42nd Combat Aviation Brigade The Combat Aviation Brigade is a subordinate command of the 42d Infantry Division . Once contained solely within New York , force reductions and reorganizations have resulted in units from several different states making up the brigade . Activation and history . The New York National Guard played an active role in Army aviation from the early 1900s through the end of World War II . The Combat Aviation Brigade , 42d Infantry Division traces its history from 1947 , when the post - World War II reorganization of the United States military created the United States Air Force as an entity separate from the Army . This reorganization also led to the creation of two divisions within the National Guard , the Army National Guard , and the Air National Guard . In 1947 the New York Army National Guard fielded a fixed wing aviation detachment of L - 19 " Bird Dogs " assigned to Miller Field on Staten Island . This detachment and aircraft from the II Corps and 101st Armored Cavalry Regiment were organized as the 42d Aviation Company at Huntington Station , Long Island in 1959 . In 1963 , the 42d Division ' s aviation units were reorganized as the 42d Aviation Battalion , based at Freeport , Long Island . The battalion was equipped with O - 1A Bird Dog and U - 6 Beaver fixed wing aircraft . The 42d Aviation Battalion expanded as the United States Army began fielding helicopters , including the creation of " lettered " subordinate companies ( Company A , 42d Aviation Battalion , and so on ) and companies from other states . In 1968 the battalion received OH - 13s and OH - 23s . In 1971 , Company A ( Niagara Falls ) and Company B ( Massachusetts ) received UH - 1 helicopters . These companies consisted mainly of " lift " capacity and fielded the Delta and Hotel model UH - 1 , but each company had " Attack " platoons which flew " Charlie " and " Mike " model gunships . By 1985 the 42d Aviation Battalion was fielding the AH - 1 Cobras and OH - 6 Cayuse , as well as the UH - 1 Iroquois . In October , 1986 another reorganization resulted in the 42d Aviation Battalion being re - designated as the Aviation Brigade , 42d Infantry Division . This reorganization included the stand - up of 1st Battalion , 142d Aviation Regiment ( Attack ) headquartered in Latham ( 1989 ) , and 2d Battalion , 142d Aviation Regiment ( Assault ) in Niagara Falls ( 1991 ) . In 1995 the Army ’ s " Aviation Restructuring Initiative " again reorganized the Aviation Brigade . 2 - 142d Aviation was inactivated , moved to Rochester as the redesignated as 1 - 142d , and received the AH - 1 ‘ F ’ model helicopter . 1 - 142d in Latham was re - flagged as the 3d Battalion , 142d Aviation Regiment ( Assault ) , and received the UH - 60 ‘ Blackhawk ’ helicopter . Operation Iraqi Freedom . The Aviation Brigade headquarters deployed to Iraq as part of the 42d Division ( Task Force Liberty ) in May , 2004 and returned in November , 2005 . Units subordinate to the Aviation Brigade in Iraq included : Post Iraqi Freedom . The 2005 modular reorganization of Army combat divisions included the redesignation from " Aviation Brigade " to " Combat Aviation Brigade " ( CAB ) . In 2006 , the headquarters of the Combat Aviation Brigade , 42d Infantry Division was relocated to Latham , New York . As part of planned force reductions following military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan , the 42nd Infantry Division has reconfigured and redistributed subordinate units . As of 2013 the Combat Aviation Brigade has units in eleven states . Units based in New York include : Dunkirk ; Jamestown ; Olean ; Rochester ; Latham ; Brooklyn ; Patchogue ; and Ronkonkoma . New York Army National Guard Aviation units and individual volunteers have also continued to serve overseas in Iraq , Afghanistan , and elsewhere . Note : While commonly referred to as the 42d Combat Aviation Brigade , the U . S . Army Center of Military History confirms that its correct designation is Combat Aviation Brigade , 42d Infantry Division .