12th Combat Aviation Brigade (United States)
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The 12th Combat Aviation Brigade is a
Combat Aviation Brigade A Combat aviation brigade (CAB) is a multi-functional brigade-sized unit in the United States Army that fields military helicopters, offering a combination of attack/reconnaissance helicopters (Boeing AH-64 Apache), medium-lift helicopters (Sikors ...
of the
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...
. It was first organized as the 12th Aviation Group at Fort Benning,
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
, on 18 June 1965.


Vietnam

The unit deployed to
Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
in August 1965 to command non-organic Army aviation units, and by November 1965, the group consisted of 11,000 personnel and 34 aviation units. Between 1965 and 1966 the group doubled in size and was used to form the 1st Aviation Brigade in March 1966. Among its units in Vietnam were the: *
11th Aviation Battalion The 11th Aviation Battalion was a United States Army aviation unit that fought in the Vietnam War. The unit served as a test for helicopter support of ground infantry units. History The unit was constituted on 21 August 1965 and activated on 23 ...
** HQ at Phu Loi sometime between 1 May 1966 and 30 April 1970 * 13th Aviation Battalion ** HQ at Can Tho sometime between 1 May 66 and 31 Jul 66 * 145th Aviation Battalion ** HQ at Bien Hoa sometime between 1 May 66 and 30 Apr 70 * 210th Aviation Battalion ** HQ at Long Thanh sometime between 15 January 1968 and 30 Apr 70 * 214th Aviation Battalion ** HQ at Bear Cat sometime between 1 Feb 67 and 30 Apr 68 * 222nd Aviation Battalion ** HQ at Vung Tau sometime between 1 May 66 and 30 Apr 68 ** HQ at Bear Cat sometime between 1 Feb 70 and 30 Apr 70 * 269th Aviation Battalion ** HQ at Cu Chi sometime between January 1966 and 30 Apr 70 * 308th Aviation Battalion ** HQ at Bien Hoa sometime between 20 December 1967 and 31 Jan 68 * Buffalo Combat Aviation Battalion (Provisional) sometime between 15 Jan 67 and 31 Jan 67 Assigned to the Military Region III in Vietnam, the 12th Group was the largest unit of its type to serve in combat. Its colors, emblazoned with 18 campaign streamers, give lasting testimony to its role. The unit earned the Meritorious Unit Commendation, two Vietnamese Crosses for Gallantry with Palm, and the Vietnamese Civic Action Medal, First Class while in Vietnam.


Cold War

Upon its return in March 1973, the 12th Aviation Group became a major subordinate command of the
XVIII Airborne Corps The XVIII Airborne Corps is a corps of the United States Army that has been in existence since 1942 and saw extensive service during World War II. The corps is designed for rapid deployment anywhere in the world and is referred to as "America ...
,
Fort Bragg, North Carolina Fort Bragg is a military installation of the United States Army in North Carolina, and is one of the largest military installations in the world by population, with around 54,000 military personnel. The military reservation is located within C ...
. In November 1979, the 12th Aviation Group deployed to
Lindsey Air Station The Europaviertel (European quarter) in Wiesbaden is a former barracks area named ''Gersdorff Kaserne'' at the edge of the city center of the Hessian state capital, approximately 2 kilometers southwest of the Marktkirche. Barracks (1868–1945) ...
,
Wiesbaden Wiesbaden () is a city in central western Germany and the capital of the state of Hesse. , it had 290,955 inhabitants, plus approximately 21,000 United States citizens (mostly associated with the United States Army). The Wiesbaden urban area ...
, Germany as a major subordinate command of the V Corps, providing
command and control Command and control (abbr. C2) is a "set of organizational and technical attributes and processes ... hatemploys human, physical, and information resources to solve problems and accomplish missions" to achieve the goals of an organization or en ...
of aviation units throughout the V Corps area of operation. In April 1984, Headquarters Company, 12th Aviation Group moved to
Wiesbaden Air Base Wiesbaden () is a city in central western Germany and the capital of the state of Hesse. , it had 290,955 inhabitants, plus approximately 21,000 United States citizens (mostly associated with the United States Army). The Wiesbaden urban area ...
. In October 1987, under army-wide restructuring, the 12th Aviation Group was re-designated as the 12th Aviation Brigade, along with its subordinate units: 5th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment; C Company, 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment; and B Company, 6th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment. In the latter part of 1988, the Brigade re-structured again when the 5th Squadron (AH 64),
6th Cavalry Regiment The 6th Cavalry ("Fighting Sixth'") is a regiment of the United States Army that began as a regiment of cavalry in the American Civil War. It currently is organized into aviation squadrons that are assigned to several different combat aviatio ...
arrived in Europe. During the Cold War years the 12th had a 12-man pathfinder platoon assigned to the group headquarters. The authorization for the pathfinder unit was deleted around the time the group was redesignated a brigade and the pathfinders departed as their tours ended. Their beret flash and parachute wing trimming can be seen on the Institute of Heraldry websit


