U.S. 11th Aviation Group
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The 11th Aviation Regiment was a United States Army aviation formation comprised of around two attack helicopter battalions, service support units, and a headquarters. It used to be part of the V Corps and based in Germany. The unit was inactivated by casing its colours on June 9, 2005.
Although the unit is frequently referred to as the 11th Aviation Regiment, it is actually organized under the table of organisation and equipment (TOE) for an Aviation Group and its official designation is HHC, 11th Aviation Group.
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[edit] Antecedants
The 11th Aviation Regiment's history can be traced to the 11th Airborne Division which served in the Pacific Theater during World War II and in the Army of Occupation in Japan after the war. The regiment returned to the United States in May 1949 and established its headquarters at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The Angels moved to Germany in April 1958 and subsequently inactivated on 1 July 1959.
[edit] Initial Activation and Vietnam
The colors remained dormant until the requirement for air mobility (heliborne tactical movement) of infantry units was established by the Department of the Army in 1962. Secretary of the Army Cyrus R. Vance envisioned that the Army required its own organic aviation assets to meet immediate combat needs of infantry units. The XVII Airborne Corps began experimenting with this new concept by using borrowed helicopters. By the end of the year Secretary Vance decided to form a test division to further evaluate this new concept.
On 1 February 1963, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 11th Aviation Group, was activated as an element of the 11th Air Assault Division (Test). Under the leadership of Major General Charles W.G. Rich, the Test Director, and Brigadier General Harry Kinnard, the Division Commander, the group worked to formulate a unit that could move one-third of the division's infantry battalions and supporting units in one single helicopter lift.
These tests proved highly successful and on 1 July 1965 the unit was redesignated Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 11th Aviation Group and reassigned to the 1st Cavalry Division (Air Mobile). The division's name officially changed to the 1st Cavalry Division when it deployed to the Republic of Vietnam.
Constituted 1 February 1963 in the Regular Army as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 11th Air Assault Aviation Group, and assigned to the 11th Air Assault Division. Activated 5 February 1963 at Fort Benning, Georgia. Reorganized and redesignated 1 July 1965 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 11th Aviation Group; concurrently, relieved from assignment to the 11th Air Assault Division and assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division. Relieved 5 May 1971 from assignment to the 1st Cavalry Division. The mission of the 1st Cavalry in Vietnam was to "fight battles of movement, ranging swiftly to places where they are needed." Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara described the new 428 helicopter equipped 1st Cavalry Division as "an entirely new approach to the conduct of land battle which will result in the exploitation of the principle of surprise to an unprecedented degree."
As part of the 1st Cavalry, the 11th Aviation Group controlled the 227th, 228th and 229th Aviation Battalions whose helicopters were the lifeblood of the Army's first airmobile division.
From 1965 through 1968 the 11th Aviation Group saw combat in the I and II Corps areas of Vietnam. The Group was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for the Pleiku Campaign of 1965 and the Meritorious Unit Commendation for the period September 1965 to November 1966. In 1968, the Group moved to Phuc Vinh in III Corps and remained there until early 1971 where the Group was awarded the Valorous Unit Award for the period 6 May 1969 through 1 February 1970. In February 1971 the Group was assigned to the 1st Aviation Brigade and redeployed to Marble Mountain Army Airfield near Da Nang. In August 1972 the Group departed Marble Mountain Army Airfield and resettled at Da Nang Air Base.
[edit] Europe
The 11th Aviation Group left Vietnam in March 1973. Bound for Schwabisch Hall, Germany, the Group's mission was to support HQ USAREUR and the Seventh Army. In November 1979 the 11th Aviation Group became a major subordinate command of VII Corps.
The Group was reorganized and redesignated 16 October 1987 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 11th Aviation Brigade, and three months later the brigade fielded the first AH-64 Attack Helicopter unit in Europe, 2d Squadron, 6th Cavalry. This firmly established the brigade's role as a decisive combat element in the NATO alliance. In August 1988, the 11th Aviation Brigade moved to Storck Barracks in Illesheim.
