16th Combat Aviation Brigade (United States)
| 16th Combat Aviation Brigade | |
|---|---|
|
Shoulder sleeve insignia | |
| Active | 16 October 2009 – present |
| Country | United States |
| Allegiance | United States Army |
| Type | Combat Aviation Brigade |
| Role | Aviation |
| Size | Brigade |
| Part of | I Corps |
| Garrison/HQ | Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) |
| Motto | Born in Battle |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Col. Paul Mele |
| Insignia | |
| Distinctive unit insignia |
 |
The 16th Combat Aviation Brigade is a Combat Aviation Brigade of the United States Army. It is subordinate to I Corps and based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM).
The 16th Combat Aviation Brigade currently consists of the following units:
- 16th Combat Aviation Brigade
- Headquarters and Headquarters Company
-
4th Squadron (Attack-Reconnaissance), 6th Cavalry Regiment, AH-64D Apache and RQ-7 Shadow -
6th Squadron (Reconnaissance), 17th Cavalry Regiment, OH-58D Kiowa Warrior (to convert to Attack-Reconnaissance Squadron) -
1st Battalion (Attack), 229th Aviation Regiment, AH-64D Apache -
2nd Battalion (Assault), 158th Aviation Regiment, UH-60 Black Hawk -
1st Battalion (General Support), 52nd Aviation Regiment, UH-60, CH-47 Chinook and UH-60A+ (MEDEVAC) -
46th Aviation Support Battalion
At all times either the 4-6th Cavalry or the 6-17th Cavalry is forward deployed to Camp Humphreys in South Korea to augment the Combat Aviation Brigade of the 2nd Infantry Division based there.
History
The unit was activated as 16th Aviation Group (Combat) on 23 January 1968 subordinate to United States Army Pacific at Marble Mountain in Da Nang, South Vietnam. At the time of activation the group consisted of the 14th Aviation Battalion (Combat) and the 212th Aviation Battalion (Combat Support ) with a total combat force 3,300 personnel. The Group was subordinated to I Corps and its 14th Aviation Battalion (Combat) provided aviation assault capabilities to the 101st Airborne Division and the United States Marine Corps. The 212th Aviation Battalion (Combat Support) provided aerial reconnaissance and surveillance. In the years after the war the group was disbanded.
In October 2005 Task Force 49 was formed at Fort Wainwright, Alaska. It oversaw 1st Battalion, 52d Aviation Regiment; 4th Battalion, 123d Aviation Regiment; 68th Medical Company (Air Ambulance); and Company C (Maintenance), 123d Aviation Regiment. In February 2006 Task Force 49 was formally established and the 4th Battalion, 123d Aviation Regiment was inactivated, while the 1st Battalion, 52d Aviation Regiment was reorganized into a general support aviation battalion. In June 2006 the 6th Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment was reflagged from 3d Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, flying OH-58D Kiowa Warrior light reconnaissance helicopters and relocated from Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii to Fort Wainwright.
On 16 October 2009 through the reflagging of the existing Aviation Task Force 49 as 16th Combat Aviation Brigade the brigade was activated at Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
On 31 March 2011, it was announced that the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade would be based at Joint Base Lewis McChord but still keep a substantial presence (1–52d Aviation) at Fort Wainwright.[1] It was also announced that the 4th Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment would join the brigade and that 1st Battalion, 229th Aviation would move from Fort Hood to JBLM. Joint Base Lewis-McChord held a flag ceremony on 1 August 2011 to signify the movement of the headquarters of the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade from Fort Wainwright, Alaska. This process would end around September 2014.