The 135th Aviation Regiment is an Aviation Branch regiment of the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

, first formed in August 1985. The regiment was constituted in August 1985 with the activation of the 35th Infantry Division as an Attack Battalion flying AH-1S Cobra's. The regiment was originally formed as a part of the 135th Aviation Regiment with Regimental Headquarters located in Frankfort, Kentucky, 1st Battalion in Missouri and 2nd Battalion as a part of the Colorado Army National Guard as 2nd Battalion 135th Aviation, under the

United States Army Regimental System The United States Army Regimental System (USARS) is an organizational and classification system used by the United States Army. It was established in 1981 to replace the Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS) to provide each soldier with contin ...

. It was concurrently organized from new and existing units to consist of the 1st and 2d Battalions and Companies D, E, and F, elements of the 35th Infantry Division, and Company G. It was reorganized 1 December 1987 to consist of the 1st and 2d Battalions and Companies D, E, and F, elements of the 35th Infantry Division, the 3d Battalion, and Company G. Reorganized 1 September 1996 in the Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kentucky, and Missouri Army National Guard to consist of the 1st and 2d Battalions and Company F, elements of the 35th Infantry Division, the 3d Battalion, and Company G. Reorganized 1 September 1998 to consist of the 1st and 2d Battalions and Company F, elements of the 35th Infantry Division, and the 3d Battalion.

1st Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment

1st Battalion currently only flies the Boeing AH-64D Apaches but a number of

Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is a four-blade, twin-engine, medium-lift military utility helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. Sikorsky submitted a design for the United States Army's Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System (UTTAS ...

are to join during 2016.

2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment (General Support)

The 2nd Battalion (General Support), 135th Aviation Regiment first became a part of the Colorado Army National Guard in the mid-1980s. The original unit, a single company, was made a part of the 40th Infantry Division's aviation brigade, predominantly located in California. The battalion flies the UH-60 Black Hawk,

Boeing CH-47 Chinook The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is a tandem-rotor helicopter originally developed by American rotorcraft company Piasecki Helicopter, Vertol and now manufactured by Boeing Defense, Space & Security. The Chinook is a Military transport helicopter, heav ...

. They are based out of

Buckley Space Force Base Buckley Space Force Base is a United States Space Force base in Aurora, Colorado named after United States Army Air Service First lieutenant, First Lieutenant John Harold Buckley. The base is run by Space Base Delta 2, with major units includin ...

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

, as part of the

Colorado Army National Guard The Colorado Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army, United States National Guard, and Colorado National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army's available combat forces ...

Aviation Command. The 2-135th deployed to Iraq in September 2006 through August 2007 as part of

Task Force Mustang Task Force Mustang is the deployment unit name for the Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB), U.S. 36th Infantry Division, 36th Infantry Division, Texas Army National Guard. The CAB completed a tour of duty in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in the f ...

. In 2006 the 2d Battalion was deployed for

Iraq War The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with 2003 invasion of Iraq, the invasion by a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition, which ...

service. The 2-135th deployed on 19 March 2006 for five months of Theater Immersion Training at

Fort Hood Fort Cavazos is a United States Army post located near Killeen, Texas. The post is currently named after Gen. Richard E. Cavazos, a native Texan and the US Army’s first Hispanic four-star general. The post is located halfway between Austi ...

, Texas and

Fort Sill Fort Sill is a United States Army post north of Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles (137 km) southwest of Oklahoma City. It covers almost . The fort was first built during the Indian Wars. It is designated as a National Historic Landmark a ...

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

. They were certified "Fit to Fight" by Lt. Gen. Russel L. Honoré, commanding general,

First United States Army First Army is the largest OC/T organization in the U.S. Army, comprising two divisions, ten brigades, and more than 7,500 Soldiers. Its mission is to partner with the U.S. Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve to enable leaders and deli ...

, on 30 July 2006. The unit shipped to

Kuwait Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Kuwait ...

in August 2006, completed a couple of weeks of " boots on the ground" training at

Camp Buehring Camp Buehring (formerly Camp Udairi) is a staging post for US troops in the northwestern region of Kuwait. From its founding in January 2003 to the present date, the base was used for military troops heading north into Iraq and is the primary lo ...

, and entered Iraq in the first half of September as one of five battalions of

. The

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. A battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several Company (military unit), companies, each typically commanded by a Major (rank), ...

principally flew out of

Balad Air Base Balad Air Base () , is an Iraqi Air Force base located near Balad in the Sunni Triangle north of Baghdad, Iraq. Built in the early 1980s, it was originally named Al-Bakr Air Base. In 2003 the base was captured by the United States Armed Force ...

