Combat Aviation Brigade , 1st Infantry Division ( United States ) The Combat Aviation Brigade , 1st Infantry Division is the formation bundling all Army Aviation assets of the US Army ' s 1st Infantry Division . 1980s History . The Combat Aviation Brigade , 1st Infantry Division , was originally formed from the assets of the Aviation Brigade , 1st Armored Division , which had been created from the assets 1st Armored Division ' s 501st Aviation Battalion on 17 April 1986 . Colonel James W . Lloyd , the first Aviation Brigade Commander , accepted the unit colors from Major General Dave R . Palmer , Commanding General , 1st Armored Division . ( Note : Although often referred to as the " 4th Brigade , " the United States Army Center of Military History has confirmed that divisional aviation brigades are not numbered . The only exceptions are the 101st and 159th Aviation Brigades in the 101st Airborne Division ( Air Assault ) , which has two aviation brigades . ) When formed , the Brigade consisted of the 10th and 501st Aviation Battalions , the 220th Aviation Company ( Assault Helicopter ) , the 244th Aviation Company ( Command Aviation ) and the 61st Aviation Company ( Maintenance ) . Brigade aircraft included 22 AH - 1 Cobra s , 38 OH - 58 s and 30 UH - 1 s . On 16 November 1987 the 501st and 10th Aviation Battalions were reflagged as the 2nd and 3rd Battalions , 1st Aviation Regiment . Alpha Company , 501st became Golf and Hotel Companies under the 1st Armored Division and were designated again under the 3rd Infantry Division as 7th Battalion , 1st Aviation Regiment . The 61st Aviation Company ( Maintenance ) was reflagged as Company I , 1st Aviation Regiment . In May 1988 , the 1st Squadron , 1st Cavalry Regiment completed the conversion from a pure ground squadron to an air / ground squadron and moved from Schwabach to Katterbach . In late 1998 , the 1st Squadron , 1st Cavalry turned in its M60A3s and received 40 M3 Cavalry Fighting Vehicles ( CFV ) . In July 1989 , 2nd Battalion , 1st Aviation Regiment inactivated in Germany and the colors reactivated as an AH - 64 Apache battalion at Fort Hood , Texas . 1990s . The " Strike Eagles " returned to Ansbach Army Heliport on 24 May 1990 becoming the first divisional AH - 64 attack helicopter battalion stationed in Germany . In November 1990 , Company I , 1st Aviation was reflagged as the 9th Battalion , 1st Aviation Regiment . " Eagle Support " was designed to provide dedicated support to the aviation brigade . The unit later became 603rd Support Battalion ( Aviation ) under 3rd Infantry Division . In December 1990 , COL Daniel J . Petrosky led the brigade to Southwest Asia with the 1st Armored Division and conducted combat operations . For its accomplishments in Operation Desert Storm , the brigade was selected as AAAA unit of the year in 1991 . Shortly after the unit returned and in conjunction with the reorganization of USAREUR , the " Iron Eagle " Brigade joined the 3rd Infantry Division . The 1st Squadron , 1st Cavalry was inactivated and turned in its equipment . Its colors were transferred to the divisional cavalry squadron of the 1st Armored Division . The Aviation Brigade was inactivated in January 1996 at Fort Riley , Kansas , and was reactivated as Aviation Brigade , 1st Infantry Division , in Katterbach , Germany on 15 February 1996 , becoming an integral part of the Big Red One . The Aviation Brigade supported numerous contingency operations throughout Europe and Southwest Asia . Operations in Eastern Europe . In 1997 , the Aviation Brigade deployed to Bosnia and Herzegovina to provide aviation support for Operation Joint Forge . In 1999 the Aviation Brigade deployed to Kosovo as a part of the Multi - National Brigade East to provide aviation support to Operation Joint Endeavor . The Aviation Brigade continued operations in Kosovo through July 2003 . Operation Iraqi Freedom . In early 2003 , the Aviation Brigade prepared for combat operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom . Elements of the Aviation Brigade deployed to Turkey to provide general aviation support to AFOR Turkey and the 1st Infantry Division . This support effort was made without aircraft as the battalion was stuck in Kosovo on " unofficial " deployment orders and after three months of trying to get to Iraq through Turkey the Division was turned around and the aviation elements relocated back to Katterbach . Upon redeployment , the Aviation Brigade welcomed the 6th Squadron , 6th Cavalry Regiment " Six Shooters " to the brigade as part of its aviation transformation and , on 13 June 2005 , inactivated the 1st Squadron , 1st Aviation Regiment " Gunfighters , " the colors of which departed for the Longbow Unit Fires Training Program ( UFTP ) . The Aviation Brigade completed a fifteen month deployment to Iraq supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom 07 - 09 . Conducting operations from forward operating base Speicher , the Aviation Brigade provided attack , assault , and general aviation support throughout central Iraq . During the deployment , the brigade flew over 20 , 000 combat flight hours providing aviation combat and combat support to the 1st Infantry Division . The unit ' s participation was critical during the OIF " surge " . During this time , the CAB was led by Col Jesse Farrington and CSM Darrell " Buddy " Wallace . In March 2010 , the Combat Aviation Brigade deployed to Iraq for a 12 - month rotation in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom , as well as to usher in and spearhead in September of the same year . Return to Fort Riley . Along with its parent 1st Infantry Division , the Combat Aviation Brigade has been reassigned to Fort Riley , Kansas . The current configuration is as follows :