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On September 11, 2004, three years to the day after our homeland
suffered the the worst attack since Pearl Harbor the 1-140th Aviation Battalion was officially activated and began the final
preparations for its Mobilization and deployment to Iraq. We packed up the rest of our equipment and shipped it off to our
Mobilization station then we got ready for the worst part. Saying goodbye to our families. When I joined the military in 1978
I was single and ready to see what was out there. Well by the time I actually deployed I was 45 and had a wife and three children.
Saying goodbye to them was the hardest thing I have ever done.
From Los Alamitos we went to our Mobilization (MOB) station, Ft. Sill, Oklahoma. Three months of
training for our deployment to Iraq, or so we thought. Three months of convoy training, detainee handling, oh yes and trying
to get our aircraft ready to spend a year flying in the desert. I think we even flew once or twice. Well we had to get those
maintenance test flights done. Training for our aircrews would have to wait. Someone would have to know how to handle the
detainees after all, and shooting from a moving humvee is a perishable skill. Or so I've been told. So in between gouping
our chairs together to simulate a vehicle and frisking each other, we actually got the helicopters ready to go.
After a two week stay in Kuwait we were off to Iraq. Since it already happened I can tell you it was January 6th, 2005
For the flight companies anyway, it took the rest of the unit a couple of days to convoy in. It was a short but very
interesting four hours of flight time for us. Once in Iraq we began to amass an incredible 9,000 hours of flight time. During
this time we conducted Battlefield circulation. This is the movement of soldiers to the different FOB's around the country.
It is truly safer to fly than to drive in Iraq. We faced numerous supply issues and the harsh desert environment took
it's toll on the aircraft but the unit pressed on.
Charlie company got the parts they needed and set about completing 47,500 hours of ground maintenance, over
88,000 total hours of organic maintenance and 230 Maintenance Test Flights. This enabled the flight companies to move personnel
over 8 Million air miles across the country. While flying all those hours the unit also conducted 13 Air Assault missions
to insert combat ready troops with speed and surprise into areas where known High Value Targets were hiding, thus enabling
the troops to capture over 40 of these HVT's . Our most somber yet Honorable mission was The Hero Mission. This is the movement
of fallen soldiers out of the area of operation and on their way home. Sadly the number was way too high at 13. There were
also 2 Casualty Evacuation missions (CASEVAC), starting with the afore mentioned "WillyNilly" mission. All of this while
maintaining a record of 99% Time-On-Target.
While all that flying was going on the unit also provided mounted and unmounted base security, set up a
Life Support Area )LSA) which included a Chapel, Troop Medical Clinic (TMC). Two MWR facilities, one was actually quite large.
Let's see what was that called? Oh yes the IMPACT ZONE, that is as they say another story. A Digital Tactical Operations Center
(TOC), Motor Pool and two aircraft hangars were also set up. All in our quiet little corner of Camp Speicher, quiet because
we were at the furthermost corner of the FOB.
Other members of the Battalion were involved in providing humanitarian support. Working with the 228th Combat
Surgical Hospital and the 2-7th Infantry to support and assist the Iraqi Childhood Organization and Medical Center.
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| Deployment Ceremony |
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| Bravo Company in formation |
| Ft. Sill The day we left For Iraq |
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| The beginning of a very long day |
| At the holding area |
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| Waiting for the bus to the plane |
| Boarding the plane |
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| Only Twenty hours to go |
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