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185th Aviation Brigade (United States)
Encyclopedia
The 185th Aviation Brigade (Theater) is an aviation
brigade
of the United States Army
. It is a unit of the Mississippi Army National Guard
with units throughout the state of Mississippi
.
units in the northern part of the state and Hattiesburg. These aviation units were located at Grenada Airport 100 miles north of Jackson, Mississippi
, the state capitol. In January 1951, all army aviation units in Mississippi were ordered to active duty
and sent to Fort Jackson, South Carolina
. Six of the original ten aviators saw combat duty in the Korean War
. The Grenada facility was closed during this time leaving no active army aviation programs in Mississippi.
In early 1953, the Mississippi Aviation program was reorganized at Hawkins Field
in Jackson. Mississippi received its first helicopters, two Bell OH-13s, in 1954. By 1958, the program had expanded to include a total of 40 aviators.
The Mississippi Army Aviation program began operations as separate companies in 1959 and continued until 1968. During this time full time maintenance support facilities were opened in Tupelo
and Meridian
.
The state’s first battalion
sized aviation unit, the 131st Aviation Battalion, was formed on 15 February 1968. The 131st was in service until 1986 when it was restructured to become an aviation group. In 1987, the 131st Aviation Group was redesignated as the 185th Aviation Group.
In 1992, Company E, 185th Aviation in Meridian was redesignated Company G. This resulted in the company’s CH-54 Sky Cranes being replaced by twin-rotor CH-47 Chinook
medium lift helicopters. In 1994 the mission of Company C, 1–185th Aviation in Tupelo was changed to armed aerial assault using the OH-58D/I Kiowa Warrior. Company C was then redesignated Company H, 185th Aviation. During 1996 Companies C and D, 1–185th Aviation in Jackson replaced their aging UH-1Hs with the UH-60 Blackhawk.
On 1 October 1999, Company H was reformed as Company D, 1–159th Aviation based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina
. They are one of the first reserve component units in the nation to be part of an active component aviation battalion. The company is still located in Tupelo, Mississippi
.
Aviation assets under the 185th that are presently located in Mississippi are the 1–185th Aviation Battalion (flying the UH-60 Blackhawk) at Tupelo and Jackson; Company B, 1–111th Aviation (flying the CH-47 Chinook) at Meridian; Company C, 1–114th Aviation (RAID
) at Jackson; Troops D, E, and F, 1–104th Cavalry (AH-64 Apache
) in Tupelo, Mississippi
; and 2/185th Aviation Regiment (ATS) at Southaven, Mississippi
.
Headquarters, 185th Aviation Brigade was deployed to Iraq
and stationed at Balad, Iraq
for Operation Iraqi Freedom-II from November 2003 to December 2004. The 185th Served as the Aviation Brigade for the entire theatre and controlled all Aviation assets in the country of Iraq during their deployment. The 185th Group returned on 24 December 2004.
In September 2006 the 185th Aviation Group was redesignated to the 185th Aviation Brigade (Theater).
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
of the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. It is a unit of the Mississippi Army National Guard
Mississippi Army National Guard
The Mississippi Army National Guard is the Army National Guard component of the Mississippi National Guard. It was originally formed in 1798. It is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard...
with units throughout the state of Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
.
History
US Army Aviation units were first organized in Mississippi in 1948 to support artilleryArtillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
units in the northern part of the state and Hattiesburg. These aviation units were located at Grenada Airport 100 miles north of Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
, the state capitol. In January 1951, all army aviation units in Mississippi were ordered to active duty
Active duty
Active duty refers to a full-time occupation as part of a military force, as opposed to reserve duty.-Pakistan:The Pakistan Armed Forces are one of the largest active service forces in the world with almost 610,000 full time personnel due to the complex and volatile nature of Pakistan's...
and sent to Fort Jackson, South Carolina
Fort Jackson, South Carolina
Fort Jackson is a United States Army installation, which TRADOC operates on for Basic Combat Training , and is located in Columbia, South Carolina. This installation is named for Andrew Jackson, a United States Army General and 7th President of the United States.-Overview:Fort Jackson was created...
. Six of the original ten aviators saw combat duty in the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. The Grenada facility was closed during this time leaving no active army aviation programs in Mississippi.
