4th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment
"Wings of the Eagle"
The 4-101 AVN Bn is an Air Assault Battalion with UH-60L Blackhawks, Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers, and enlisted personnel, and serves as the nucleus of a dedicated Aviation Task Force and major component of the 3rd Brigade Task Force.
The unit deploys worldwide with 36 hours notice. The unit plans, synchronizes, and executes air assault and aerial sustainment operations as an integrated element of an air assault combined arms team.
The "Wings of the Eagle" battalion traces its history back to the Korean War. On 7 December 1950, the 4th Light Aviation Section was constituted in the Regular Army and was assigned to the Eighth US Army in Korea where it remained until deactivated on 5 November 1954.
The 4th Light Aviation Section was reactivated on 1 July 1956 as the 101st Aviation Company and assigned to the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. On 3 December 1962, as the Army's aviation force structure continued to grow, the 101st Aviation Company was redesignated as the 101st Aviation Battalion.
Company A deployed to the Republic of Vietnam on 11 April 1965 and became the first element of the division to see combat since World War II. The remainder of the 101st Aviation Battalion deployed to Vietnam in December 1967 and served with distinction there until the 101st Airborne Division redeployed to Fort Campbell in February 1972. The 101st Aviation Battalion was redesignated the 4th Battalion on 16 October 1987 when the 101st Aviation Regiment was activated.
In 1990 and 1991 the Battalion served with distinction in Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, completing over 3000 hours of accident free flying while conducting combat operations. The Battalion's record of excellence includes planning, leading, and execution on the longest Air Assault in history to the Euphrates River in Iraq.