Middle East

In August 1990, the Brigade deployed to Southwest Asia for Gulf War#Operation Desert Shield, Operations Desert Shield and
Desert Storm The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...
with 2–3 Aviation Regiment (Attack) attached. During Desert Storm the Brigade provided a highly mobile and lethal maneuver force to the multi-national forces in
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
. Initially attached to the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), the Brigade became a major subordinate command of XVIII Airborne Corps in January 1991. During the four-day coalition ground offensive, the Brigade flew nearly 400 flight hours, transporting 390 tons of cargo to forward deployed units and providing essential combat and combat support services for the ground offensive.


Post-Cold War

On 15 June 1992, the 5th Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment was de-activated as part of the downsizing of U.S. Army Europe (USAREUR). The 3rd Battalion, 58th Aviation Regiment (Air Traffic Services) joined the Brigade on 16 June 1992. Since the end of the Cold War, the Brigade has played a major role in America's peacekeeping operations. From 1991 until 1996, 12th Brigade ensured the safety of Kurdish citizens during
Operation Provide Comfort Operation Provide Comfort and Provide Comfort II were military operations initiated by the United States and other Coalition nations of the Persian Gulf War, starting in April 1991, to defend Kurdish refugees fleeing their homes in northern I ...
. The Brigade operated the
Beirut Air Bridge The Beirut Air Bridge (1984–1998) provided administrative and logistical support the United States embassy in Beirut, Lebanon. The Air Bridge provided the only safe mode of transportation for US diplomats between Larnaca International Airport, Lar ...
from 1993 until 1998, providing a logistical lifeline to the US Embassy in Beirut from Cyprus. The Brigade also deployed soldiers to Hungary and Bosnia in 1995 to enforce the peace during Operations Joint Endeavor and Joint Guard. In April 1999, the Brigade deployed to
Tirana Tirana ( , ; aln, Tirona) is the capital and largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest overlooking the Adriatic Sea ...
, Albania as part of
Task Force Hawk Task Force Hawk was a U.S. military unit constructed and deployed by General Wesley Clark to provide additional support to NATO's Operation Allied Force against the Yugoslavian government during the 1999 unrest in the Serbian province of Kosovo. ...
in support of
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
Operation Allied Force The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) carried out an aerial bombing campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The air strikes lasted from 24 March 1999 to 10 June 1999. The bombings continued until an a ...
. The Brigade Task Force consisted of 65 aircraft including
UH-60 Black Hawk The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is a four-blade, twin-engine, medium-lift utility military helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. Sikorsky submitted the S-70 design for the United States Army's Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System ( ...
s,
CH-47 Chinook The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is a tandem rotor helicopter developed by American rotorcraft company Vertol and manufactured by Boeing Vertol. The Chinook is a heavy-lift helicopter that is among the heaviest lifting Western helicopters. Its name, C ...
s,
AH-64 Apache The Boeing AH-64 Apache () is an American twin- turboshaft attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear arrangement and a tandem cockpit for a crew of two. It features a nose-mounted sensor suite for target acquisition and night v ...
s, and UH-60
MEDEVAC Medical evacuation, often shortened to medevac or medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to wounded being evacuated from a battlefield, to injured patients being evacuated from the scene of a ...
aircraft. When peace was declared in June 1999, the Brigade transported elements of the 82nd Airborne Division into Macedonia and
Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
, moving 390 personnel, 24 vehicles, and 13 pallets of equipment in less than 48 hours of the signing of the Military Technical Agreement. The Brigade flew in excess of 6,000 hours and conducted 22,185 aircraft movements in support of operations in Albania, Macedonia, and Kosovo, with CH-47 and Air Traffic Control elements supporting
Task Force Falcon Task Force Falcon has been the name of several United States Army Task forces. Kosovo Task Force Falcon, a brigade-sized task force, was created on 9 June 1999 under the command of Brigadier General Bantz John Craddock using selected elements ...
until March 2001 and June 2000, respectively. After returning from Task Force Hawk and Task Force Falcon, 12th Brigade prepared for re-structuring and re-stationing initiatives. USAREUR Movement Directive 5-00 directed all of the Aviation Brigade elements stationed at Wiesbaden Army Airfield to move to Giebelstadt Army Airfield. On 30 June 2000, 5th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment, the largest aviation battalion in theater consisting of 840 soldiers, split into two separate battalions, 3-158 Aviation Regiment and 5-158 Aviation Regiment. On 31 August 2000, all units from Wiesbaden closed on Giebelstadt Army Airfield.


