10th Combat Aviation Brigade ( United States ) The Combat Aviation Brigade , 10th Mountain Division is a combat aviation brigade of the United States Army based at Fort Drum , New York . It is a subordinate unit of the 10th Mountain Division . Reactivated in 1988 , the 10th Mountain Division ' s Combat Aviation Brigade supported the division as it undertook numerous operations and overseas contingencies in the 1990s , including Operation Restore Hope , Operation Uphold Democracy , and Task Force Eagle , as well as disaster relief following Hurricane Andrew . The brigade has since become involved in the War on Terrorism , seeing four deployments to Afghanistan to support Operation Enduring Freedom and a deployment to Iraq to support Operation Iraqi Freedom . The brigade is currently on its fourth deployment to Afghanistan and is serving in Regional Command - East under Combined Joint Task Force 101 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom . Organization . The Combat Aviation Brigade , 10th Mountain Division comprises five principal battalions under the command of its Headquarters and Headquarters Company . The brigade commands 1st , 2nd , 3rd Battalions , 10th Aviation Regiment , and 6th Squadron , 6th Cavalry Regiment , which operate a number of aircraft including UH - 60 Black Hawk s , AH - 64 Apache s , CH - 47 Chinook s , and OH - 58 Kiowa s . In addition , the 277th Aviation Support Battalion provides supporting services to the combat battalions when they are deployed , making the brigade capable of operating independently of higher command headquarters , and capable of taking on additional battalions and other , smaller units when deployed , as necessary . History . The brigade HHC was constituted on 1 April 1988 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company , Aviation Brigade , 10th Mountain Division , and activated at Fort Drum , New York . The brigade was activated at Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome , NY as part of the 10th Mountain Division ( Light Infantry ) on 2 July 1988 . The brigade remained based at Griffiss until 1992 ( August ? ) . It appears that initially the brigade was made up of 3 - 17 CAV , and the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the 25th Aviation Regiment ( 2 - 25 and 3 - 25 AVN ) . The brigade has played a key role in all Division missions , including support for Hurricane Andrew relief in south Florida , in Somalia , Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti , SFOR and KFOR missions in Bosnia and Kosovo and most recently Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom . In each instance , the Brigade has demonstrated its capability to rapidly deploy and conduct aviation missions upon arrival . The 10th Combat Aviation Brigade has 12 CH - 47s , 24 AH - 64s , 30 OH - 58s , and 50 UH - 60s to assist the 10th Mountain Division to fight and win in any environment . In Somalia from 1993 ( ' Operation Restore Hope and Operation Continue Hope ' ) Task Force Ranger received most of the attention directed to U . S . Army aviation , " but they did not have the only attack helicopters in Somalia . The 10th Mountain division brought an aviation task force to support them in their UNOSOM II missions . Task Force Raven [ built around 2 - 25 AVN ] was a task organized aviation unit with a total of 52 aircraft including attack , scout , lift , and MEDEVAC assets . They flew over 6000 missions over the streets of Mogadishu . Twelve AH - 1 Cobras made up the attack helicopter force . The lessons learned by this aviation task force are particularly useful for the rest of the conventional aviation units in the U . S . Army . Fortunately , LTC R . Lee Gore , commander of Task Force Raven ordered a detailed after action review upon the unit ' s return . " Haiti 1994 . The division formed the nucleus of the Multinational Force Haiti and Joint Task Force 190 ( JTF 190 ) in Haiti during Operation Uphold Democracy . More than 8 , 600 of the division ' s troops deployed during this operation . On 19 September 1994 , the 1st Brigade conducted the Army ’ s first air assault from an aircraft carrier . This force consisted of 54 helicopters and almost 2 , 000 soldiers . They occupied the Port - au - Prince International Airport . This was the largest Army air operation conducted from a carrier since the Doolittle Raid in World War II . Afghanistan Deployments . In 2003 and into 2004 , the brigade deployed for the first time to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom . As the only aviation brigade in the theater , the brigade provided air support for all U . S . Army units operating in the country . The brigade ' s mission at that time focused on close air support , medevac missions , and other duties involving combat with Taliban and Al - Qaeda forces in the country . The brigade returned to Fort Drum in 2004 . In winter 2006 the brigade was deployed again to Afghanistan to support Operation Enduring Freedom as the only aviation brigade in the theater , stationed at Bagram Air Base , Afghanistan . Named " Task Force Falcon , " the brigade ' s mission was to conduct aviation operations to destroy insurgents and anti - coalition militia in an effort to help build the Afghan National Security Force ' s capability and allow the Afghan government to increase its capabilities . In addition , the Task Force provided logistical and aviation support for ISAF forces throughout the country , conducted tactical maneuvers and performed security and attack operations when needed . Prior to the modular force structure reorganization , the 10th Aviation Brigade consisted of a Headquarters Company , 10th Aviation Brigade ; 3rd Squadron , 17th Cavalry Regiment , 1st Battalion , 10th Aviation Regiment ( United States ) ( formerly 2nd Battalion , 25th Aviation Regiment ) , 2nd Battalion ( Assault ) , 10th Aviation Regiment ( formerly 3rd Battalion , 25th Aviation Regiment ) ; 3rd Battalion , 10th Aviation ( General Support ) , and C Company ( Aviation Intermediate Maintenance ) , 10th Aviation Regiment . After the transformation , the reorganized brigade retained the 3 – 17th Cavalry and 1 - and 2 – 10th Aviation . 3 – 10th Aviation and C - 10th Aviation were inactivated . Also reactivated as part of the reorganized unit were 6th Squadron , 6th Cavalry Regiment and the 277th Aviation Support Battalion . During the transition elements of the 10th Aviation continued to be deployed as part of Task Forces part of Operation Iraqi Freedom , with units returning to Fort Drum for reorganization after their tours were complete . Elements of the 10th Aviation Brigade were deployed to Iraq in 2008 as part of continued operations in that country . Honors . The brigade has been awarded two Meritorious Unit Commendation ( Army ) for Somalia , and service in ' Afghanistan 2003 – 2004 ' . As of 6 February 2009 , the Army ' s official lineage and honors website says that Campaign Participation Credit for the war on terrorism has ' yet to be determined . '