4 1 AVIATION BATTALION HISTORICAL RECORD OPS

File: 090496_jul96_decls33_0010.txt
Page: 0010
Total Pages: 17
Subject: 4 1 AVIATION BATTALION HISTORICAL RECORD OPS                    

Box  ID: BX001066

Document Number:          9

Folder Title: MERITORIOUS UNIT COMMENDATION-4TH BN-1ST AVN REGIMENT                                           

Folder Seq #:         11

Unit: 1ST ID      

Parent Organzation: VII  CORPS  







                        An OH-58D, flown by CPT Morgan, was tasked to fly a reconnaissance mission with COL
                Mowery along the Basral-Kuwait City highway. The weather deteriorated, forcing the AH-64's to
                land. Continuing the mission as a single aircraft, the OH-58D penetrated the weather VFR-on-top,
                which degraded the Iraqi's ability to use air defense artillery optically. Descending through the
                clouds by guiding on the burning oil wells, the OH58D began to recon the Basrah highway. The
                highway was saturated with thousands of Iraqi soldiers and hundreds of enemy armored vehicles.
                COL Mowery called Gunfighter 6 for backup, and an attack team flew up the highway. The end
                result of this mission was the surrendering of several hundred Iraqi soldiers.      i
                        The rear detachment at Kuwait One consisted of three LTH-69s with inoperable APUs and
                four HEMTTS, fully fueled from a Tennessee National Guard Unit. The HEMTrs were placed in
                a 180 degree perimeter in front of the UH-60's with a large sand dune to the rear. Roving guards
                equipped with NVG's were placed at each end of the sand dune. At approximately 2300 hours,
                while conducting night checks, MAJ Jones spotted an armor column moving to the east of their
                position. He ordered the Sergeant of the Guard (SGT Marler) to monitor the convoy's movement
                and notify him if any movement started toward their location. SGT Marler and two guards (SPC
                Atkins and SGT Walton) continued to watch the armor column. The column stopped once and
                then started again, leaving one vehicle behind. All that night, Medevac helicopters landed to refuel
                and were told to avoid the east because of the unknown armor column.


                                                          UNE PRU@F

                29 February
                        MAJ Jones and CPT E. Smith conduct a long range and short range reconnaissance of the
                vehicle left by the convoy to determine if enemy soldiers were present, and none were found.
                Fortunately for the trail party, the Iraqi column did not detect them during the night. The rear
                element rejoined the main body that afternoon.
                        In three days 4-1 Avn Bn moved over one hundred seventy kilometers, one hundred five
                miles, across Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait, traveling just behind 1/4 Cav. Not only did 4-1 Avn
                Bn move all of its assets, it also provided continuous combat support, general support, and
                reconnaissance to the lst Infantry Division and the 4th Brigade.

                                                     BECON2uouuuDoN


                I March
                        CW3 Hartlett of 2AD(FWD) reported a light green molded plastic clump approximately
                thirty meters off the south end of 4-l's FARP on a heading of 150 degrees. He marked the sight
                and notified the TOC. Battalion cleared the area and notified 4th Brigade of the situation.
                Engineers arrived to identify the obiect and confirmed it was a hand grenade. A demolifion team
                was contacted to blow the grenade in place.

                2 March
                        Unexploded mortar fuses were found in the 2AD(FWD) Avn Detachmenf s area. ILT Kim
                Payne, detachment XO, secured the area and notified the TOC. Engineers were summoned to
                dispose of the ordnance.
                        3/B/2-58 was tasked to provide air traffic control support for Safwan Airfield for the Cease
                Fire negotiations. 3/B/2-58 deployed the AN/75Q70A air traffic control center and the AN/75C-
                6 IB flight coordination center.