Wings of Destiny battalion wins outstanding aviation unit of the year

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky., -- The 1st Battalion, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), received the Outstanding Aviation Unit Award in a ceremony in Atlanta, Ga., April 30.

The award was presented by the Army Aviation Association of America for making an outstanding contribution or innovation to the employment of Army aviation over and above the normal mission assigned to the unit during the preceding year.

The 1st Bn., 101st Combat Avn. Bde., "Expect No Mercy," was presented the award for their actions as Task Force No Mercy while deployed in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel in Train Advise and Assist Command-South, Afghanistan. While supporting TAAC-South functioned as a whole, in spite of being broken up and spread over a wide area.

"There were no individuals mentioned in the award submission as this was a unit level award and clearly a team effort," said Lt. Col. Jeffery Bragg, the commander of 1st Bn. 101st Combat Avn. Bde. "Significant achievements by the unit, include: split based operations and logistics sites spread across four locations in Afghanistan; multiple expeditionary operations during critical transitions throughout the deployment; and advancements in Manned-Unmanned Teaming."

Normally awards of this nature are awarded to brigades. The fact that 1st Battalion earned the award is a huge achievement.

"This award is given to an Army Aviation unit, regardless of size," said Command Sgt. Maj. Ronald Schlangen, 1st Bn.'s senior-enlisted advisor. "The Outstanding Aviation Unit-of-the-Year Award has been presented to a brigade since 2003. For Expect No Mercy to receive it, as a battalion-sized element is an achievement in itself. We competed against every other aviation brigade and battalion in the Army, including the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. It says a lot about our Soldiers and how they stepped up to meet their responsibilities and their ability to think outside the box and take initiative."

The amount of work put in by the Soldiers of Expect No Mercy was significant. Their task force was responsible for providing aviation support for an area of almost 40,000 square miles resulting in a large number of flight hours. It also involved developing new tactics for an update of a battle-proven aircraft.

The preparation for, and the execution of the most recent nine-month deployment by Task Force No Mercy encompassed over 14,000 combat flight hours," said Bragg. "It involved substantial development, evolution and refinement of AH-64E Apache helicopter tactics. This effort was the decisive point in the battalion winning this coveted award.

The hard work ultimately won recognition. The award is simply another reminder of what team work can do.

"This award speaks to the culture of the 101st Airborne Division," said Bragg. "It specifically calls attention to the Expect No Mercy Battalion and the Destiny Brigade as it highlights the attitude, discipline, and initiative inherent to our Soldiers, NCOs and Officers. This award highlights a specific period of time, but the honor and prestige of this award will ring throughout the formation for years to come, motivating our Soldiers to achieve their best each and every day. This award in all its prestige, albeit very important, merely represents what is already a daily mindset and attitude of this 29 year old, historic battalion."