida, in Somalia,
Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti,
SFOR and
KFOR missions in Bosnia and Kosovo and most recently
Operation Enduring Freedom and
Operation Iraqi Freedom. Task Force Raven, built around 2nd Battalion,
25th Aviation Regiment, was a task organized aviation unit with a total of 52 attack, scout, lift, and medical evacuation aircraft. They flew over 6000 missions over the streets of Mogadishu. Twelve AH-1 Cobras made up the attack helicopter force. The lessons learned by this aviation task force are particularly useful for the rest of the conventional aviation units in the U.S. Army. Fortunately, LTC R. Lee Gore, commander of Task Force Raven ordered a detailed after action review upon the unit's return." During the
Battle of Mogadishu on 3–4 October 1993, UH-1V and MH-60s moved casualties from the airfield to the
46th Combat Support Hospital at the U.S. Embassy compound. On 19 September 1994, the 1st Brigade conducted the Army’s first
air assault from an
aircraft carrier. This force consisted of 54 helicopters and almost 2,000 soldiers. They occupied the
Port-au-Prince International Airport. This was the largest Army air operation conducted from a carrier since the
Doolittle Raid in World War II.
Afghanistan Deployments helicopters of the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade are loaded into a ship in preparation for a 2008 deployment to Iraq. In 2003 and into 2004, the brigade deployed for the first time to
Afghanistan as part of
Operation Enduring Freedom. As the only aviation brigade in the theater, the brigade provided air support for all U.S. Army units operating in the country. The brigade's mission at that time focused on
close air support,
medevac missions, and other duties involving combat with
Taliban and
Al-Qaeda forces in the country. The brigade returned to Fort Drum in 2004. In winter 2006 the brigade was deployed again to Afghanistan to support Operation Enduring Freedom as the only aviation brigade in the theater, stationed at
Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan. Named "
Task Force Falcon," the brigade's mission was to conduct aviation operations to destroy insurgents and anti-coalition militia in an effort to help build the
Afghan National Security Force's capability and allow the Afghan government to increase its capabilities. In addition, the Task Force provided logistical and aviation support for
ISAF forces throughout the country, conducted tactical maneuvers and performed security and attack operations when needed. . Prior to the modular force structure reorganization, the 10th Aviation Brigade consisted of a Headquarters Company, 10th Aviation Brigade;
3rd Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Battalion,
10th Aviation Regiment (United States) (formerly
2nd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment), 2nd Battalion (Assault),
10th Aviation Regiment (formerly 3rd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment); 3rd Battalion, 10th Aviation (General Support), and C Company (Aviation Intermediate Maintenance), 10th Aviation Regiment. The 6th Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment of the brigade returned to the United States in June 2016 after a nine month long deployment in South Korea as part of
US Forces Korea, in its role to augment the
2nd Combat Aviation Brigade. A Black Hawk helicopter of the brigade struck the air traffic control tower at
Griffiss International Airport after landing there on 16 June 2018. One member of its crew had a minor injury as a result. The brigade conducted flight operations and training as part of Exercise Falcon Peak in Griffiss Airport in August 2021. The brigade conducted air assault exercises at Fort Drum and Griffiss Airport from 31st May to 1st June 2023. In May 2024, the brigade replaced the
82nd Combat Aviation Brigade in the
United States Central Command (CENTCOM) as part of its operational deployment. ==Honors==