3rd Battalion (Assault), 227th Aviation Regiment
"Spearhead"

The 3rd Battalion, 227th Assault Helicopter Regiment, "Spearhead," was first constituted on 1 February 1963 in the Regular Army as Company C, 227th Assault Helicopter Battalion, an element of the 11th Air Assault Division (Test). The first of its kind in the world, the Assault Helicopter Battalion grew over several months, and stood ready to meet the challenge. The Battalion was first activated on 18 July 1963 at Fort Benning, Georgia.

The unit was reorganized and redesignated on 1 July 1965 as Company C, 227th Aviation Battalion, and relieved from assignment to the 11th Air Assault Division (Test). It was concurrently reassigned to the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile Division). With the 1st Cavalry Division, the 227th Aviation Battalion participated in 13 campaigns in Vietnam, earning 2 Presidential Unit Citations, 3 Valorous Unit Awards, 1 Meritorious Unit Commendation, 3 Republic of Vietnam Crosses of Gallantry with Palm, and the Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal, First Class.

Following its participation in Vietnam, the unit was inactivated at Fort Hood, Texas, on 19 November, 1974. The unit was activated again at Fort Hood, Texas in May 1978 and again inactivated in September 1985. On 16 July 1987, the 227th Aviation Battalion was redesignated as 227th Aviation, a parent regiment under the United States Army Regimental System. C Company, 227th Aviation Battalion was subsequently redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, with its organic elements concurrently constituted and activated. It was relieved from assignment to the 1st Cavalry Division and assigned to the 3rd Armored Division in Germany as an Attack Helicopter Battalion.

As part of the 3rd Armored Division, 3-227th Aviation deployed to the gulf for Operation Desert Shield in 1990, subsequently participating in Operation Desert Storm in 1991. 3-227th Aviation was credited with pushing further into Iraq than any other unit during the war during a deep attack. The Battalion earned campaign credit for the Defense of Saudi Arabia and the Liberation and Defense of Kuwait. The unit was inactivated on 15 February 1996 in Germany and relieved from assignment to the 3rd Armored Division.

On 16 April 2006, the 3-227th Assault Helicopter Battalion was again activated, this time at Fort Hood, Texas and assigned to the Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division as a 30-ship UH-60 Blackhawk Air Assault Helicopter Battalion. This activation was as part of the transformation of the 1st Cavalry Division to the US Army's modular force structure.

Following its reactivation, the Spearhead Battalion conducted multiple Combined Training Center rotations and deployed in October 2006 with the 1st Cavalry Division in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 06-08. During Operation Iraqi Freedom 06-08, 3rd Battalion, 227th Aviation flew over 24,400 hours in support of Multi-National Division-Baghdad and Center, moving over 148,000 passengers and 1,188,000 pounds of cargo. In order to keep the aircraft flying, the Battalion conducted 203 120-hour inspections, 610 40-hour inspections, and pumped 1.7 million gallons of cold fuel. The Spearhead Battalion conducted over 7,630 air movement operations, 1,075 First Team Express routes, and successfully executed over 173 tactical air assaults in direct support of both Multi-National Division - Baghdad and Center.