(aka

Camp Anaconda Balad Air Base () , is an Iraqi Air Force base located near Balad in the Sunni Triangle north of Baghdad, Iraq. Built in the early 1980s, it was originally named Al-Bakr Air Base. In 2003 the base was captured by the United States Armed Forces ...

) and is flew missions all over Iraq. The total deployment for the 2-135th was expected to last approximately 18 months. 135thReg2BatMustangFlightColoHookersCOARNG

135thReg2BatMustangFlightColoHookersCOARNG

The battalion became fully engaged in the OIF mission on 17 Sep 2006, crosstraining with the previous unit, and had an official transfer of responsibility from the 7–101st on 24 Sep 2006. Soldiers wore the shoulder sleeve patch of the 36th Infantry Division while in Iraq. The Iraq formation of the 2-135th (as a unit of Task Force Mustang) consisted of approximately 550 soldiers and was approximately 60% made up of Colorado Army National Guard personnel. It also included Army aviation Guard personnel from three additional primary states,

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

with smaller contingents from

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

Wyoming Wyoming ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States, Western United States. It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho t ...

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

and

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

. The Iraq mission involved operations over a large expanse of the country of Iraq. The unit distinguished itself as one of the premier air assault units in the US Army, conducting 111 major, multi-night air assault operations—inserting over 15,500 troops into enemy landing zones across the Iraq theater in the span of only a year. "The Blackjacks" earned the Army Aviation Association of America's top National Guard aviation unit in 2007 for this.

2006–07 Iraq units

* HHC – "Headhunters" – Headquarters and Headquarters Company * Company A – "Rumrunner" – Blackhawks * Company B – "Bootlegger" – Chinooks (Mile High Hookers) * Company C – "Cutter" – Blackhawk

MedEvac Medical evacuation, often shortened to medevac or medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to patients requiring evacuation or transport using medically equipped air ambulances, helicopters an ...

, including attached units ** Company C 1–111th – "Painkillers" – Blackhawks ** Detachment 1, Company C, 1–111th – "Razorback Medevac" * Company D – "Dagger" – Aviation Maintenance * Company E – "Marauder" – Ground Maintenance, Aviation/Ground Fueling, Food Services Company A of 2-135th from the Colorado ARNG was deployed to Iraq for one year, from the fall of 2005 to October 2006. This company is the normally organic Company A located with the battalion in Colorado. This company was selected to deploy with the 7th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment as the first Guard aviation unit to deploy from Colorado. They also informally served as a year-long advanced party for the battalion until they took over the mission of 7-101st in September 2006.

2005–06 Iraq units

* Company A – Blackhawks Company A, 2-135th during the Iraq deployment was (attached). Company A of the 2-211th from the Utah ARNG (home base West Jordan, Utah) serving, in Iraq as part of the beefed up 2-135th. It replaced Colorado's Company A after cross-training and handoff in September 2006. Companies B, C, D, E and HHC of the 2-135th of the

were all deployed to Iraq. Company B, 2-135th (Colorado) was augmented by Company B of the 2d Battalion (General Support), 211th Aviation Regiment, Minnesota ARNG from

Holman Field St. Paul Downtown Airport , also known as Holman Field, is an airport just across the Mississippi River from downtown Saint Paul, Minnesota. It is one of several reliever airports in the Twin Cities operated by the Metropolitan Airports Commis ...

St Paul Paul, also named Saul of Tarsus, commonly known as Paul the Apostle and Saint Paul, was a Christian apostle ( AD) who spread the teachings of Jesus in the first-century world. For his contributions towards the New Testament, he is generally ...

, Minnesota. Company C, 2-135th (Nebraska) was augmented by a detail from the Colorado ARNG. All six companies were augmented for the Iraq deployment by additional

ARNG The Army National Guard (ARNG) is an organized Militia (United States), militia force and a Reserve components of the United States Armed Forces, federal military reserve force of the United States Army. It is simultaneously part of two differen ...

personnel from other states as well as a few

Individual Ready Reserve The Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) is a category of the Ready Reserve of the Reserve Component of the Armed Forces of the United States composed of former active duty or reserve military personnel. Its governing statute is codified at . For sold ...

soldiers from across the United States. The battalion had approximately 550 personnel in Iraq fully augmented, whereas the more normal staffing in the Colorado guard is 300. The total distribution of personnel at the brigade level is available on the CAB, 36th Inf Div state personnel contributions page. Company C, 1st Battalion, 111th Aviation Regiment of the Florida National Guard, and Detachment 1, Company C, 1st Battalion, 111th of the Arkansas National Guard were commanded by LTC Michael J. Rung, and were attached the 2d Battalion, 135th Aviation for additional medevac support during the OIF 06–07 rotation.

