42nd Combat Aviation Brigade
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The Combat Aviation Brigade, 42nd Infantry Division is a subordinate command of the 42nd Infantry Division. Once contained solely within New York, force reductions and reorganizations have resulted in units from several different states making up the brigade.
Source DMNA.[1]
- Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC), Latham, NY
- 3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation Regiment, Ronkonkoma, NY
- Company A, Latham, NY
- Company B, Ronkonkoma, NY
- Company D, Latham, NY
- Company E, Farmingdale, NY
- Detachment 2, Company A, 1st Security & Support Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment (S&S)
- Detachment 3, Company E, 3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation Regiment
- 642nd Aviation Support Battalion (642nd ASB), Rochester, NY
- HHC, Rochester, NY
- Detachment 2, HHC 3rd Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment (3-126th Aviation Battalion) (TOC) at Rochester
- Detachment 1, Company B, 3-126th Aviation Battalion (heavy lift) at Rochester
- Detachment 2, Company D, 3-126th Aviation Battalion (maintenance) at Rochester
- Detachment 2, Company E, 3-126th Aviation Battalion (support) at Rochester
- Company A, Dunkirk, NY
- Detachment 1 at Olean, NY
- Company B, Ronkonkoma, NY
- Company C, Brooklyn, NY
- C Company 1st General Support Aviation Battalion, 171st Aviation Regiment (C-1-171st GSAB) at Rochester
- Detachment 2, Headquarters and Headquarters Company (2-HHC), 1-171st GSAB at Rochester
- Company C, 1-171st GSAB at Rochester
- Detachment 2, Company D, 1-171st GSAB at Rochester
- Detachment 1, Company E, 1-171st GSAB
- HHC, Rochester, NY
Activation and history
The New York National Guard played an active role in Army aviation from the early 1900s through the end of World War II.[2][3] The Combat Aviation Brigade, 42d Infantry Division traces its history from 1947 when the post-World War II reorganization of the United States military created the United States Air Force as an entity separate from the Army. This reorganization also led to the creation of the Air National Guard.[4]
In 1947 the New York Army National Guard fielded a fixed-wing aviation detachment of L-19 "Bird Dogs" assigned to Miller Field on Staten Island.[5] This detachment and aircraft from the II Corps and 101st Armored Cavalry Regiment were organized as the 42d Aviation Company at Huntington Station, Long Island in 1959.[6]
In 1963, the 42d Division's aviation units were reorganized as the 42d Aviation Battalion, based at Zahn's Airport, Long Island. The battalion was equipped with O-1A Bird Dog and U-6 Beaver fixed-wing aircraft.[7]
The battalion expanded as the United States Army began fielding helicopters, including the creation of "lettered" subordinate companies (Company A, 42d Aviation Battalion, and so on) and companies from other states. In 1968 the battalion received OH-13s and OH-23s. In 1971, Company A (Niagara Falls) and Company B (Long Island NY) received Bell H-13, UH-1 and OH-6 helicopters. These companies consisted mainly of "lift" capacity and fielded the Delta and Hotel model UH-1, but each company had "Attack" platoons that flew "Charlie" and "Mike" model gunships.[8]
By 1985 the 42d Aviation Battalion was fielding the Bell AH-1 Cobra and Hughes OH-6 Cayuse, as well as the Bell UH-1 Iroquois.[9]
In October 1986 another reorganization resulted in the creation of the Aviation Brigade, 42d Infantry Division, and the expansion of the 42nd Aviation Battalion into two. The 1st Battalion, 142nd Aviation Regiment (Attack) headquartered in Latham, was established in 1989, and the 2d Battalion, 142nd Aviation Regiment (Assault) in Niagara Falls, New York in 1991.[8]
In 1995 the Army’s "Aviation Restructuring Initiative" again reorganized the Aviation Brigade. 2-142d Aviation was inactivated, moved to Rochester as the redesignated as 1-142d, and received the AH-1 ‘F’ model helicopter. 1-142d in Latham was re-flagged as the 3d Battalion, 142d Aviation Regiment (Assault), and received the UH-60 ‘Blackhawk’ helicopter.[10]
