28th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade

The 28th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade or 28th ECAB is a heavy aviation unit of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. The Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB) is one of five brigades of the 28th Infantry Division. It provides aviation assets for both federal and state active duty missions. The aviators of the CAB fly the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk, Eurocopter UH-72A Lakota and Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopters. The CAB headquarters is at Muir Army Airfield, Fort Indiantown Gap, located north of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Shoulder sleeve insignia of the 28th Infantry Division. Worn by soldiers of Combat Aviation Brigade, 28th Infantry Division.

The command team is as follows:

  • Commander: Col. Howard Lloyd[1]
  • CSM: Command Sgt. Maj. Sean Livolsi[1]

Structure

The brigade is composed of the following units:[1]

  • Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC)
  • 2nd Battalion (General Support), 104th Aviation Regiment
  • 628th Aviation Support Battalion (628th ASB)
    • Alpha Company[2]
    • Charlie Company[3]

History

The Aviation Brigade traces its heritage to 1 June 1959 with the activation of the 28th Aviation Company at the Capital City Airport, New Cumberland, Pennsylvania. The unit was reorganized as the 28th Aviation Battalion on 1 April 1963 and later relocated to 18th and Herr Streets (1976) and 21st and Herr Streets (1980) in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

On 1 October 1986, the Aviation Brigade was organized under the Army of Excellence (AOE) design.[4] Station relocation to the World War II barracks in area 2, Fort Indiantown Gap, occurred on 1 May 1992 for HHC, Aviation Brigade, and Detachment 1, HHT, Troops C and D (Air), 1st Squadron, 104th Cavalry, ending 33 years of service in the Harrisburg area.

As of mid-1999, the brigade operated 86 Bell UH-1 Iroquois "Huey" and Bell AH-1 Cobra helicopters, as well as a supporting element of 27 M1 Abrams tanks and other ground combat equipment. Although training in the brigade is focused on possible employment in time of war, its soldiers are frequently called on to rescue endangered citizens and perform other emergency missions across the state.

Iraq deployment

Soldiers of the CAB, 28th Infantry Division began mobilization on 29 January 2009 for Operation Iraqi Freedom 09-11. Over 2,000 soldiers from multiple states completed validation training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma before moving to Camp Buehring, Kuwait. Throughout the opening days of May 2009, soldiers flew into multiple forward operating bases across Iraq with the majority of the brigade based out of Tallil, Al Kut, and Basrah.[5]

Brigade composition for OIF
  • Headquarters, Combat Aviation Brigade
    • 2nd Battalion (General Support), 104th Aviation Regiment (2nd General Support Aviation Battalion 104th Aviation Regiment)
      • Company A (Assault), 1st Battalion, 106th Aviation Regiment
      • Company B (Heavy Lift), 2nd Battalion, 104th Aviation Regiment
      • Company C (Attack), 3rd Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment***
      • Company C (Medical Evacuation), 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment
      • Company D (Maintenance), 2nd Battalion, 104th Aviation Regiment
      • Company E (Supply), 2nd Battalion, 104th Aviation Regiment
    • 1st Battalion, 189th Aviation Regiment (Montana Army National Guard)
    • 1st Battalion (Assault Helicopter), 150th Aviation Regiment (1st Assault Helicopter Battalion 150th Aviation Regiment)
    • 1st Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment
    • 628th Aviation Support Battalion (628th ASB)

(*** Company C, 3rd Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment is a Regular Army unit that was OPCON to the 2nd Battalion (General Support), 104th Aviation Regiment during OIF 08-10. They are currently task organized as a part of 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, stationed in Germany.)

References
  1. "28th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade". Pennsylvania National Guard. 7 April 2020.
  2. "Sling Load". DVIDS. 19 November 2019.
  3. "C Co, 628th ASB keeps the 28th ECAB connected". DVIDS. 19 November 2019.
  4. Brigade Facebook.com page, accessed January 2014.
  5. Pennsylvania National Guard's 28th Combat Aviation Brigade Assumes Authority of Multi-National Division – South Aviation Operations
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