34th Aviation Brigade (United States)

The Combat Aviation Brigade, 34th Infantry Division is a unit of the Minnesota Army National Guard.

The annual training period of the Combat Aviation Brigade, 34th Infantry Division culminated with the Domestic Operations competition testing flight crew abilities at sling and water bucket operations July 21, 2010

The St. Paul-based 34th Combat Aviation Brigade is an Army National Guard unit that supports the 34th Infantry Division and the state of Minnesota by providing aviation capabilities - both UH-60 Black Hawk and CH-47 Chinook helicopters and the Beechcraft C-12 Huron fixed-wing aircraft - for federal and state missions.
The Minnesota-based subordinate units of the 34th CAB are the 2nd Battalion, 147th Assault Helicopter Battalion, the 834th Aviation Support Battalion, C Company, 1st General Support Aviation Battalion, 171st Aviation Regiment, B Company and C Company of the 2nd Battalion, 211th General Support Aviation Battalion, and F Company, 1-189 Aviation Regt., General Support Aviation Battalion.
Outside Minnesota, the 34th CAB provides training and operational guidance to the 1st Battalion, 112th Aviation Regiment of the N.D., the 1st Battalion, 189th Aviation of the Montana and Missouri National Guard and the 1st Battalion, 183rd Aviation Regiment of the Idaho National Guard.^[1]

Structure

While under state control, the brigade consists of the following aviation elements:

• Company A, 2nd Assault Helicopter Battalion, 147th Aviation Regiment^[2]
• 834th Aviation Support Battalion^[3]
• Company B, 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 211th Aviation Regiment^[4]
• Company C, 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 211th Aviation Regiment^[5]
• Company F, 1st General Support Aviation Battalion, 189th Aviation Regiment^[6]
• Company C, 1st General Support Aviation Battalion, 171st Aviation Regiment^[7]

The brigade also provides training and operational guidance for the following units:^[8]

• 1st Surveillance and Security Battalion, 112th Aviation Regiment (ND ARNG)
• 1st Attack Helicopter Battalion, 183rd Aviation Regiment (ID ARNG)
• 1st General Support Aviation Battalion Battalion, 189th Aviation Regiment (MT ARNG and MO ARNG)

History

• 2008-2009 More than 700 34th Combat Aviation Brigade soldiers deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.

• 2010 The Saint Cloud-based B, 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 211th Aviation Regiment, departed in November for a deployment in support of Operation New Dawn. Flying CH-47 Chinook cargo helicopters, the Company B mission is to provide aerial movement of troops, equipment and supplies for support of maneuver, combat and combat service support operations.

• 2013 In May, the 34th Combat Aviation Brigade provided CH-47 and UH-60 helicopters and personnel to local government agencies to fight and contain three wildfires in northwest Minnesota. In 2013, the 34th Combat Aviation Brigade welcomed home the St. Cloud-based Company C, 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 211th Aviation Regiment from a deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom where they conducted more than 650 medical evacuation missions and flew 1,700 accident-free flight hours. The company also received six new CH-47F Chinook helicopters and trained more than 30 personnel in their operation.

In June, the 34th CAB participated in a full-spectrum Warfighter Exercise with the 40th Infantry Division at Fort Leavenworth. During this exercise, the brigade staff was able to successfully integrate with different levels of command and adjacent units.

References

External links

• Global Security.Org entry on the Combat Aviation Brigade, 34th Infantry Division