615th Support Battalion

(Aviation Support) “Forge the Edge”

First activated on 17 September 1996, the 615th Aviation Support Battalion was the first of its kind within the 1st Cavalry Division. Formed to provide logistical support to the 4th Brigade (Aviation), it was formed primarily by merging assets of Company F, 2-227th Aviation Regiment (Aviation Intermediate Maintenance) and Company C, 27th Main Support Battalion (Ground Maintenance and Supply Activities). The Headquarters and Supply Company (HSC) was formed from various Division Support Command assets. Following the activation, the Battalion had 3 companies providing for the maintenance, supply, and fuel support for the 4th Brigade. The Battalion’s mission was to provide logistical support to the 4th Brigade (Aviation), 1st Cavalry Division.

The Headquarters Supply Company was developed from assets throughout the Division Support Command. The Soldiers of Company F, 2-227th Aviation Regiment (Aviation Intermediate Maintenance) were reflagged as Company A, 615th Aviation Support Battalion. Company C, 27th Main Support Battalion was reflagged as Company B, 615th Aviation Support Battalion. The Headquarters and Supply Company consisted of all battalion-level command and staff personnel, all battalion food service personnel, and a support operations section. Additionally, it consisted of the supply and service sections required to sustain the 4th Brigade (Aviation), 1st Cavalry Division). A Company was an Aviation Intermediate Maintenance (AVIM) company that repaired the aircraft of the 4th Brigade (Aviation). B Company was the Ground Maintenance and Supply Activities Company in the support battalion. It repaired all ground support equipment organic to the 4th Brigade (Aviation).

After its activation, the Battalion’s Soldiers were instrumental in the modernization of the 4th Brigade (Aviation) through their work in supporting the fielding the AH-64D Longbow Apache attack helicopters, OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters, M1A2 Abrams main battle tanks, M3A2 Cavalry Fighting Vehicles, M88A2 Medium Recovery Vehicles, new contact trucks, and by continually upgrading and updating logistics support equipment, training, and procedures. The armored fighting vehicles existed in the ground elements of 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, the divisional cavalry squadron at the time.

soldiers of the Battalion participated in numerous deployments and National Training Center rotations in support of Brigade training operations. In 1997, 615th Aviation Support Battalion elements supported the annual Intrinsic Action exercises in the Middle East. From 1998 to 1999, the entire Battalion deployed to Bosnia as part of Stabilization Force 4 and 5 (SFOR4 and SFOR5) in support of Operation Joint Forge. The Battalion also participated in many command post and computer simulation (Warfighter) exercises using state of the art technology to fight and win on the battlefield.

In 2004, the Battalion deployed to Iraq attached to the 4th Brigade (Aviation), 1st Cavalry Division in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II. The Battalion successfully completed its mission and redeployed back to Fort Hood in early 2005.

The 615th Aviation Support Battalion was inactivated along with the rest the 1st Cavalry Division Support Command (DISCOM) elements in early 2005. It was relieved from assignment to the 1st Cavalry Division. This restructuring was part of the transformation of the 1st Cavalry Division to the US Army’s modular force structure. As part of the transformation, assets previously held at division level, but habitually attached to its brigades would be made organic to those brigades. The unit was subsequently reorganized and reactivated, assigned to the Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas on 26 May 2005. This transformation added 2 companies with about 320 more personnel, their equipment and many functions and missions previously provided by units at echelons above Brigade level. In July 2005, the unit formed Company C, a Signal Network Node company, from elements of the inactivated 13th Signal Battalion and received the attachment of Company F, 1st Battalion, 58 Aviation Regiment, an Air Traffic Services company.

In 2006, the Battalion deployed to Iraq as part of the Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 06-08. In August 2006 a Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Company was activated upon deployment as Company E. The Battalion successfully completed its mission and redeployed back to Fort Hood, Texas at the end of 2007.

The battalion earned a Meritorious Unit Citation for its service in Operation Iraqi Freedom from 28 April 2009 to 15 April 2010.

Vehicle maintainers with the 615th Aviation Support Battalion, both with 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, placed first in the large unit category division-level to win the Army Award for Maintenance Excellence in the fall of 2013, The 615th ASB also taking first place in the large unit category at the U.S. Forces Command-level.