2d Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment (United States)

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 2nd Battalion 135th Aviation Regiment


caption= 2/135th Aviation Battalion Insignia
dates= 1974 - present
country= United States
allegiance=
branch= Army National Guard
type= Aviation Battalion
role=
size= 300
command_structure= Colorado Army National Guard
current_commander= Lt. Col. Christopher Petty
command sergeant major= CSM Douglas Imfield
garrison= Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname= Blackjacks
patron=
motto= Mission First
colors= Black and gold
identification_symbol= Skull with crossed swords
march=
mascot=
battles=
notable_commanders=
anniversaries=
decorations=
battle_honors=

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 UH-1H Huey. They are home based out of Buckley AFB, Colorado, as part of the Colorado Army National Guard Aviation Command.

Current Units

The current units of the 2-135th in Colorado are:
* HHC - "Headhunters" - Headquarters and Headquarters Company
* A Company - "Rumrunner" - Blackhawks
* B Company - "Bootlegger" - Chinooks
* C Company - "Cutter" - Blackhawk MedEvac
* D Company - "Dagger" - Aviation Maintenance
* E Company - "Marauder" - Ground Maintenance, Aviation/Ground Fueling, Food Services

History

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.

Expand-section|date=June 2008 (see Ext Refs below for much more history)

Global War on Terror

The 2/135th deployed on March 19, 2006 for five months of Theatre Immersion training at Fort Hood, Texas and Fort Sill, 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 op tempo as of May 2007 positions "The Blackjacks" to be on pace to become the army aviation unit with the highest number of Air Assault missions conducted in a one year period in the history of the US ArmyFact|date=May 2007.

2006-2007 Iraq Formation Units

* HHC - "Headhunters" - Headquarters and Headquarters Company
* A Company - "Rumrunner" - Blackhawks
* B Company - "Bootlegger" - Chinooks
* C Company - "Cutter" - Blackhawk MedEvac, 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 was deployed to Iraq for one year, from the fall of 2005 to 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.

External links

* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/2-135avn.htm A brief history of the 2/135th]
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/89tc-avn-cmd.htm Colorado Army National Guard Aviation Command]
* [http://www.coloradoguard.army.mil/webpages/aviation_home.htm Colorado Army National Guard Aviation Command home page]
* [http://cbs4denver.com/video/?id=[e-mail] 2/135th Deployment Ceremony newscast] -- March 19, 2006
* [http://www.agd.state.tx.us/pao/archives/2006/Cobat%20aviation%20deploy.htm 36th Combat Aviation Brigade current composition and 2006 deployment plans.]
* [http://www.muleskinners.net B Co 2-135th GSAB Nebraska Army National Guard

ee also

*List of United States Army aircraft battalions