War on Terror

In support of the Global War on Terror, the 12th Aviation Brigade conducted full spectrum combat operations during its year-long deployment to Operation Iraqi Freedom. The brigade flew thousands of hours, moved over 25,000 personnel, and controlled over 230,000 air movements. In February 2005 the 12th Aviation Brigade deployed to
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
in support Operation Enduring Freedom and to
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
in support of International Earthquake Humanitarian Relief Operations. While in support of Operation Enduring Freedom Task Force Griffin flew in excess of 52,000 hours, transported 105,000 personnel, and moved over 25 million pounds of cargo. On 7 August 2006, the units of Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division combined with units of both the 12th Aviation Brigade and the former 11th Aviation Group (inactivated 9 June 2005) and reflagged as the 12th Aviation Brigade (Combat), attached to the 1st Armored Division. On 20 March 2007 the 12th became a separate brigade under V Corps. Most recently, the 12th deployed to Iraq in the summer of 2007, organized as Task Force XII in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. TF XII served in Balad, Iraq as the Corps Aviation Brigade under Multi-National Corps-Iraq over a four-month period before relocating to Taji as the aviation brigade under Multi-National Division-Baghdad. 12 CAB’s 3rd Battalion deployed to Balad and Basarah, Iraq from July 2008 to August 2009 being the last unit in the Army to serve longer than 12 months in Combat. In May 2012, the CAB deployed five of its seven battalions to Afghanistan, while at the same time sending one attack battalion, 3-159th ARB, to Kuwait to support Operation Spartan Shield in the Persian Gulf. Only 1-214th remained in Germany. The aviation battalions were organized into similarly equipped task forces, each capable of providing the same mission and support to units operating in RC East, RC West and RC North. 3-58 AOB, known as TF Guardian, deployed to manage the airfield at Tarin Kowt in RC South. While the brigade headquarters redeployed in September as part of the drawdown of surge forces, the battalion task forces Storm, Gunslinger, Guardian, Ready and Pirate remained in Afghanistan providing direct support to units across the country. Task Force Pirate, 1/211 ARB from the Utah Army National Guard joined the Griffin Brigade for this deployment, providing seamless integration with their active duty counterparts in RC North and RC West. At the height of the deployment, 12th CAB had Soldiers and helicopter crews operating from more than 30 different locations.


