2d Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment
Encyclopedia
The 2nd Battalion 135th Aviation Regiment is an Army helicopter
battalion
which deployed to Iraq in September 2006 through August 2007 as part of Task Force Mustang
, Operation Iraqi Freedom. The battalion flies the UH-60 Black Hawk, CH-47 Chinook
and the OH-58 Kiowa. They are home based out of Buckley AFB
, Colorado
, as part of the Colorado Army National Guard
Aviation Command.
(see Ext Refs below for much more history)
, Oklahoma
. They 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 August 2006, completed a couple of weeks of "boots on the ground" training at Camp Buehring
, and entered Iraq in the first half of September as one of five battalions of Task Force Mustang
in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The battalion
principally flies out of Balad Air Base
(aka Camp Anaconda) and is flying missions all over Iraq. The total deployment for the 2/135th is expected to last approximately 18 months.
The battalion became fully engaged in the OIF mission on 17 Sep 2006, crosstraining with the previous unit, and had an official transfer of responsibility from the 7–101st
on 24 Sep 2006. Soldiers wear the shoulder sleeve patch of the U.S. 36th Infantry Division
while in Iraq.
The Iraq formation of the 2/135th (as a unit of Task Force Mustang) consisted of approximately 550 soldiers and was approximately 60% made up of Colorado Army National Guard personnel. It also included Army aviation guard personnel from three additional primary states, Minnesota
, Nebraska
, Utah
with smaller contingents from Arkansas
, Wyoming
, Missouri
and Florida
.
The Iraq mission involved operations over a large expanse of the country of Iraq. The unit distinguished itself as one of the premier air assault units in the US Army, conducting 111 major, multinight air assault operations—inserting over 15,500 troops into enemy landing zones across the Iraq theater in the span of only a year. "The Blackjacks" earned the Army Aviation Association of America's top national guard aviation unit in '07 for this effort.
Company A of the 2/135th from the Colorado ARNG
was deployed to Iraq for one year, from the fall of 2005 to October 2006. This company is the normally organic Company A located with the battalion in Colorado. This company was selected to deploy with the 7th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment as the first Guard aviation unit to deploy from Colorado. They served with distinction along with their active duty brothers in arms. They also informally served as a year-long advanced party for the battalion until they took over the mission of 7/101st in September 2006.
A Company 2/135th during the Iraq deployment is (attached) Company A of the 2/211th from the Utah ARNG
(home base West Jordan, Utah
) serving, in Iraq as part of the beefed up 2/135th. They replaced Colorado's Co A after cross-training and handoff in September 2006.
B, C, D, E and HHC Companies of the 2/135th of the Colorado Army National Guard
are all currently deployed to Iraq.
B Company 2/135th (Colorado) is augmented by Company B of the 2/211th GSAB
, Minnesota ARNG
from Holman Field, St Paul, Minnesota.
C Company 2/135th (Nebraska) is augmented by a detail from the Colorado ARNG
.
All six companies were augmented for the Iraq deployment by additional ARNG
personnel from other states as well as a few Individual Ready Reserve
soldiers from across the United States. Battalion has approximately 550 personnel in Iraq fully augmented, whereas the more normal staffing in the Colorado guard is 300. The total distribution of personnel at the Brigade level is available on the 36th CAB state personnel contributions page.
C-Co 1–111th of the Florida National Guard, and Det 1 C-Co 1–111th of the Arkansas National Guard are commanded by LTC Michael J. Rung, and were attached the 2-135 GSAB for additional Medevac support during the current OIF 06-07 rotation.
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
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...
which deployed to Iraq in September 2006 through August 2007 as part of Task Force Mustang
Task Force Mustang
Task Force Mustang is the deployment unit name for the Combat Aviation Brigade, 36th Infantry Division, Texas Army National Guard. The CAB completed a tour of duty in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in the fall of 2007 when it was relieved by the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, a similarly...
, Operation Iraqi Freedom. The battalion flies the UH-60 Black Hawk, 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...
and the OH-58 Kiowa. They are home based out of Buckley AFB
Buckley Air Force Base
Buckley Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in Aurora, Colorado, that was established by the U.S. Army in 1943. The base was named in honor of the World War I Army pilot 1LT John Harold Buckley.-Overview:...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, as part of the Colorado Army National Guard
Colorado Army National Guard
The Colorado Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army's available combat forces and approximately one third of its support organization...
Aviation Command.
