Photo By Chuck Cannon | Brig. Gen. Patrick Frank, commander, Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Polk...... read more read more
FORT POLK, La. — The Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 5th Aviation Regiment joined friends, Family, former members and Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Polk leadership Oct. 19 at Fort Polk Army Airfield to receive something most Army units take for granted — a name.
“This is the culmination of about 13 years of work,” Lt. Col. Connie Lane, commander, 1st Bn, 5th Avn Reg, said. “Today is that moment in time in which perseverance is rewarded. It’s a big day for the battalion and gives us a history.”
That history has included several name and mission changes since the unit was constituted on July 20, 1940 as the 5th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop assigned to the 5th Division at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana.
Names through the years included: 5th Reconnaissance Troop, Mechanized; 5th Mechanized Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop; 5th Reconnaissance Company; Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 5th Aviation Battalion; and Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 5th Avn Bn.
In 1975, HHD, 5th Avn Bn began its ties to Fort Polk when it was redesignated as the Aviation Company, 5th Infantry Division, and activated at Fort Polk. Since joining Fort Polk, the unit has been known as HHC, 5th Avn Bn; HHC, 1st Bn, 5th Avn assigned to the 5th Infantry Division.
Now, Lane said, the unit finally has its own name.
“This took a lot of hard work by our predecessors through the current leadership of Brigadier General (Patrick) Frank (JRTC and Fort Polk commanding general), Lieutenant General Laura Richardson (acting Forces Command commanding general) and General Robert Abrams (former FORSCOM commanding general),” Lane said.
Frank, who offered remarks during the ceremony, echoed Lane’s comments on the amount of work it took to bring the day’s result to fruition.
“The process to arrive at this point of success was very demanding; in fact the first attempt to transition from ‘JRTC and Fort Polk Aviation Detachment’ to 1-5 Aviation was denied,” Frank said.
“The relentless efforts of our Chief of Staff, Colonel (Christopher) Moretti and the installation staff proved to be the reason that both General Abrams and Lieutenant General Richardson supported the second request from JRTC and Fort Polk to allow our aviation battalion to be renamed 1-5 Aviation.”
Frank said the 1st Bn, 5th Avn Reg motto — No Mission Denied — was an apt description of the work its Soldiers carried out an a daily basis.
“Anyone familiar with the mission of this battalion immediately recognizes the linkage between this historical motto and the professional approach to duty that all Soldiers in this battalion execute on a daily basis,” he said.
Frank then listed each of the battalion’s companies and their roles at the JRTC and Fort Polk, from providing Blackhawk assault helicopters for JRTC lift missions and opposing forces (OPFOR) assaults, to observer/controller/trainer overwatch, to medevac operations.
“No mission denied,” Frank said. “We are proud of our Aviation Battalion. It is fitting that this world class formation assume the colors of 1-5 Aviation with campaign streamers from World War II on battlefields like Normandy and Central Europe to combat in Vietnam. Our 1-5 Aviation ensures that Soldiers and brigade combat teams that train at JRTC are prepared for the rigors of the next battlefield.”
Following the ceremony retired Lt. Col. Charlie Elliot, who commanded the 1st Bn, 5th Avn Reg, from 1988-1990, and his first sergeant, retired 1st Sgt. Frank Reischling, spoke about what the day meant for them.
“It’s wonderful,” Elliot said. “It’s good to see them getting their colors back.
“God bless them.”
Added Reischling, “It touches me. I dearly loved 5th Aviation. I am happy that they are finally going to be permanent.”
Frank said the activation of the 1st Bn, 5th Avn Reg colors and their history symbolized to him the Warrior Ethos.
“They fly relentlessly for us, in rotation and out of rotation for all our partner units,” Frank said.
“They’re working with units like 115th Combat Support Hospital, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, 46th Engineer Battalion, 519th Military Police Battalion and they support Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital. This is an incredible battalion. They’re not as large as a combat aviation battalion, but they fly the wings off these aircraft and we’re exceptionally proud of them.”
| Date Taken: | 10.26.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 10.26.2018 09:44 |
| Story ID: | 297821 |
| Location: | FORT POLK, LOUISIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 646 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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