Following the Operation Desert Storm, the Brigade was assigned to sector security in the former XVIII Airborne Corps area of responsibility. The front covered more than 200 kilometers. The 11th Aviation Brigade began redeployment to Germany on 22 April 1991. It was reorganized and redesignated 17 November 1993 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 11th Aviation Group.
[edit] Bosnia and Kosovo
In April of 1996, C Troop (+), 6th Squadron, 6th Cavalry deployed to Camp Hampton, Bosnia and Herzegovina in support of Operation Joint Endeavor and the First Brigade Combat Team of the First Armored Division. The deployment was critical to Implementation Force's success in establishing stability in the Multi-National Division (North) sector. In the summer of 1996, the 11th Aviation Regiment received a warning order to form and train an aviation task force for possible deployment to Bosnia-Herzegovina. The deployment was to be as a part of the Task Force Eagle Covering Force, overseeing the withdrawal of the 1st Armored Division. On 4 October 1996, the unit received its deployment orders, and within five days HHC, 11th Aviation Regiment; 2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry; 2nd Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment; A and B Companies 7th Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment; 147th Maintenance Support Team; C Company, 3-58th ATS; and the 45th Medevac began departing Germany enroute to Bosnia-Herzegovina in support of Operation Joint Endeavor.
Assembling at Comanche Base, the 700 soldiers of Task Force 11 transferred authority with their 1st Armored Division counterparts on 4 November 1996, and immediately provided critical support to MND (North), where tensions between the Former Warring Factions were high.
On December 20, the covering force completed its mission as a part of the Implementation Force and transitioned to operations as a part of the Stabilization Force.
On May 15, 1997, the 229th Aviation Regiment executed transfer of authority with Task Force 11 as the Multi-National Division (North) Aviation Brigade. After processing at the intermediate staging base in Taszar, Hungary, the last elements of Task Force 11 closed on their home stations on 25 May 1997.
In May 1998 11th Aviation Regiment deployed to Tuzla, Bosnia with HHC and 6th Squadron, 6th Cavalry as part of Operation JOINT GUARD/FORGE. From May to October the Task Force performed as the Strategic Reserve for SFOR and the 1AD led Multinational Division North ensuring the continued implementation of the Dayton Peace Accords. Following transfer of authority to elements of the 1st Cavalry Division, the Regiment redeployed to Illesheim, Germany.
Following notification in late March 1999, the Regiment was once again deployed on 8 April 1999 to Tirana, Albania in support of NATO Operation ALLIED FORCE in Kosovo. Over the next three months the Regiment remained postured for combat operations as the main effort for Task Force HAWK. TF Hawk deployed 2 Atk Sqdns of pilots, both AVUMs, 24 of their 48 AH-64s and a partial AVIM to Albania. The remaining aircraft and AVIM(-) were left in Germany, where the AVIM(-) took control of the 24 AH-64s and readied them for possible deployment. Early on TF Hawk determined that neither the 11th AHR, the 2 Sqdns and the CORPS DOCC had enough aviation staff officers to simultaneously plan, rehearse and execute the current mission and the upcoming missions.
Following the success of the air campaign, 6th Squadron, 6th Cavalry deployed forward to Camp Able Sentry, Macedonia and were the first members of the NATO alliance to enter Kosovo in the implementation of peace accords as part of Operation JOINT GUARDIAN. With the groundwork for peace and resettlement of refugees established, the Regiment once again redeployed to Illesheim with the final aircraft returning 4 August 1999.
The unit was inactivated on June 9, 2005.
[edit] Campaign Participation Credit, HQ 11th Aviation Group
- 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;
- Sanctuary Counteroffensive;
- Counteroffensive, Phase VII;
- Consolidation I;
- Consolidation II;
- Cease-Fire
- Southwest Asia:
- Defense of Saudi Arabia;
- Liberation and Defense of Kuwait;
- Cease-Fire
[edit] Decorations
- Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for PLEIKU PROVINCE
- Valorous Unit Award for FISH HOOK
- Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) for VIETNAM 1965-1966
- Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for VIETNAM 1965-1969
- Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for VIETNAM 1969-1970
- Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for VIETNAM 1970-1971
- Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm for VIETNAM 1971-1972
- Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal, First Class for VIETNAM 1969-1970
