Constituted 15 February 1957 in the Regular Army as the 1st Aviation Company, assigned to the 1st Infantry Division, and activated at Fort Riley, Kansas

Reorganized and redesignated 2 January 1964 as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 1st Aviation Battalion (organic elements constituted 23 October 1963 and activated 2 January 1964)

Inactivated 15 April 1970 at Fort Riley, Kansas

Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 1st Aviation Battalion, redesignated 21 April 1972 as Aviation Company, 1st Infantry Division, and activated at Fort Riley, Kansas

Reorganized and redesignated 2 September 1981 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Aviation Battalion (organic elements concurrently activated)

Relieved 16 November 1987 from assignment to the 1st Infantry Division; Headquarters concurrently reorganized and redesignated as the 1st Aviation, a parent regiment under the United States Army Regimental System. Company "A" was activated and redesigned, 1st Battalion 1st Aviation Regiment as an reorganized and completed its AH-64 (APACHE) unit training plan fielding on 23 April 1990.
Company "B" was activated and redesigned, 2nd Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment, 1st Armored Divison, (Document), as an AH-1 Cobra Attack Helicopter Battalion.

July of 1989, when 2nd Bn 1st Avn Regt was inactivated. Reactivated at Fort Hood on 17 November 1989 as an AH-64 Attack Helicopter Battalion, it deployed to Katterbach, Germany as part of the 1st Armored Division in 1990.

In December 1990, the 2nd Bn 1st Avn Regt was deployed to Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Desert Storm, OPCON to the Second Armored Cavalry Regiment.

On 8 November 1991, the 1st Bn, 1st Avn Regt, as part of the 1st Infantry Division, was alerted and deployed to Saudi Arabia.

On 24 February 1991, the 1st Bn, 1st Avn Regt helped the 1st Infantry Division spearhead the VII Corps attack into Iraq.

On 15 June 1991, 2nd Bn., 1st Avn. Regt. was reassigned to the 3rd Infantry Division, where it remained until deactivation on 15 May 1995.

Upon return to Fort Riley, Kansas, 1st Bn., 1st Avn Regt., the unit continued training until it was inactivated 15 September 1995.

On 16 February 1996, the 1st Bn., 1st Avn Regt., was reactivated and restationed to Katterbach, Germany, serving under the 4th Brigade (AVN)of the 1st Infantry Division.

2nd Bn., 1st Avn. Regt., was reactivated as the Fighting Eagle Battalion, a UH-60 Blackhawk unit and provides vital support to the 1st Infantry Division in conducting air assault, air movement, and general aviation support missions.

On 24 December 1996, the 1st Bn., 1st Avn. Regt., was alerted and deployed to the former Republic of Yugoslavia to conduct operations as part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organizations (NATO) Stabilization Force (SFOR) Operational Reserve.

On 31 October 1997, the 1st Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment returned to Katterbach, Germany, where the unit provides invaluable reconnaissance and lethal attack helicopter fires for the soldiers of the Big Red One.

June of 1999 the 1st Infantry Division led the first US peacekeeping force into the Serbian province of Kosovo in, 1st Bn, 1st Avn., Company A (Taz Devils) was selected as the attack helicopter company to support the initial force, KFOR1A. Following the company's successful tour in Kosovo, December 1999, the Battalion took the lead as the headquarters for the multi-national aviation task force in support of rotation KFOR1B, based at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo. The Battalion Headquarters & Headquarters Company (Hammers), Company B (Wolfpack), and Company D (Dawg Pound) were the nucleus of this unit. The seven-month long deployment was a complete success, and the battalion returned home to Katterbach on June 19th, 2000.

2 Aug 1999 2nd Bn., 1st Avn. from Katterbach, Germany, relieved Task Force 12 Aviation for the battalion's first KFOR rotation.

April of 2002 the battalion participated in their second Kosovo rotation KFOR 4A as the Aviation Task Force for Multinational Brigade East MNB(E). November of 2002 the battalion returned home to Katterbach Germany and B company of 2-1 Aviation deployed to Kosovo to be part of Task Force Dragon for the KFOR 4B Kosovo rotation.

Vietnam

Defense
Counteroffensive
Counteroffensive, Phase II
Counteroffensive, Phase III
Tet Counteroffensive
Counteroffensive, Phase IV
Counteroffensive, Phase V
Counteroffensive, Phase VI
Tet 69/Counteroffensive
Summer-Fall 1969
Winter-Spring 1970

Southwest Asia

Defense of Saudi Arabia
Liberation and Defense of Kuwait
Cease-Fire

Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1965-1968
Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal, First Class, Streamer embroidered VIETNAM 1965-1970

Statement of service for the 1st Aviation, a parent regiment
under the U.S. Army Regimental System that perpetuates the lineage of the
1st Aviation Battalion. The best source of detailed information concerning
the activities of the 1st Aviation Battalion in Vietnam is the official
operational records created by the battalion itself and its higher
hedquarters. These records are in the custody of the National Archives and
Records Administration, Modern Military Records, 8601 Adelphi Road, College
Park, Maryland 20740-6001, (301) 713-7250. Currently the 1st and 2d
Battalions, 1st Aviation are active in Germany. These battalions perpetuate
the lineage of Companies A & B, 1st Aviation Battalion.

Ned Bedessem
U.S. Army Center of Military History
via e-mail message dated 3/30/00 0800hrs
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