10th Combat Aviation Battalion - Soldiers of the Sky – Dong Ba Thin, Buon Me Thout - II Corps – see article from CMH on 10th Aviation Lineage, See 1969 Hawk Article, See 1971 Hawk Article

Attention! 10^th Battalion Aug 2009 Reunion – click here for details – All Bn companies and personnel invited.

Battalion Headquarters & Headquarters Co. – Dong Ba Thin

Valorous Unit Award—1 Jan–24 Mar 66 Meritorious Unit Commendation—Dec 65–Sep 66

· Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment

Valorous Unit Award—1–20 Jun 66 for Operation Hawthorne Meritorious Unit Commendation—5 Sep 66–31 Mar 67

· 339^th Aviation Support Detachment

Meritorious Unit Commendation—5 Sep 66–31 Mar 67

· 130^th Med Detachment

Valorous Unit Awards—1 Jan–24 Mar 66; 1–20 Jun 66 Meritorious Unit Commendations—Dec 65–Sep 66; 5 Sep 66–31 Mar 67

The 10th battalion formed in-country November 1965 to support the 101st Airborne and Korean forces. Its support expanded to include the 173rd Airborne as well as MACV and ARVN units in the area. Known for it’s ability to rapidly re-deploy it’s companies to new locations in support of major engagements.

281st Intruders - by Jack Green III 1966

1966 Lineup:	1968 Lineup:	1970 Lineup:	Joining later
48^th Air Mobile Light Co.	61^st Assault Helicopter Co.	48^th Assault Helicopter Co.	C/227^th (60^th) Assault Helicopter Co. (’71-72)
129^th Air Mobile Light Co.	92^nd Assault Helicopter Co	92^nd Assault Helicopter Co	D/227^th Assault Helicopter Co. (’71-72)
281^st Air Mobile Light Co.	281^st Assault Helicopter Co	281^st Assault Helicopter Co
	196^th Assault Support Helicopter Co.	155^th Assault Helicopter Co
		192^nd Assault Helicopter Co
		243^rd Assault Support Helicopter Co.

Below is a little about each company with the battalion in 1969 or later. Other companies which were with the 10^th Bn at some point will be found under the battalion they were assigned to in June 1969 – see 1^st Brigade Org Charts on the brigade home page.

48th Assault Helicopter Company - Blue Stars, Jokers - Phan Rang, Ninh Hoa – See 1970 article See 1972 article

Valorous Unit Awards—1–20 Jun 66; 8 Feb–24 Mar 71

Meritorious Unit Commendations—Dec 65–Sep 66; 5 Sep 66–31 Mar 67

http://www.48ahc.org/

• 286^th Med Detachment

Valorous Unit Awards—1 Jan–24 Mar 66; 1–20 Jun 66

Meritorious Unit Commendations—Dec 65–Sep 66; 5 Sep 66–31 Mar 67

· 390^th Transportation Detachment

Meritorious Unit Commendation—31 Oct 65–31 Dec 66 http://www.390TC.com

The 48th Assault Helicopter Company served in Vietnam from Nov 1965 until Aug 1972.  The Blue Stars and Jokers were among the first Assault Helicopter Companies to arrive in Vietnam and one of the last to leave.  The 48th participated in 16 major campaigns and according to an ABC News report, was the most highly decorated aviation unit in the US Army.  The 48th entered combat operations in 1965 as the combat assault helicopter support for 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division.  In late 1966 the 48th moved to Ninh Hoa and was assigned as the assault helicopter company in support of the 9th Korean (White Horse) Division.  The 48th continued this combat assault role until Jan 1971 when it was ordered north to Dong Ha in I Corps to support Lam Son 719.  The Blue Stars and Jokers remain on active duty today as Company A, 3-158th Aviation Regiment.  Today, as it was throughout the war years in Vietnam, the Blue Stars and Jokers rely on "Skill Not Luck" to accomplish the mission. A good side tour here is to the 390th TC who supported the 48th at www.390TC.com

92^nd Assault Helicopter Company - Stallions, Sidekicks - Dong Ba Thin (Cam Ranh Bay)- See article

Meritorious Unit Commendation—Oct 64–Dec 66

http://www.92ahc.org/ site

A second website for 92nd AHC is here

The 92nd began in Vietnam in Oct 1964 in Quin Nhon as a fixed wing "Caribou" company assigned to the 14th Battalion until late in 1966 when the Air Force took over all Caribous in country. It was reactivated at Ft. Carson, Colorado and returned as an all helicopter company. The 92nd AHC arrived at Dong Ba Thin in November 1967.  The 92nd worked for Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV), Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) units, Republic of Korea (ROK) units, and several Special Forces Units. In addition it provided combat support to elements of the 1st Brigade/101st Airborne Division, the 173rd Airborne Brigade, and the 4th Infantry Division. The unit performed missions throughout the entire II Corps Tactical Zone (TZ), which was a jigsaw puzzle of flat coast, valley farmland, arid plains, humid triple canopy jungle, and high mountains it departed Vietnam in 1972.

155^th Assault Helicopter Company - Stagecoaches, Falcons - Ban Me Thout - See 1969 Article, See 1970 article

Valorous Unit Award—28–30 May 66

http://155thahc.com/

• 8^th Med Detachment Valorous Unit Award—18 Sep–28 Oct 65

• 348^th Aviation Support Detachment     Valorous Unit Awards—13–19 Aug 67; 12 May 68

The 155th arrived in Vietnam in April 1965 as Company A, 1st Battalion of the 1st Infantry division and was transferred to 1st Aviation Brigade in November 1965. It supported MACV, the 5^th Special Forces on highly coordinated insertions; the ARVN and other U.S. troops in its area and participated in the Cambodian Incursion in Spring 1970 It departed Vietnam in 1971.