Montenegro

In February 2012, a sudden winter storm struck Montenegro, leaving hundreds of people stranded in the mountains of the Eastern European country. While the bulk of the Brigade was preparing for an upcoming deployment, 1-214th GSAB sent two UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters, with pilots, aircrews and medical personnel to respond. The deployed team was under the command of COL Robert Levalley of the 361st Civil Affairs unit (Army Reserve), based in Kaiserslautern, Germany. While there, the crews worked with Montenegrin pilots and civilians and combined efforts with helicopters from Croatia, Slovenia and Greece to deliver food and livestock feed, as well as to transport injured civilians to medical facilities there.


Current Role

The brigade is currently based around
Ansbach Ansbach (; ; East Franconian: ''Anschba'') is a city in the German state of Bavaria. It is the capital of the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Ansbach is southwest of Nuremberg and north of Munich, on the river Fränkische Rezat, ...
, Bavaria, in Germany, and headquartered in
Katterbach Kaserne Katterbach Kaserne is a United States Army facility in Germany, located in the village of Katterbach, about 3 miles east-northeast of Ansbach (Bavaria); about 250 miles south-southwest of Berlin. Katterbach is part of the United States Army Garri ...
, with subordinate units at Katterbach Army Airfield, Grafenwoehr Army Airfield, and Wiesbaden Army Airfield. In March 2013, for the first time since 2007, the entire 12th CAB returned to Germany, where they continue to train and operate in support of EUCOM and AFRICOM contingency missions. The 12th CAB is currently reorganizing. The 12th Combat Aviation Brigade currently consists of the following units: * Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC)-Katterbach Army Airfield * 1st Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment (Attack Reconnaissance) **HHC/1-3rd Attack Reconnaissance Battalion "Cobras"-Katterbach Army Airfield **A/1-3rd Attack Reconnaissance Battalion "Assassins" (AH-64D)-Katterbach Army Airfield **B/1-3rd Attack Reconnaissance Battalion "Warlords" (AH-64D)-Katterbach Army Airfield **C/1-3rd Attack Reconnaissance Battalion "Outcasts" (AH-64D)-Katterbach Army Airfield **D/1-3rd Attack Reconnaissance Battalion "Death Dealers" (ASC)-Katterbach Army Airfield **E/1-3rd Attack Reconnaissance Battalion "Bulldogs" (FSC)-Katterbach Army Airfield * 1st Battalion,
214th Aviation Regiment 14 (fourteen) is a natural number following 13 and preceding 15. In relation to the word "four" ( 4), 14 is spelled "fourteen". In mathematics * 14 is a composite number. * 14 is a square pyramidal number. * 14 is a stella octangula number ...
(General Support/VIP Fixed Wing) **HHC/1-214th General Support Aviation Battalion "Dogfighters"-Wiesbaden Army Airfield **A/1-214th General Support Aviation Battalion "Aces" (UH-60M)-Wiesbaden Army Airfield **B/1-214th General Support Aviation Battalion "Big Windy" (CH-47F)-Katterbach Army Airfield **C/1-214th General Support Aviation Battalion "Dust Off" (HH-60M)-Grafenwoehr Army Airfield **D/1-214th General Support Aviation Battalion "Skymasters" (ASC)-Wiesbaden Army Airfield **D/1-214th General Support Aviation Battalion "Dead Rabbits" detachment- Katterbach Army Airfield. **E/1-214th General Support Aviation Battalion "Barons" (C-12, UC-35)-Wiesbaden Army Airfield An article in the ''Stars & Stripes'' on 1 March 2013 stated 1-214th Aviation would be reduced at Clay Kaserne, Wiesbaden, by 190 soldier spaces and at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center by 50 soldier spaces in 2016. Additionally, 3-158th Aviation would return to CONUS in 2015.


References


External links

{{Commons category
Official homepage of the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade
Military units and formations established in 1965 012 Ansbach