Aviation Brigade - 34th Infantry Division
"The Wings of the Red Bull"
The federal mission of the 34th Infantry Division Aviation Brigade is to maintain combat-ready units that are ready to mobilize in support of the nation's military strategy. Its state mission is to provide trained and equipped units to protect life and property, preserve peace and order, and public safety under the orders of the governor. The wartime mission of the unit is to, on order, mobilize and deploy to a theater of operations to find, fix and destroy enemy forces using fire and manuever to concentrate and sustain combat power at the critical time and place.
The 34th Infantry Division Aviation Brigade was originally organized and Federally recognized on 30 January 1919 in the Minnesota National Guard as Company D, 6th Infantry at St. Paul, MN. It was redesignated on 1 December 1923 as Company D, 206th Infantry, 34th Division. It was subsequently reorganized and redesignated on 1 July 1940 as Battery D, 216 Coast Artillery (Antiaircraft); and on 10 September 1943 as Battery D, 774th Antiaircraft Artillery Gun Battalion. It inactivated on 8 June 1944 at Camp Howze, TX, and was disbanded on 26 June 1944.
Reconstituted on 25 August 1945 in the Minnesota National Guard, it was reorganized and redesignated as Battery D, 256th Antiaircraft Artillery, 47th Infantry Division at St Paul. The unit was ordered to active duty on 16 January 1951, at St Paul, MN. Battery D, 256th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion (NGUS) was federally recognized on 16 January 1953 at St. Paul, and was released from active duty on 2 December 1954.
Converted and reorganized, it was redesignated on 22 February 1959 as 47th Aviation Company, an element of the 47th Infantry Division. It was then expanded, reorganized and redesignated on 1 April 1963, as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 47th Aviation Battalion.
The 47th Aviation Battalion reorganized on 30 September 1978 to include units in Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Iowa. The Aviation Battalion reorganized and was redesignated as the Aviation Brigade, 47th Infantry Division October 1986 with the following units:
- HHC Aviation Brigade, 216th Aviation Company (Air Assault), and Company E in St Paul
- 1st Squadron 194th Cavalry with Headquarters in Brainerd, MN, and units in Minnesota and Iowa
- 47th Air Traffic control Platoon, located at Camp Ripley, MN
- 813Medical Detachment (later redesignated 1187th) located at Camp Ripley
- 1-147th Attack Battalion located in Madison, WI
The Aviation Brigade 47th Division was reorganized in September 1990 with the formation of the 2d Battalion 147th Aviation (Air Assault) with units in Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois. F Company (formerly 1247th Maintenance Company) in St Paul and the 459th and 460th Aviation Detachments.
The 47th Infantry Division was redesignated the 34th Infantry Division February 1991. In September of 1995 the Aviation Brigade reorganized with the addition of the 3d Battalion of the 147th (Attack) and the deactivation of the 459th 460th and the 1187th Medical Detachment.
