2nd Battalion (General Support), 4th Aviation Regiment
"Mustangs"
The mission of the 2nd Battalion (General Support), 4th Aviation Regiment, "Mustangs," was to, on order, deploy to conduct platoon-level air assault and general support aviation operations to enable the 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized) to fight and win.
The 2nd Battalion, 4th Aviation Regiment was first constituted in the Regular Army on 21 August 1963 as Company B, 4th Aviation Battalion, an element of 4th Infantry Division. The unit was activated on 1 October 1963, at Fort Lewis, Washington.
The unit was deployed to the Republic of Vietnam and saw extensive action in the conflict there. The unit had campaign participation credit for the Counteroffensive Phase II, Counteroffensive Phase III, Tet Counteroffensive, Counteroffensive Phase IV, Counteroffensive Phase V, Counteroffensive Phase VI, Tet 69/Counteroffensive, Summer-Fall 1969, Winter-Spring 1970, Sanctuary Counteroffensive, and Counteroffensive Phase VII. In addition to these campaigns, the unit earned the Meritorious Unit Commendation (streamer embroidered Vietnam 1967-1968) and was awarded 2 Republic of Vietnam Crosses of Gallantry with Palm (streamers embroidered Vietnam 1966-1969 and Vietnam 1969-1970). The unit also received the Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal, First Class (streamer embroidered Vietnam 1969-1970).
Following participation in the Vietnam conflict, the unit was inactivated on 4 December 1970, at Fort Lewis, Washington. After a 12 year absence, the unit was activated again on 17 March 1982, at Fort Carson, Colorado. It was reorganized and redesignated on 16 August 1987 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Aviation, an element of the 4th Infantry Division. Its organic elements were concurrently constituted and activated. It was also concurrently relieved from assignment to the 4th Infantry Division and reassigned to the 8th Infantry Division. The Battalion was inactivated on 15 November 1990 in Germany and was relieved from assignment to the 8th Infantry Division.
The Battalion was assigned on 16 January 1996 to the 4th Infantry Division and reactivated at Fort Hood, Texas. During 1997, the Battalion was a key player in the Army's Force XXI experimentation. The unit deployed in March 1997 to the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California, as part of the Advanced Warfighting Experiment (AWE). In November 1997, the Battalion participated in the Division AWE, which validated concepts essential to the growth of the Army into the 21st Century. For its participation in the AWE, the battalion was awarded the Unit Superior Service Medal.
One of the most radically redesigned units of the 1997 Task Force XXI Brigade Combat Team (not to be confused with the modular brigade combat team) was Task Force Aviation. Built around the 2nd Battalion, 4th Aviation Regiment, Task Force subelements included B/1-4th Aviation and D/1-10th Cavalry. Task Force Aviation had 2 general support aviation companies, an attack helicopter company, reconnaissance troop, and a new organization: the command, control and communications (C3) company.
After its arrival to Fort Hood, Texas the unit provided air assault and general support aviation capability in support of 4th Infantry Division operational missions and major training events. The unit provided UH-60 aircraft in support of operational missions including the NATO Stabilization Force (SFOR) in Bosnia, Wildland Firefighting, Homeland Defense, Joint Task Force 6 (JTF-6), and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The unit provided continuous aviation support to each of the 4th Infantry Division's 4 Brigades at the National Training Center, Fort Hood, and Fort Carson. In 2001, the unit fielded the first Army Airborne Command and Control System (A2C2S) helicopter.
While deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from March 2003 to March 2004, the Battalion flew over 12,500 accident free hours, as the only general support aviation battalion for the 4th Infantry Division. The Battalion flew in support of every major 4th Infantry Division operation in Iraq and flew over 20 air assault missions, including the Division's first combat air assault under Night Vision Goggles. In May 2003, during combat operations in Iraq, they fielded 2 more A2C2S helicopters. The Battalion successfully tested this aerial Tactical Operations Center for the Army during 12 months of combat.
In 2004, the 4th Brigade (Aviation), 4th Infantry Division was reorganized and redesignated as Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division. This transformation was part of the reorganization of the 4th Infantry Division to the US Army's modular force structure. 2nd Battalion (General Support), 4th Aviation Regiment remained assigned to the reorganized and redesignated Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division.
As of December 2005, the 2nd Battalion (General Support), 4th Aviation Regiment, part of the Combat Aviation Brigade of the 4th Infantry Division, was operating out of Camp Taji, Iraq, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
In July 2009, the remainder of the 4th Infantry Division, less the Combat Aviation Brigade, moved to join other elements of the Division at Fort Carson Colorado. Instead of joining them, the Combat Aviation, 4th Infantry Division, including 2-4th Aviation, prepared to deploy to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and the International Security Assistance Force. The Brigade and its units were expected to complete a move to Fort Carson, Colorado upon its return from Afghanistan.
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