FORT HOOD (Now designated Fort Cavazos), Texas – The 1st Air Cavalry Brigade is scheduled to conduct a color uncasing ceremony on July 3rd at 5:30 p.m. on Cooper Field here.
The 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division will transfer command to the 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo., during a handover/take over ceremony scheduled for July 2nd at Illesheim Army Airfield, Germany.
The uncasing ceremony marks the end of Air Cav’s participation in U.S. Army Europe’s (USAREUR) Operation Atlantic Resolve, a NATO operation designed to increase interoperability among allies, demonstrate the U.S.’s commitment to its partners, and deter foreign aggression, and symbolizes the unit’s official return to Fort Hood (Now designated Fort Cavazos), Texas.
Media interested in attending the ceremony, RSVP no later than 1 p.m., July 2, to U.S. Army Maj. Paul Oliver, 1st Air Cav public affairs officer, at 808-375-7600 or paul.m.oliver.mil@mail.mil, or Sgt. 1st Class Michael Garrett at 501-269-7003 or michael.b.garrett16.mil@mail.mil.
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Additional information.
The Air Cav arrived in Europe in early October, with nearly a hundred aircraft including CH-47 Chinooks, AH-64 Apaches, UH-60 Black Hawks and HH-60 Medevacs; and close 1900 Troopers. With their headquarters positioned in Germany, the Air Cav’s battalions were spread across Europe in Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, and Poland.
While supporting Atlantic Resolve, Air Cav participated in four major exercises: Allied Spirit, Dynamic Front, Combined Resolve and Saber Strike.
USAREUR’s Saber Strike field exercise, which took place from June 3 to June 15, served as the capstone event for Air Cav before their redeployment back to Fort Hood (Now designated Fort Cavazos), Texas.
Saber Strike is a complex training exercise which stretches across the Baltics and Poland that tests the will and capabilities of a unified alliance that the Atlantic Resolve mission has helped to build.
Saber Strike is the platform to validate the collective capability to rapidly respond to and reinforce Allies in a time of crisis.
During Saber Strike the Air Cav positioned forces in Ziemsko Air Base Poland bringing a fleet of over 30 aircraft consisting of AH-64 Apaches, CH-47 Chinooks, HH-60 Medevacs and UH-60 Black Hawks.
The brigade provided 24-hour medical evacuation, reconnaissance, and air assault capabilities.
Throughout Saber Strike Air Cav partnered with the 1st Battalion (Airborne), 143rd Infantry Regiment, Texas Army National Guard, and moved over 200 infantrymen into a secured landing zone.
Saber Strike concluded with a wet-gap crossing in which the 1st Air Cav and 36th Engineers Brigade, from Fort Hood (Now designated Fort Cavazos), Texas, coordinated to help the armored assets of the 2-8 CAV, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st CAV Division, cross a body of water in Drawasko Pomorskie Training Area, Poland.
