1-104th ARB - Johnstown 3.29

1-104TH ATTACK RECONNAISSANCE BATTALION UNIT LINEAGE

THE PENNSYLVANIA ARMY NATIONAL GUARD IS RICH IN AVIATION HISTORY AND TRACES ITS ROOTS BACK TO THE BI-PLANE AS A 28TH INFANTRY DIVISION ASSET FROM PHILADELPHIA. THE 1/104TH ATTACK RECONNAISSANCE BATTALION TRACES ITS HERITAGE TO 1 JUNE 1960 WHEN IT WAS ORGANIZED AND FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED IN THE PENNSYLVANIA NATIONAL GUARD AT WASHINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA AS PART OF THE 28TH AVIATION COMPANY, AN ELEMENT OF THE 28TH INFANTRY DIVISION; THE OLDEST ACTIVE DIVISION IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY.

ON 17 FEBRUARY 1968 IT WAS REORGANIZED AND REDESIGNATED AS COMPANY B, 28TH AVIATION BATTALION; AN ELEMENT OF THE 28TH INFANTRY DIVISION.

ON 1 JANUARY 1975 IT WAS REDESIGNATED AS THE SUPPORT COMPANY, 28TH AVIATION BATTALION.

1 APRIL 1975 THE BATTALION WAS CONVERTED AND REDESIGNATED AS TROOP D, 1ST SQUADRON, 104TH CAVALRY; AN ELEMENT OF THE 28TH INFANTRY DIVISION.

1 OCTOBER 1986 IT WAS CONVERTED, EXPANDED AND REDESIGNATED AS THE 28TH AVIATION BATTALION, AND REMAINED ASSIGNED TO THE 28TH INFANTRY DIVISION.

1 OCTOBER 1987 IT WAS REORGANIZED AND REDESIGNATED AS THE 1ST OF THE 104TH ATTACK HELICOPTER BATTALION; AH-1 COBRA ATTACK HELICOPTER AND CONSISTED OF HEADQUATERS AND HEADQUARTERS COMPANY AND COMPANIES A, B AND C.

IN APRIL 1994 THE UNIT WAS REORGANIZED AND COMPANY D WAS ESTABLISHED

2 AUGUST 1997 THE BATTALION WAS RELOCATED FROM WASHINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA TO JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

ON 1 NOVEMBER 2002 IT WAS REORGANIZED INTO AN APACHE HELICOPTER BATTALION AND COMPANY B 1/104TH WAS RELOCATED TO FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, ANNVILLE, PA. AT THE SAME TIME COMPANY B 2/104TH WAS REORGANIZED, RELOCATED TO JOHNSTOWN PA AND WAS PLACED UNDER OPERATIONAL CONTROL OF THE ATTACK BATTALION.

THIS BATTALION CONSISTS OF 6 COMPANIES; HEADQUARTERS AND HEADQUARTERS COMPANY, COMPANIES A, B, C, D (AVUM) AND COMPANY E FORWARD SUPPORT.

HEADQUARTERS AND HEADQUARTERS COMPANY ENCOMPASSES THE HEADQUARTERS ELEMENT AND PROVIDES ADMINISTRATIVE, MEDICAL, INTELLIGENCE, TRAINING AND LOGISTICAL SUPPORT FOR THE BATTALION.

COMPANIES A, B, AND C ARE IDENTICALLY ORGANIZED ATTACK HELICOPTER UNITS. EACH COMPANY IS AUTHORIZED 8 AH-64 APACHE HELICOPTERS.

COMPANY D IS RESPONSIBLE FOR AVIATION UNIT MAINTENANCE.

COMPANY E IS THE MOST RECENT ADDITION TO THE BATTALION. SPLIT OFF FROM HHC IN THE REORGANIZATION, COMPANY E PROVIDES ALL FORWARD SUPPORT SERVICES AND LOGISTICAL SUPPORT TO THE ATTACK RECONNAISSANCE BATTALION.

OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS THE ATTACK BATTALION HAS CONTINUED TO GROW, FIELD NEW EQUIPMENT AND AIRCRAFT. IN RECENT YEARS, THE BATTALION HAS PROVIDED SOLDIERS AND EQUIPMENT TO ASSIST OTHER UNITS IN ACCOMPLISHING THEIR MISSIONS IN AFGHANISTAN, IRAQ, BOSNIA AND KOSOVO. IN OCTOBER 2004, 112 SOLDIERS FROM THE 1/104TH ATTACK BATTALION COMPLETED A 16-MONTH DEPLOYMENT TO KOSOVO AS TASK FORCE SHADOW. IN JULY 2005, 65 SOLDIERS FROM THE 1/104TH DEPLOYED WITH THE MICHIGAN NATIONAL GUARD AND COMPLETED A 17 MONTH DEPLOYMENT TO KOSOVO AS TASK FORCE TALON. 68 SOLDIERS FROM 1-104TH ARB DEPLOYED TO IRAQ WITH THE 28TH COMBAT AVIATION BRIGADE FROM 2009-2010. IN DECEMBER 2010, THE BATTALION FIELDED THE AH-64D LONGBOW AND REORGANIZED UNDER THE NEW APACHE LONGBOW MTOE.

THE 1/104TH ARB DEPLOYED WITH 328 SOLDIERS FROM PENNSYLVANIA AND 35 SOLDIERS FROM 1-285TH ARIZONA ARMY NATIONAL GUARD. THE UNIT BEGAN ITS DEPLOYMENT 21 AUGUST 2012 AND MOBILIZED TO FT HOOD TEXAS FOR TRAINING. IN DECEMBER 2012 THE UNIT DEPLOYED TO FOB KUNDUZ, CAMP MARMAL AND SHINDAND AIR BASE, AFGHANISTAN. IN FEBRUARY 2013 DURING RETROGRADE OPERATIONS THE 1/104TH RELOCATED, CONSOLIDATED AND ASSUMED CONTROL OF ALL AVIATION OPERATIONS IN REGIONAL COMMAND NORTH. FOR THE LAST EIGHT MONTHS ELEMENTS OF THE 1/104TH ARB HAVE SUPPORTED OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM 13 AT CAMP MARMAL, FOB KUNDUZ, FOB KHILIGHEY, FOB FENTY, FOB SALERNO, BAGRAM AIRFIELD AND SHINDAND AIR BASE.
Unit was de-activated on 1 July 2016.