2010–11 Afghanistan units

Company F, 2-135th (Louisiana and California) deployed to RC West and RC North in direct support of MEDEVAC missions for all coalition forces. While deployed and supporting MEDEVAC missions, CO F, 2-135th received the Valorous Unit Award (VUA) for "extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy."

2012–2013, OEF-KU

Soldiers of the 2d Battalion (General Support), 135th Aviation Regiment were deployed as part of two Combat Aviation Brigades in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. While deployed, the 2-135th played a significant role in more than 3,000 flight missions, accounting for more than 9,800 hours of flight moving 9,658 passengers and more than 825,000 pounds of cargo. The unit also helped transport nearly 5,600 distinguished visitors. CAB medevac companies completed 234 medevac missions, four mass-casualty rehearsals and exercises, more than 25 medevac training iterations, and logged more than 765 hours. On three separate expeditionary partnership missions, Task-Force Blackjack forward deployed to three additional countries, all while sustaining flight operations in Kuwait.

Current structure

The current units of the regiment are: * 1st Battalion ** Company C -

AH-64 Apache The Hughes/McDonnell Douglas/Boeing AH-64 Apache ( ) is an American twin-turboshaft attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear and a tandem cockpit for a crew of two. Nose-mounted sensors help acquire targets and provide night vis ...

(MS ARNG) * 2d Battalion (General Support) ** HHC – "Headhunters" – Headquarters and Headquarters Company ( CO ARNG) ** Company A – "Smugglers" –

UH-60 Blackhawk The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is a four-blade, twin-engine, medium-lift military utility helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. Sikorsky submitted a design for the United States Army's Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System (UTTAS ...

SAR, Ft Bragg, NC** Company B – "Bootlegger" –

CH-47 Chinook The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is a tandem-rotor helicopter originally developed by American rotorcraft company Piasecki Helicopter, Vertol and now manufactured by Boeing Defense, Space & Security. The Chinook is a Military transport helicopter, heav ...

*** Detachment 1 (CO ARNG) *** Detachment ? ( NE ARNG) ** Company C – "Adrenaline" – UH-60 Blackhawk

MEDEVAC Medical evacuation, often shortened to medevac or medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to patients requiring evacuation or transport using medically equipped air ambulances, helicopters an ...

** Company D – "Dagger" – Aviation Maintenance (CO ARNG) *** Detachment 6 at Topeka ( KS ARNG) ** Company E – "Marauder" – Ground Maintenance, Aviation/Ground Fueling, Food Services (CO ARNG) ** Company F – "Hooker" – CH-47F Chinook, USAR,

Fort Lewis Fort Lewis may refer to: * Fort Lewis (Colorado), a former United States Army post (1878–1891) in the U.S. State of Colorado ** Fort Lewis College, a college in the Durango, Colorado, United States ** Fort Lewis Skyhawks, athletic teams of Fort L ...

, WA (Heavy Lift) ** Company G – "Ventilator" – UH-60 Blackhawk

*** Detachment 2 *** Deployed to Afghanistan November 2013 – September 2014 (KS ARNG) ** Aviation Intermediate Maintenance (AVIM) – "Helmsmen" * 3rd Battalion ** Company B *** Detachment 1 -

C-12 Huron The Beechcraft C-12 Huron is the military designation for a series of twin-engine turboprop aircraft based on the Beechcraft Super King Air and Beechcraft 1900. C-12 variants are used by the United States Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps. ...

( FL ARNG), Northeast Florida Regional Airport

References

{{Reflist

External links

A brief history of the 2-135th

2-135th Deployment Ceremony newscast
– 19 March 2006

135 135 may refer to: *135 (number) *AD 135 *135 BC *135 film, better known as 35 mm film, is a format of photographic film used for still photography *135 (New Jersey bus), a New Jersey Transit bus route *135 Hertha 135 Hertha is an asteroid from ...

135 02 Military units and formations established in 1987