The Big Red One Devil Brigade; Eindhoven, October 14, 2019

1st Combat Aviation Brigade, part 2; Text and Photograph's by Alex van Noye

As part of the European Operation Atlantic Resolve, the 1st Combat Aviation Brigade of the United States Army was active in Europe in 2019. The helicopters and many ground equipment arrived in the port of Zeebrugge in February 2019. In October 2019 the 1CAB would leave Europe via the port of Rotterdam.

The United States 1st Infantry Division is a combined division of the US Army and is the oldest continuous serving unit in the regular US Army. The 1st Infantry Division is part of the American III Corps. Since the organization in 1917 during the First World War, this unit has been used continuously without ever being dissolved. The unit has been in all major conflicts in the world since its inception and has since achieved considerable fame during deployment. The division is based in Fort Riley in the American state of Kansas. This base is located west of the city of Kansas City. The helicopters of this division are generally based on Marshall Army Air Field, not far from Fort Riley. The division was officially nicknamed "The Big Red One" (abbreviated "BRO") and the soldiers can be recognized by the shoulder patch with the big red "1" on it. The 1st Infantry Division has also received the nickname "The Fighting First". The division has also received nicknames such as "The Big Dead One" and "The Bloody First" which are intended as puns on the original nickname due to the many efforts on the battlefield. The 1st Infantry Division is made up of a number of Brigades and Regiments. These units, are; the Division Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion (DHHB), the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team (1st ABCT) "Devil Brigade", the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team (2nd ABCT) "Dagger Brigade", the 1st Infantry Division Artillery "Drum Fire", the 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division "Demon Brigade" and the 1st Infantry Division Sustainable Brigade "Durable" Brigade ".

The flying branch of the 1st Infantry Division is the 1st Combat Aviation Brigade (1CAB). The 1st Combat Aviation Brigade of the 1st Infantry Division was originally formed from the units of the 501st Aviation Brigade of the 1st Armored Division. The unit was formally established on April 17, 1986. When the unit was established, the Brigade consisted of the 10th and 501th Aviation Battalions, the 220th Aviation

Company (Assault Helicopter), the 244th Aviation Company (Command Aviation) and the 61st Aviation Company (Maintenance). The new brigade was equipped with 22 Bell AH-1 Cobra, 38 Bell OH-58D Kiowa and 30 Bell UH-1 Iroquois helicopters. On November 16, 1987, the 501st and 10th Aviation Battalions were renumbered to the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the 1st Aviation. Company A, 501st Aviation Battalion became Company Golf and Hotel under the 1st Armored Division and was again assigned to the 3d Infantry Division as the 7th Battalion, 1st Aviation. The 61st Aviation Company (Maintenance) was renamed as Company India, 1st Aviation. At the end of 1989 the 1st Squadron, 1st Cavalry surrendered its M60A3s and received more than 40 M3 Cavalry Fighting Vehicles (CFV). In July 1989, the 2nd Battalion, 1st Aviation in Germany was deactivated and the unit was reactivated in Fort Hood.

The "Strike Eagles" returned to Ansbach Army Heliport on May 24, 1990. The unit became the first division with AH-64A Apache helicopters stationed in Germany. In November 1990, Company India from the 1st Aviation was renamed as the 9th Battalion, 1st Aviation. "Eagle Support". This unit was set up to provide dedicated support to the airline brigade. The unit later became the 603rd Support Battalion (Aviation) under the 3rd Infantry Division. In December 1990, Colonel Daniel J. Petrosky led the brigade to Southwest Asia along with the 1st Armored Division and conducted combat operations in Iraq and Kuwait. For its performance during Operation Desert Storm in 1991, the brigade was selected as the AAAA unit of the year. Shortly after the unit returned to Europe and in conjunction with the reorganization of USAREUR, the "Iron Eagle" Brigade joined the 3d Infantry Division. The 1st Squadron, 1st Cavalry was inactivated and turned in its equipment. The colors were transferred to the cavalry squadron division of the 1st Armored Division. The aviation brigade was eventually deactivated in Fort Riley, Kansas in January 1996 and was reactivated on February 15, 1996, as the 1st Combat Aviation Brigade of the 1st Infantry Division in Katterbach in Germany. The unit then became an integral part of the Great Red 1. After a reorganization in 2003, the 1CAB welcomed the 6th Squadron of the 6th Cavalry Regiment "Six Shooters" at the brigade.

Just like many other large Brigades, the 1st Combat Aviation Brigade is composed out of three large Battalions and a Cavalry squadron. The first unit that comes with this is the 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion (1-1st AVN (ARB)) "Gunslingers" of the 1CAB. The unit is equipped with AH-64E Apache Guardian combat helicopters. This version of the Apache is new to the US Army and is now being introduced everywhere. The 1-1st AVN (ARB) consists of three companies, namely; Attack Reconnaissance Company Alpha (A/1-1st AVN (AR)) “Taz Devils”, B/1-1st AVN (AR) “Wolfpack” and C/1-1st AVN (AR) "Ghostriders". The second unit that is assigned to the 1Cab is, like with many brigades, a support battalion. This unit is the 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion (2-1st AVN (GSAB)) "Fighting Eagles". The first company of this unit is the Command Aviation Company Alpha (A/2-1st AVN (CMD)) "Wraiths", which is equipped with the UH-60L Blackhawk for connection tasks. The second company is Heavy Helicopter Company Bravo (B/2-1st AVN (HH)) "Diesel" and flies the CH-47F Chinook. The third and last company of this battalion is the Air Ambulance Company Charlie (C/2-1st AVN (AA)) "Boomer" which flies with the HH-60M Blackhawk in the MEDEVAC role. The third battalion which belongs to the 1CAB is the 3rd Attack Reconnaissance Battalion (3-1st AVN (ARB)) "Nightmares". The three companies of this unit are all equipped with the UH-60M Blackhawk in the assault role. The three companies of this unit, are; the Assault Helicopter Company Alpha (A/3-1st AVN (ASLT)) "Black Cats", the B/3-1st AVN (ASLT) "Black Knights" and the C/3 1st AVN (ASLT) "Black Sheep".