Current Units
The current units of the 2–135th are:- HHC – "Headhunters" – Headquarters and Headquarters Company
- A Company – "Wolfpack" – Blackhawks
- B Company – "Mile High Hookers" – Chinooks
- C Company – "Dirty Dustoff" – Blackhawk MedEvacMEDEVACMedical evacuation, often termed Medevac or Medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to the wounded being evacuated from the battlefield or to injured patients being evacuated from the scene of an accident to receiving medical facilities using...
- D Company – "Dagger" – Aviation Maintenance
- E Company – "Marauder" – Ground Maintenance, Aviation/Ground Fueling, Food Services
- 131st AVIM - "Helmsmen" - Aviation Intermediate Maintenance
Pre-GWOT
The 2/135th first became a part of the Colorado Army National Guard in the mid-1970s. The original unit, a single company, was made a part of the 40th Infantry Division's aviation brigade, predominantly located in California.(see Ext Refs below for much more history)
Global War on Terror
The 2/135th deployed on 19 March 2006 for five months of Theatre Immersion training at Fort Hood, Texas and Fort SillFort Sill
Fort Sill is a United States Army post near Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.Today, Fort Sill remains the only active Army installation of all the forts on the South Plains built during the Indian Wars...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. They were certified "Fit to Fight" by Lt. Gen. Russel L. Honoré
Russel L. Honoré
Russel L. Honoré is a retired Lieutenant General who served as the 33rd commanding general of the U.S. First Army at Fort Gillem, Georgia. He is best known for serving as commander of Joint Task Force Katrina responsible for coordinating military relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina-affected areas...
, commanding general, First U.S. Army, on 30 July 2006.
The unit shipped to Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
in August 2006, completed a couple of weeks of "boots on the ground" training at Camp Buehring
Camp Buehring
Camp Buehring is a staging post for US troops in the northwestern region of Kuwait. The base is used for military troops heading north into Iraq as well as the primary location for the Middle Eastern Theater Reserve...
, and entered Iraq in the first half of September as one of five battalions of Task Force Mustang
Task Force Mustang
Task Force Mustang is the deployment unit name for the Combat Aviation Brigade, 36th Infantry Division, Texas Army National Guard. The CAB completed a tour of duty in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in the fall of 2007 when it was relieved by the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, a similarly...
in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The 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...
principally flies out of Balad Air Base
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...
(aka Camp Anaconda) and is flying missions all over Iraq. The total deployment for the 2/135th is expected to last approximately 18 months.
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
on 24 Sep 2006. Soldiers wear the shoulder sleeve patch of the U.S. 36th Infantry Division
U.S. 36th Infantry Division
-Pre 2 October 1941 Square Organization:*HHC, 36th Infantry Division, TXARNG**36th Military Police Platoon**36th Signal Company**111th Ordnance Company**111th Engineer Regiment , TXARNG**111th Medical Regiment**111th Quartermaster Regiment...
while in Iraq.
The Iraq formation of the 2/135th (as a unit of Task Force Mustang) consisted of approximately 550 soldiers and was approximately 60% made up of Colorado Army National Guard personnel. It also included Army aviation guard personnel from three additional primary states, Minnesota
Minnesota Army National Guard
The Minnesota Army National Guard, along with the Minnesota Air National Guard, is an element of the Minnesota National Guard. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and state missions. In fact, the National Guard is the only United States...
, Nebraska
Nebraska Army National Guard
The Nebraska Army National Guard is a group of Army National Guard units in the U.S. state of Nebraska. The Adjutant General for these units is Brigadier General Judd H. Lyons, and Assistant Adjutant General of Land Operations is Brigadier General Roma J. Amundson. The Chief of Staff is Colonel...
, Utah
Utah Army National Guard
The Utah National Guard comprises both Army and Air National Guard components. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and state missions...
with smaller contingents from Arkansas
Arkansas Army National Guard
The Arkansas Army National Guard is a component of the Arkansas National Guard and the United States National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army's available combat forces and approximately one third of its support organization...
, Wyoming
Wyoming Army National Guard
The Wyoming Army National Guard is the Army National Guard of Wyoming. It includes army aviation, construction engineers, field artillery and medical asset units. It was reorganized in 1996, consolidating its two field artillery battalions into a single battalion...
, Missouri
Missouri Army National Guard
The Missouri Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army's available combat forces and approximately one third of its support organization...
and Florida
Florida Army National Guard
The Florida Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army's available combat forces and approximately one third of its support organization...
.
