4 1 AVIATION BATTALION HISTORICAL RECORD OPS

File: 090496_jul96_decls33_0015.txt
Page: 0015
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  








                                                   BOCK UG snuag RRRBUR

                15 April
                         ne battalion main body began a two day road march south into Saudi Arabia to RAA
                Huebner (NS5216). Seventeen personnel traveled to RAA Huebner by Chinook and arrived at
                approximately 1030.

                16 April
                         A warning order was received to be prepared to send the TAC TWR team to @d
                LT540785 at 171200 April. CP'f Kunz made direct coordination with CPT Hagerty.
                         Major Waters notified Brigade that the gate 2 inspection was complete.
                         The battalion arrived at RAA Huebner at 1230 hours.

                17 April - 24 April
                         For the next week 4-1 Avn battalion prepared for the movement to Damman Port. All
                equipment was inventoried and cleaned. After the equipment had been thoroughly cleaned, it was
                loaded in milvans for shipment.

                18 Apri I
                         CPT Sumetix returned to Ft. Riley to organize advance party effforts .

                24 April
                         T'he advance party, led by MAJ Waters, departed for West Heliport in two UH-60A
                Blackhawks and one HUMMV,

                24 April - 29 April
                         At Ft. Riley, the bartacks were inventoried and opened. The mattresses and refrigerators
                were exchanged for new issue.

                25 April- - 27 April
                         The mission of the advance party was twofold. MAJ Waters took charge of West Heliport,
                since he was the Brigade OIC for the cleaning of the Brigade's helicopters and for their movement
                to port. Some members of the advance party also coordinated for the anival of the battalion by
                arranging for living space at Khobar towers, finding out where the battalion would park the
 until the wash rack was available, and gathering general information about the area that
                would facilitate the battalion's arrival. This inforniafion included mess hall locations and hours of
                operation, finance hours of operation, Division uniform policy, location of vehicle wash racks, and
                recreational facilities .
                         Other members of the advance party spent these days at West Heliport, the site for the
                cleaning of the aircraft, watching the operations of other units cleaning aircraft. The wash rack
                OIC's of these units were asked what was working well and with what were they having
                problems. The aircraft inspector was also questioned about the best times to wash aircraft and
                what parts on the aircraft were the most difficult to get clean. All of this information was to be
                used to make 4th Brigade's aircraft cleaning operation run smoothly. Hangers for 4-1 battalion's
                aircraft were obtained for maintenance use, and they were inspected to make sure electricity was
                available and the lights worked.

                27 April
                         A formation was held near the battalion TOC. LTC Wilkerson spoke to the soldiers about
                the need for constant safety awareness since a lot of work still needed to be accomplished before
                the plane ride to the States. After the formation, bags were loaded on vehicles and the tents were
                taken down. The vehicles lined up at 1000 hours, and the convoy departed RAA Huebner at 1455

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