834th Aviation Support Battalion
Encyclopedia
The 834th Aviation Support Battalion (ASB) is a US Army National Guard battalion headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota
. It has units and elements in Minnesota
, Mississippi
, Oklahoma
and West Virginia
. The battalion has over 670 soldiers and is designed to support a Combat Aviation Brigade
(CAB). The 834th ASB is an organic part of the 34th Combat Aviation Brigade
(Expeditionary), which is a major unit within the 34th “Red Bull” Infantry
Division.
organization in the Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB). The ASB provides aviation and ground field maintenance, resupply, communications and medical support. The ASB has been designed to support the aviation brigade's forward support companies, aviation maintenance companies/troops and the brigade's headquarters company. In addition to the standard battalion staff, the ASB has an organic Combat Service Support Automation Management Office (CSSAMO) and a well-staffed Support Operations (SPO) section. The CSSAMO capability provides support to the entire brigade's automation. The SPO section is organized to coordinate logistical support and provide distribution management for the brigade.
, Kuwait to train and manage the port operations for the rest of the Task Force. After moving north into Iraq
, the 834th ASB replaced the 412th ASB on 7 September 2008 in Balad, Iraq
(LSA Anaconda/Joint Base Balad). Task Force 34 was the Corps Combat Aviation Brigade as part of Multi-National Corps - Iraq (MNC-I). The 834th ASB provided support not only to TF 34, but also became the supporting ASB for TF 49 (later replaced by TF 449) that was the Combat Aviation Brigade for Multi-National Division Center (MND-C). This arrangement required the battalion to have a Support Element based at the Baghdad International Airport
(BIAP). Later, with mission restructuring in the southern part of Iraq, the battalion sent additional assets, including C Company, 834th ASB to Tallil, Iraq (FOB Adder) to develop an aviation support infrastructure there. Eventually, the BIAP-based elements moved south to Tallil to support Multi-National Division-South. The 834th ASB completed its combat tour in Iraq in May 2009 and was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation on 8 May 2009.
on 6 March 2000. The crest consists of a shield blazoned” Per bend Gules and Buff, a bend dovetailed per bend counterchanged between an eagle swooping Or and a demi-column issuant from the base Argent. Attached below the shield a Black scroll inscribed “WINGED WARRIORS SUPPORT” in Gold. Buff and scarlet are the colors traditionally associated with Support organizations Gold Denotes high achievement and honor. Black suggests strength and consistency. The dovetail or interlocking joint, counterchanged in color, represents unity, teamwork and support. The eagle underscores the motto and represents the unit’s aviation support mission. The column represents a reliable base of support.
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
. It has units and elements in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, 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...
, 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...
and West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
. The battalion has over 670 soldiers and is designed to support a Combat Aviation Brigade
Combat Aviation Brigade
A Combat Aviation Brigade is a multi-functional brigade-sized unit in the United States Army that fields military helicopters, offering a combination of attack helicopters , reconnaissance helicopters , medium-lift helicopters , heavy-lift helicopters , and MEDEVAC capability.- History :Combat...
(CAB). The 834th ASB is an organic part of the 34th Combat Aviation 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...
(Expeditionary), which is a major unit within the 34th “Red Bull” Infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
Division.
Organization
Four Companies form the 834th Aviation Support Battalion.- Headquarters and Support Company (HSC) located in Saint Paul, MinnesotaSaint Paul, MinnesotaSaint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
. - Distribution Company (A Co) located in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
- Aviation Maintenance Company (B Co) located in Tulsa, OklahomaTulsa, OklahomaTulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
with detachments in Minnesota, MississippiMississippiMississippi 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...
and West VirginiaWest VirginiaWest Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
. - Signal Network Support Company (C Co) located in Hastings, MinnesotaHastings, MinnesotaHastings is a city in Dakota counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota, near the confluence of the Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers. The population was 22,172 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Dakota County. The bulk of Hastings is in Dakota County; only a small part of the city extends...
.
Principle functions
The ASB is the primary aviation logisticsLogistics
Logistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...
organization in the Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB). The ASB provides aviation and ground field maintenance, resupply, communications and medical support. The ASB has been designed to support the aviation brigade's forward support companies, aviation maintenance companies/troops and the brigade's headquarters company. In addition to the standard battalion staff, the ASB has an organic Combat Service Support Automation Management Office (CSSAMO) and a well-staffed Support Operations (SPO) section. The CSSAMO capability provides support to the entire brigade's automation. The SPO section is organized to coordinate logistical support and provide distribution management for the brigade.
History
The 834th Aviation Support Battalion (ASB) was organized on 1 September 2000 from new and existing units within the National Guard. The battalion performed extensive MN State Active Duty operations during the 2001 Red River Flood. It also provided the logistics support for the 1st Brigade Combat Team (1 BCT) of the 34th ID’s Mobilization Readiness Exercise at Fort Polk, Louisiana in 2005.Iraq campaign
On 3 June 2008, the 834th ASB was federalized for service as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom and was sent to Fort Sill, Oklahoma for training and mobilization. For the deployment, the Mississippi Detachment of B Company, 834th ASB was not activated. The battalion was also augmented with personnel from B Company, 248th ASB of the Iowa National Guard. The 834th ASB was part of Task Force 34 which was commanded by the 34th Combat Aviation Brigade (Expeditionary). By August 2008, the battalion arrived at Camp BuehringCamp 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...
, Kuwait to train and manage the port operations for the rest of the Task Force. After moving north into 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....
, the 834th ASB replaced the 412th ASB on 7 September 2008 in 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...
(LSA Anaconda/Joint Base Balad). Task Force 34 was the Corps Combat Aviation Brigade as part of Multi-National Corps - Iraq (MNC-I). The 834th ASB provided support not only to TF 34, but also became the supporting ASB for TF 49 (later replaced by TF 449) that was the Combat Aviation Brigade for Multi-National Division Center (MND-C). This arrangement required the battalion to have a Support Element based at the Baghdad International Airport
Baghdad International Airport
Baghdad International Airport, originally Saddam International Airport, , BIAP is Iraq's largest airport, located in a suburb about west of downtown Baghdad in the Baghdad Governorate...
(BIAP). Later, with mission restructuring in the southern part of Iraq, the battalion sent additional assets, including C Company, 834th ASB to Tallil, Iraq (FOB Adder) to develop an aviation support infrastructure there. Eventually, the BIAP-based elements moved south to Tallil to support Multi-National Division-South. The 834th ASB completed its combat tour in Iraq in May 2009 and was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation on 8 May 2009.
Insignia
The official unit insignia was approved by the Military Institute of HeraldryUnited States Army Institute of Heraldry
The United States Army Institute of Heraldry furnishes heraldic services to the Armed Forces and other United States government organizations, including the Executive Office of the President...
on 6 March 2000. The crest consists of a shield blazoned” Per bend Gules and Buff, a bend dovetailed per bend counterchanged between an eagle swooping Or and a demi-column issuant from the base Argent. Attached below the shield a Black scroll inscribed “WINGED WARRIORS SUPPORT” in Gold. Buff and scarlet are the colors traditionally associated with Support organizations Gold Denotes high achievement and honor. Black suggests strength and consistency. The dovetail or interlocking joint, counterchanged in color, represents unity, teamwork and support. The eagle underscores the motto and represents the unit’s aviation support mission. The column represents a reliable base of support.