BOLESŁAWIEC, Poland – The 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, assumed authority of U.S. Army aviation operations in Europe from the 1st Armored Division Combat Aviation Brigade during a transfer of authority ceremony held in Poland on 28 October 2025. This rotational handover underscores V Corps’ commitment to warfighting readiness, providing combat credible forces equipped with attack aviation as a cornerstone capability to remain lethal and agile in deterring potential adversaries.
"I think the one thing that 3rd CAB and 3rd Infantry Division brings to V Corps during this rotation is the absolute flexibility that this aviation brigade is capable of and has presented in many cases throughout its history. Absolute flexibility is our keystone as far the division and our aviation brigade is concerned," said Col. Robert Harless, commander of 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade.
The transition marks the start of 3rd CAB’s rotation supporting Operation Atlantic Resolve and broader missions across the European theater. The brigade’s Soldiers, aircraft, and maintenance teams are now positioned across multiple sites to deliver critical aviation support. This includes reconnaissance, rapid troop movement, sustainment logistics, and fire support for U.S., NATO, and partner forces, enhancing interoperability, and enabling a unified response to transnational threats.
During its rotation, the 1st Armored Division Combat Aviation Brigade supported over 15 multinational training events, including the Polish Apache Initiative summit in January 2025 at Katterbach Army Airfield. This event, part of a three-phased approach to bolster attack aviation interoperability, brought together key leaders from the United States, Poland, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Australia.
Discussions focused on organizing training, fighting, and sustaining AH-64 Apache operations, refining joint tactics and improving coordination between Allied aviation and ground forces during large-scale joint operations across Europe. These efforts directly align with USAREUR-AF’s priorities of building readiness, driving experimentation, and accelerating integration of U.S. and NATO command and control.
As 3rd CAB assumes the mission, the brigade will continue building on those achievements, aligning operations with U.S. Army Europe and Africa’s priorities of readiness, experimentation, and transformation in contact (TiC). The brigade’s distributed presence will enable flexible, rapid responses to emerging requirements while supporting NATO regional defense plans and multinational exercises.
"I think this transfer of authority absolutely empowers every Soldier, within this combat aviation brigade, to represent first the United States of America, the support to the U.S. Constitution and lastly our alliances and partnerships with NATO we have throughout Europe, dating back to our World War I heritage as the 3rd Infantry Division," Harless said.
Each rotational deployment contributes to the Army’s broader transformation agenda: evaluating network communications, adapting tactics to multi-domain environments, and modernizing aviation assets amid complex threats. For the 3rd CAB, this mission represents both continuity in sustaining deterrence and progress in shaping tomorrow’s aviation force.
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