192^nd Assault Helicopter Company - Polecats, Tiger Sharks - Phu Hiep, Phan Thiet, Phan Rang  - see article

Valorous Unit Award—31 Jan–25 Feb 68

http://www.frontiernet.net/%7Eflewhuey/192/index.html

• 198^th Med Detachment
• 363^rd Aviation Support Detachment Meritorious Unit Commendation—12 Sep 71–15 Jul 72

The call sign "Polecat" was in honor of a pet skunk named Waldo who made the trip to Vietnam on the boat with the men and aircraft in Sep 1967.  In December 1967, the 192nd moved to Phan Thiet; between Cam Rahn Bay and Vung Tau, then in 1970 to Phan Rang.  They supported many units in the southern II Corps area, including the White Horse division of the army of the Republic of Korea, the 101st Airborne, 75^th Infantry Rangers, 173rd Airborne and MACV (Military Assistance Command, Vietnam).           

243^rd Assault Support Helicopter Company - Freight Train - Dong Ba Thin – see article

The Freight Trains were in Vietnam from Oct 1967 to Dec 1970 as a Chinook company supporting the 101^st Airborne and other friendly units. They moved everything from troops, artillery and supplies to assembling everything for hill top firebases in record time and lifting downed hueys for a ride back home. Chinooks (CH-47's) had a crew of 5; Aircraft Commander, Pilot, Flight Engineer, Crew Chief and Door Gunner. The Flight Engineer was called "chief" none-the less. The crew chief was someone who had gone through the schooling but was new to the job. We flew crew chief as kind of O.J.T. under the flight Engineer and generally the crew chief took over the Flight Engineer position when the present FE rotated back to the "World".  The chief stayed with his bird as did the Flight Engineer generally. The gunners rotated thru all the aircraft and were not assigned to any one particular aircraft. This situation may have been different in different Hook units, however. Gunners were responsible for two (2) modified M-60 machine guns (these were stripped of the ground unit cooling pieces as moving thru the air, there was no need for cooling via the heat transfer system). Additionally, these weapons had an attachment at the rear of the piece that had a butterfly (either) thumb activated way of operating the weapon. Still shot the standard 7.62 NATO (.308) round in a belt with every fifth round being a tracer. The Flight Engineer carried a .45 pistol and M-79 grenade launcher.

281st Assault Helicopter Company -  Intruders - Nha Trang – See 1969 Article. See  1970 Article

281^st Association Site

Original 281^st Intruder Site

Valorous Unit Award—4 Mar–4 Apr 68

Meritorious Unit Commendation—5 Sep 66–31 Mar 67

The Intruders were in Vietnam from Jun 1966 to Dec 1970 operating in the mountainous Central Highlands.  Most of the units in the brigade supported some element of the 5th Special Forces at some time. The difference is - the Intruders supported them all the time until 1970. At that time they began also providing support to the 4^th Infantry and Korean and Vietnamese troops in the area. The Intruders’ three helicopter platoons were the Rat Pack, Bandits and Wolfpack.

B/227^th Assault Helicopter Company – Potato Masher

When the 1^st Cavalry Division stood down in Vietnam Mar 1971, a number of units remained in country. The 3^rd Brigade continued to operated with the addition companies of their 229^th Aviation Battalion. Six of the 1^st Cavalry helicopter companies came over to serve with our brigade in various battalions for the remainder of 1971 and early 1972. Companies B, C and D of the 227^th Bn went to our 10^th Bn, 17^th Group. A/228^th was assigned to the 11^th Group. Companies A/227 and C/228 went to our 52^nd Bn, 17^th Group. Company B/229 went to our 222^nd Bn 12^th Group. You can find them on the appropriate battalion pages of this site.

The companies had been in country since late 1965.

C/227^th Assault Helicopter Company (60^th Assault Helicopter Company) – Ghost Rider

http://www.urnserenity.com/Memorial.html

Valorous Unit Award—1–31 Oct 67

The Ghost Riders were in Vietnam from 1965 to 1971 as C Company, 227th Aviation Battalion of the 1st Air Cavalry Division. When reassigned to our brigade, the Ghost Riders moved to Ninh Hoa in II Corps and were re-designated later as the 60th AHC, part of our 10th Aviation Battalion.  From January 1971 to their departure in March 1973, they provided support to the Koreans and ARVN.

Patch is Mike O'Neil’s from VHPA Museum site

D/227^th Aerial Weapons Company – El Lobo

Presidential Unit Citation—26 Jan–4 Apr 67

2d Platoon Valorous Unit Award—1–31 Oct 67

3d Platoon Valorous Unit Award—1–31 Oct 67

When the 1^st Cavalry Division stood down in Vietnam Mar 1971, a number of units remained in country. The 3^rd Brigade continued to operated with the addition companies of their 229^th Aviation Battalion. Six of the 1^st Cavalry helicopter companies came over to serve with our brigade in various battalions for the remainder of 1971 and early 1972. Companies B, C and D of the 227^th Bn went to our 10^th Bn, 17^th Group.

Return to 17^th Group Return to 1^st Aviation home page