The Iraq mission involved operations over a large expanse of the country of Iraq. The unit distinguished itself as one of the premier air assault units in the US Army, conducting 111 major, multinight air assault operations—inserting over 15,500 troops into enemy landing zones across the Iraq theater in the span of only a year. "The Blackjacks" earned the Army Aviation Association of America's top national guard aviation unit in '07 for this effort.
2006–2007 Iraq Formation Units
- HHC – "Headhunters" – Headquarters and Headquarters Company
- A Company – "Rumrunner" – Blackhawks
- B Company – "Bootleggers" – Chinooks (Mile Hi Hookers)
- C Company – "Cutter" – Blackhawk MedEvacMEDEVACMedical evacuation, often termed Medevac or Medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to the wounded being evacuated from the battlefield or to injured patients being evacuated from the scene of an accident to receiving medical facilities using...
, including attached units- C Co 1–111th – "Painkillers" – Blackhawks
- Det 1 C-Co 1–111th – "Razorback Medevac"
- D Company – "Dagger" – Aviation Maintenance
- E Company – "Marauder" – Ground Maintenance, Aviation/Ground Fueling, Food Services
Company A of the 2/135th from the Colorado ARNG
Colorado Army National Guard
The Colorado Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army's available combat forces and approximately one third of its support organization...
was deployed to Iraq for one year, from the fall of 2005 to October 2006. This company is the normally organic Company A located with the battalion in Colorado. This company was selected to deploy with the 7th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment as the first Guard aviation unit to deploy from Colorado. They served with distinction along with their active duty brothers in arms. They also informally served as a year-long advanced party for the battalion until they took over the mission of 7/101st in September 2006.
2005–2006 Iraq Formation Unit
- A Company – "Wolfman/Wolfpack" – Blackhawks
A Company 2/135th during the Iraq deployment is (attached) Company A of the 2/211th from the Utah ARNG
Utah Army National Guard
The Utah National Guard comprises both Army and Air National Guard components. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and state missions...
(home base West Jordan, Utah
West Jordan, Utah
West Jordan is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. West Jordan is a rapidly growing suburb of Salt Lake City and has a mixed economy. According to the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 103,712, placing it as the fourth most populated in the state. The city occupies the...
) serving, in Iraq as part of the beefed up 2/135th. They replaced Colorado's Co A after cross-training and handoff in September 2006.
B, C, D, E and HHC Companies of the 2/135th of the Colorado Army National Guard
Colorado Army National Guard
The Colorado Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army's available combat forces and approximately one third of its support organization...
are all currently deployed to Iraq.
B Company 2/135th (Colorado) is augmented by Company B of the 2/211th GSAB
Minnesota national guard units
This is a list of Minnesota National Guard Units.-Joint Force Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment:*Army Aviation Support Facility, St. Paul*Army Aviation Support Facility, St...
, Minnesota ARNG
Minnesota Army National Guard
The Minnesota Army National Guard, along with the Minnesota Air National Guard, is an element of the Minnesota National Guard. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and state missions. In fact, the National Guard is the only United States...
from Holman Field, St Paul, Minnesota.
C Company 2/135th (Nebraska) is augmented by a detail from the Colorado ARNG
Colorado Army National Guard
The Colorado Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army's available combat forces and approximately one third of its support organization...
.
All six companies were augmented for the Iraq deployment by additional ARNG
Army National Guard
Established under Title 10 and Title 32 of the U.S. Code, the Army National Guard is part of the National Guard and is divided up into subordinate units stationed in each of the 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia operating under their respective governors...
personnel from other states as well as a few Individual Ready Reserve
Individual Ready Reserve
The Individual Ready Reserve is a category of the Ready Reserve of the Reserve Component of the Armed Forces of the United States composed of former active duty or reserve military personnel, and is authorized under...
soldiers from across the United States. Battalion has approximately 550 personnel in Iraq fully augmented, whereas the more normal staffing in the Colorado guard is 300. The total distribution of personnel at the Brigade level is available on the 36th CAB state personnel contributions page.
C-Co 1–111th of the Florida National Guard, and Det 1 C-Co 1–111th of the Arkansas National Guard are commanded by LTC Michael J. Rung, and were attached the 2-135 GSAB for additional Medevac support during the current OIF 06-07 rotation.
External links
- A brief history of the 2/135th
- Colorado Army National Guard Aviation Command
- Colorado Army National Guard Aviation Command home page
- 2/135th Deployment Ceremony newscast – 19 March 2006
- 36th Combat Aviation Brigade current composition and 2006 deployment plans.
- B Co 2–135th GSAB Nebraska Army National Guard