In early 1953, the Mississippi Aviation program was reorganized at Hawkins Field
Hawkins Field
Hawkins Field is a baseball stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. It is the home field of the Vanderbilt Commodores college baseball team. The stadium opened in 2002 adjacent to Vanderbilt Stadium and Memorial Gymnasium and holds 3,700 people...
in Jackson. Mississippi received its first helicopters, two Bell OH-13s, in 1954. By 1958, the program had expanded to include a total of 40 aviators.
The Mississippi Army Aviation program began operations as separate companies in 1959 and continued until 1968. During this time full time maintenance support facilities were opened in Tupelo
Tupelo
The tupelo , black gum, or pepperidge tree, genus Nyssa , is a small genus of about 9 to 11 species of trees with alternate, simple leaves...
and Meridian
Meridian, Mississippi
Meridian is the county seat of Lauderdale County, Mississippi. It is the sixth largest city in the state and the principal city of the Meridian, Mississippi Micropolitan Statistical Area...
.
The state’s first battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
sized aviation unit, the 131st Aviation Battalion, was formed on 15 February 1968. The 131st was in service until 1986 when it was restructured to become an aviation group. In 1987, the 131st Aviation Group was redesignated as the 185th Aviation Group.
In 1992, Company E, 185th Aviation in Meridian was redesignated Company G. This resulted in the company’s CH-54 Sky Cranes being replaced by twin-rotor CH-47 Chinook
CH-47 Chinook
The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is an American twin-engine, tandem rotor heavy-lift helicopter. Its top speed of 170 knots is faster than contemporary utility and attack helicopters of the 1960s...
medium lift helicopters. In 1994 the mission of Company C, 1–185th Aviation in Tupelo was changed to armed aerial assault using the OH-58D/I Kiowa Warrior. Company C was then redesignated Company H, 185th Aviation. During 1996 Companies C and D, 1–185th Aviation in Jackson replaced their aging UH-1Hs with the UH-60 Blackhawk.
On 1 October 1999, Company H was reformed as Company D, 1–159th Aviation based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Fort Bragg is a major United States Army installation, in Cumberland and Hoke counties, North Carolina, U.S., mostly in Fayetteville but also partly in the town of Spring Lake. It was also a census-designated place in the 2010 census and had a population of 39,457. The fort is named for Confederate...
. They are one of the first reserve component units in the nation to be part of an active component aviation battalion. The company is still located in Tupelo, Mississippi
Tupelo, Mississippi
Tupelo is the largest city in and the county seat of Lee County, Mississippi, United States. It is the seventh largest city in the state of Mississippi, smaller than Meridian, and larger than Greenville. As of the 2000 United States Census, the city's population was 34,211...
.
Aviation assets under the 185th that are presently located in Mississippi are the 1–185th Aviation Battalion (flying the UH-60 Blackhawk) at Tupelo and Jackson; Company B, 1–111th Aviation (flying the CH-47 Chinook) at Meridian; Company C, 1–114th Aviation (RAID
RAID
RAID is a storage technology that combines multiple disk drive components into a logical unit...
) at Jackson; Troops D, E, and F, 1–104th Cavalry (AH-64 Apache
AH-64 Apache
The Boeing AH-64 Apache is a four-blade, twin-engine attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear arrangement, and a tandem cockpit for a two-man crew. The Apache was developed as Model 77 by Hughes Helicopters for the United States Army's Advanced Attack Helicopter program to replace the...
) in Tupelo, Mississippi
Tupelo, Mississippi
Tupelo is the largest city in and the county seat of Lee County, Mississippi, United States. It is the seventh largest city in the state of Mississippi, smaller than Meridian, and larger than Greenville. As of the 2000 United States Census, the city's population was 34,211...
; and 2/185th Aviation Regiment (ATS) at Southaven, Mississippi
Southaven, Mississippi
-Households And Families:As of the census of 2000, there were 28,977 people, 11,007 households, and 8,134 families residing in the city. The population density was 857.9 people per square mile...
.
Headquarters, 185th Aviation Brigade was deployed to Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and stationed at Balad, Iraq
Balad, Iraq
Balad is a city north of Baghdad in the Salah ad Din Governorate Iraq. It is located within the borders of the so-called Sunni Triangle; however, Balad is a primarily Shiite town of approximately 100,000...
for Operation Iraqi Freedom-II from November 2003 to December 2004. The 185th Served as the Aviation Brigade for the entire theatre and controlled all Aviation assets in the country of Iraq during their deployment. The 185th Group returned on 24 December 2004.
In September 2006 the 185th Aviation Group was redesignated to the 185th Aviation Brigade (Theater).