The 227th is over 50 years old – and still active!

Early in 1963, in the sandy hills of Fort Benning, Georgia a new concept was formally introduced to the United States Army. This idea was conceived in the minds of mobility-minded military leaders many years ago. Its birth was celebrated in the rice paddies and jungles of the Republic of South Vietnam early in that conflict. The concept matured into adolescence with the advent of new and better machines and it became the duty of the new 227th Assault Helicopter Battalion to prove to the world that air mobility was ready to take its place among the tired and proven tactical concepts available to the Army.

The 227th Assault Helicopter Battalion was constituted in the Regular Army on 1 February 1963 and assigned to the 11th Air Assault Division. This was the first battalion of its kind in the world and as it built into a full strength unit in the next several months, it stood ready to meet the challenge of providing a third dimension to the United State Army’s tactics.

On 11 February 1963 the 31st Transportation Company (Light Helicopter) was redesignated and activated as Company B, 227th Assault Helicopter Battalion, and brought to the battalion its twenty-two CH-34 helicopters.

On 15 February 1963 Company A, 227th Assault Helicopter Battalion was activated as the second of the battalion’s units. Company A was designated the aerial weapons armed escort company; their UH-1b’s and armament systems arriving in late April 1963.

On 18 July 1963 Headquarters Company, Company C and Company D, 227th Assault Helicopter Battalion was activated and in August 1963, the battalion became operational. Company C received its first UH-1D’s in August, the first issued to a TOE unit for field use. In December, Company A and Company D exchanged designations, making Company D the assault escort company. The Battalion then embarked on a long trail of sweat and tears that took two and half years of testing the airmobile concept. The concept was proven and the ground work laid for the forth-coming airmobile division.

The 227th Assault Helicopter Battalion was reorganized and redesignated 1 July 1965 as the 227th Aviation Battalion (Assault Helicopter); concurrently relieved from assignment to the 11th Air Assault Division and assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). The battalion had provided the “Air Assault” to it’s former division and now set out to put the “Airmobile” in the 1st Cavalry Division.

The above history reprinted from:
History of the 227th Aviation Battalion (Assault Helicopter)
PREPARED BY: Major Thomas I McMurray & Major Larry E. Scoggins
APPROVED BY: Jack Cranford
Lt. Colonel, Armor
Commanding

The current capability of the 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade (1ACB), has been developed in conjunction with the long history and needs of the 1st Cavalry Division. It is the combination of the experienced training received by each dedicated member of the Team and adherence to the performance level and traditions of the past. As of today, the 227th Aviation Regiment is currently represented by the following active units:

The 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment is an attack helicopter battalion that is a sub unit of the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade (1ACB), the aviation brigade for the 1st Cavalry Division. The battalion is an AH-64D Apache battalion based at Fort Hood, Texas. The unit’s nickname is “First Attack” because it was the first army aviation battalion to operationally field both the AH-64A and AH-64D model Apache. In June 2012, “First Attack” returned from its most recent deployment to Operation Enduring Freedom where it was stationed at FOB Sharana in Paktika Province, Regional Command-East.

The 1–227th traces its lineage directly from Company A, 227th Assault Helicopter Battalion.

The 2nd Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment fly the UH-60 Blackhawk and provides aerial C3 support, limited air assault, aeromedical evacuation and air movement for the 1st Cavalry Division. Recently, the 2nd Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment logged over 4400 hours in the Balkans in support of Stabilization Force 4. Missions performed ranged from multi-national general support and airborne command & control, to air movement operations. At Fort Hood, 2nd Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment provides general aviation support to the 1st Cavalry Division and conducts aerial fire fighting operations to support the local communities.

The 2–227th traces its lineage directly from Company B, 227th Assault Helicopter Battalion.

The 3rd Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment is an assault helicopter battalion, currently flying the UH-60L Blackhawk helicopter in support or our troops.

The 3-227 traces its lineage directly from Company C, 227th Assault Helicopter Battalion.

The 4th Battalion 227th Aviation Regiment was an attack reconnaissance battalion, also known as 4-227 ARB supporting the 1st Cavalry Division. Flying the AH-64D Apache Longbow.  The 4-227th traced its lineage directly from Company D, 227th Assault Helicopter Battalion.

The 4th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division held a reflagging ceremony, changing its unit designation to the 7th Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment at Hood Army Airfield Oct. 22, 2015. This transition is part of a larger Army wide reorganization process. The transformation to the 7-17 Cav. Regt. will change the unit to a heavy-attack, reconnaissance squadron, comprised of both AH-64E Apache helicopters and Shadow unmanned aerial systems aircraft.