The Soldiers of the 3-1 Assault Helicopter Battalion support the 1st Infantry Division and the U.S. Polk, Louisiana. Riley, Kansas. Riley in March of 2011.
The history of 3rd Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment traces its roots to the 501st Helicopter Battalion. The 501st Helicopter Battalion was first constituted on 15 February, 1957, as the 501st Aviation Company, assigned to 1st Armored Division in Ft. The unit was later reorganized and re-designated on 3 February, 1962 as HHD, 501st Aviation Battalion. The Battalion was then deact
ivated on 24 June, 1967 for nearly five years until being reactivated 21 August, 1972 in the Battalion’s new home, Germany. The 501st Aviation Battalion served in Germany for fifteen years before being deactivated on 16 November, 1987. The Battalion’s Alpha and Bravo companies would move to Korea and would later be activated as the 1st and 2nd Battalion, 501st Aviation Regiment. The Battalion would serve in Korea until 21 February, 1996 when 2nd Battalion, 501st Aviation Regiment returned to its former home in Germany. In Germany, 2nd Battalion, 501st Aviation (Knight Mares) was a 16 ship UH-60 General Support Battalion under 4th Brigade, 1st Armored Division. The Battalion was made up of three flight companies, Alpha Company (Black Cats), Bravo Company (Black Knights), Charlie company (Ghost Riders) as well as the Headquarters and Headquarters Company (Crusaders) and Delta company (Dragon Slayers). In 1999, the unit deployed to Kosovo as a part of the Multi-National Brigade East to provide aviation support to the region. The unit would return home to Germany in 2000. In 2002, it was announced that the Battalion’s Charlie Company would be dissolved under the Army Aviation Transformation Plan for FY 03. The Battalion was now left with four companies; Alpha, Bravo, HHC, and Delta. In April 2003, 2/501st Aviation, now under the battalion nickname of Iron Knights, deployed with 4th Brigade and 1st Armored Division to Iraq with duty at the Baghdad International Airport and Baghdad Area of Operations. In April 2004, as they were preparing to head home, news was given at Doha, Kuwait, that the Iron Knights would return to Baghdad for an extension of three months. In July 2004, the Battalion finally re-deployed to Hanau, Germany, and again became known as the Knight Mares. In 2005 it was announced that 4th Brigade (Aviation) and 2/501st would be reflagged and return stateside to serve under the 1st Infantry Division at Ft. On 1 August, 2006, 3rd Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment Nightmares was activated at Ft. Under the new MTOE of an assault helicopter battalion, 3-1 was authorized a third flight company, thus forming the Charlie Company Black Sheep. Additionally a Forward Support Company was formed by splitting up the former HHC MTOE and giving rise to the Echo Company Executioners. With only 15 months to form, organize, and train, 3-1 AHB deployed with the Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, in August 2007, in support of OIF 07-09. 3-1 AHB would serve as a surge unit on a 15 month deployment with duty under 1st Armored Division and Multi-National Division-North at COB Speicher. The CAB and battalion returned home in December 2008. In January 2009 it was announced that 3-1 AHB would transform into one of the Army's first UH-60M assault helicopter battalions. This time the Battalion would field a new helicopter and train under a reduced dwell time of 14 months in order to return to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn 10-11. In March 2010 the Nightmare Battalion returned to Iraq and successfully conducted full spectrum aviation operations throughout north and central Iraq. After a year-long deployment, the Battalion returned home to Ft.
