2nd Combat Aviation Brigade

• Aviation Brigade

Mission

2d CAB Brigade conducts theater aviation operations in support of 8th U.S. Army. On order the Brigade provides combat aviation support to the GCC (Ground Component Command) as an element of the CAF (Combined Aviation Force).

History

The unit that is now designated as the 2d Combat Aviation Brigade first appeared on the United States Army rolls in 1957. In that year the 2d Infantry Division was located at Fort Richardson, Alaska; and it was decided to give the Indianhead Division an organic aviation unit. On 20 June 1957, the 2d Aviation Company was constituted and activated in the Regular Army. Since then, the 2d Aviation’s history has closely followed that of the 2d Infantry Division.

In December 1957, the 2d Infantry Division was deactivated. The 2d Aviation Company was inactivated and placed under DA control on 16 December 1957. About six months later, the Indianhead Division was recalled to activated duty at Fort Benning, Georgia, and the 2d Aviation Company was activated 14 June 1958.

In 1963 the 2d Infantry Division became the first Army Division to be reorganized under the ROAD concept. On February 1963, the 2d Aviation Company was reorganized and redesignated as the 2d Aviation Battalion. The new battalion consisted of a headquarters detachment and two companies. In July 1965, the 2d Infantry Division returned to Korea. The Division was assigned to take up the area of the Demilitraized Zone (DMZ) to the northwest of Seoul from the junction of the Han and Imjin Rivers to the area called “West Dagmar” to the east 18 miles and included the area around the conference site at Panmumjom. To support the Division, the 2d Aviation Battalion deployed Headquarters Detachment and B Company to Stanton Army Airfield by the village of Sinsan-ni and A Company was located at Ascom City (what is now Camp Market) to the east of Seoul. B Company was equipped with OH-23’s (Raven), O-1A, and U-6A aircraft, and A Company was equipped with CH-21’s (Shawnee). By September of 1965, the O-1A’s were transferred to the 55th Aviation Company and the 2d Aviation Battalion became a rotary wing only unit. In October 1969, A Company moved from Ascom City to Stanton Army Airfield. By December of that year, all of the CH-21’s were replaced by UH-1B’s and D’s (Uroquois).

In early 1971 the Division began turning its defensive positions along the DMZ over to the ROKA. By March of 1971, the 2d Infantry Division had assumed a new mission as reserve forces of I Corps (ROK/US) Group. Coinciding with the Division’s movement off the DMZ and change of mission, were the merger of the 2d and 7th Infantry Divisions. The 2d Infantry Division moved into the 7th Infantry Division’s area and retained its own designation and colors (the 7th Infantry Division went back to the United States). Camp Casey, located beside the village of Tongduchon, Korea, became the new home of the Headquarters of the 2d Infantry Division and many of its subordinate units. Concurrently, the 2d Aviation Battalion moved from Camp Stanley to Camp Casey.

2nd Combat Aviation Brigade

• 602nd Aviation Support Battalion
• 4-2nd Attack Battalion
• 2nd Battalion (Assault), 2nd Aviation Regiment
• 3-2nd Aviation Regiment (GSAB)