Country United States Type Composite Brigade | Branch Army Aviation | |
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Active 16 September 1988 – present Allegiance Regular Army/Army Reserve Role Daily missions;search and rescue operations; assisting in wildfire suppression; providing support at the Army National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California;, and flying dignitaries around the country. | ||
The 244th Aviation Brigade is an aviation brigade of the United States Army.
Contents
The brigade consists of a headquarters company, two general support aviation battalions, one fixed wing battalion, and an aviation maintenance battalion, as follows:
The 244th Aviation Brigade became a component of the 11th Theater Aviation Command when the command activated on 16 September 2007. At that time, a number of units which were formerly under the brigade were transferred away and several units within the brigade were reconsolidated. Until the transfer, the 244th Aviation Brigade was the largest aviation brigade in the United States Army and continues to be the only aviation brigade in the United States Army Reserve.
History
The 244th Aviation Brigade was originally constituted on 16 September 1988 in the Army Reserve as Headquarters, 244th Aviation Group and was activated at Naval Air Station Glenview in Glenview, Illinois. On 31 March 1995 the group's location was changed to Fort Sheridan, Illinois and on 17 October 1995 the Group was reorganized and redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 244th Aviation Brigade. On 1 October 2008, the Brigade headquarters was moved from Fort Sheridan, Illinois to Fort Dix, New Jersey.
The brigade consists of a mix of Active Component and Reserve (Troop Program Unit and Active Guard Reserve) soldiers as well as Department of the Army civilian employees and contractors. Every unit of the brigade has deployed overseas to support contingency operations since 1988, including the Brigade Headquarters and Headquarters Company. These operations include Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Joint Forge, Noble Eagle, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Units of the brigade also perform daily missions in cooperation with other United States forces and agencies such as search and rescue operations, assisting in wildfire suppression, providing support at the Army National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California, and flying dignitaries around the country.