Task Force Mustang (United States)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

36th Combat Aviation Brigade
Active
Country	United States
Branch	Army National Guard
Type	Aviation Brigade
Size	2,700 soldiers
Part of	4th Infantry Division U.S. Army III Corps U.S. First Army
Garrison/HQ	Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Texas and LSA Anaconda, Iraq
Commanders
Current commander	Colonel Vernon A. Sevier Jr.

Task Force Mustang is the deployment unit name for the 36th Combat Aviation Brigade, 36th Infantry Division, Texas Army National Guard. The 36th 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 comprised regular army unit.

1 History
2 Brigade Formation
3 Aircraft
4 References and External links

[edit] History

Task Force Mustang has previously deployed to Bosnia and Kosovo, and to the United States Gulf Coast in support of disaster operations following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

[edit] Brigade Formation

During the brigade's deployment to Iraq it composed of over 2700 soldiers from 44 states. Approximately 2500 were from 16 state Army Guard units. The brigade was augmented by over 200 Individual Ready Reserve Army soldiers from 36 different states. The 36th CAB is the first National Guard Combat Air Brigade under the Army's reformatting plan.

[edit] Global War on Terror

Task Force Mustang shipped to Iraq in September 2006 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, following a few weeks of Boots on the ground training at Camp Buehring, Kuwait in August. They completed five months of flight and Theatre Immersion training at Fort Hood, Texas and Fort Sill, Oklahoma and were certified "Fit to Fight" by Lt. Gen. Russel L. Honoré, commanding general, First U.S. Army, on 30 July 2006.

In the first eight months in Iraq, 36th CAB units flew 51,000 combat flight hours while executing almost 7,300 combat missions. 36 CAB has hauled more than 230,000 passengers, moved more than 15 million pounds of cargo, conducted almost 60 large combat air assaults, provided outstanding Medevac support to save many Soldiers' lives, and supported ground troops with AH-64 Apaches every day.^[1]

[edit] Elements Which Deployed to Iraq

HHC 36th CAB - Headquarters and Headquarters Company

homebase: Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Austin, Texas.

2-135 th GSAB - Aviation Battalion (Commander, LTC Christopher Petty, Command Sergeant Major, CSM Douglas Imfeld)

homebase: Buckley Air Force Base, Aurora, Colorado

1-131 st Aviation Assault Battalion

homebase: Fort Rucker, Alabama

1-108 th Aviation Regiment

homebase: Topeka, Kansas

Unit became operational in Iraq on 1 November 2006 and was the last 36 CAB unit to do so for the current Iraq deployment.

1-149 th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion

homebase: Ellington Field, Houston, Texas

449 th Aviation Support Battalion {Commander, LTC Travis Richards, Command Sergeant Major, CSM Monroe Kelinske, Gunner, SPC Peter Taylor }

homebase: San Antonio, Texas

OSACOM Battalion (Operational Support Airlift Command) — a mix of units that came together in October 2006 and will wear the 36th CAB patch while serving in Iraq over the next year. OSACOM flies the C-23 Sherpa.

C Co. 1-111th AVN Air Ambulance (MEDEVAC)-Home stations are in Arkansas and Florida, unit attached to 2-135th GSAB in 2006 as an additional MEDEVAC Company in support of OIF.