From 1963 to 1965 the 227th Assault Helicopter Battalion developed tactics and operating procedures for the air assault concept as part of the 11th Air Assault Division (Test). This document is an original (marked up) draft copy of the original Tactical Standard Operation Procedures (SOP) for helicopter air assault.
The document has been generously provided by the family of (then) Major Leo E. Soucek.
Major Soucek was literally the first man to report to the 227th, and as the XO he helped build the unit from the ground up. The 227th trained helicopter pilots in the use of the very first low level, nap-of-the-earth techniques combined with formation and nighttime air-assault tactics. The unofficial unit crest, put together by a battalion mechanic at Leo’s behest, was a pouncing Hawk with feet extended to snatch prey. The crest later became officially recognized by the Army.
Later he would serve four years in Vietnam, implementing the core concepts he helped develop and test with tours as Commander of the 11th CAB, 11th CAG, the 164th CAG, and G-3, 1st AVN Bde. When he commanded the 164th in the Mekong Delta it consisted of over 350 aircraft – the largest number of aircraft commanded by a colonel in combat or peacetime. A proud legacy of the 227th, Leo Soucek retired as a Brigadier General and was inducted posthumously into the Army Aviation Hall of Fame in 2017