Combat Air Assault Vietnam W Air Medal Stickers

Air assault is the movement of ground-based military forces by vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft—such as the helicopter—to seize and hold key terrain which has not been fully secured, and to directly engage enemy forces behind enemy lines. In addition to regular infantry training, air-assault units usually receive training in rappelling and air transportation, and their equipment is sometimes designed or field-modified to allow better transportation within aircraft.

The concept of the door gunner originated during the Vietnam War, when helicopters were first used in combat in large numbers. The original personnel who served as early door gunners aboard CH-21, UH-34, and UH-1 helicopters in Vietnam, were enlisted men, with a designated and specially trained crew chief serving as both the aircraft's maintenance manager and a door gunner. Normally, a second enlisted soldier served as a second door gunner (such as on a UH-1, and UH-34, which both used two gunners – one on each side of the aircraft). Later, as the war progressed, the door gunner position sometimes used a non-aviation rated/trained soldier or marine, that volunteered for door gunner duties.

Troop F, 4th Cavalry was activated on 10 February 1971 in Vietnam and assigned to the 25th Division as a separate air cavalry troop. After the 25th Division left Vietnam, Troop F remained assigned to the 25th while serving with the 11th and 12 Aviation Groups. It was one of the last Army units to leave Vietnam on 26 February 1973.

2nd Brigade 1st BN, 502nd Infantry Regiment (Air Aslt) – With 1st BDE until 27 Feb 91 3rd BN, 502nd Infantry Regiment (Air Aslt)

The 3d Squadron, 17th Cavalry arrived in Vietnam on 30 October 1967 and was assigned to the 12th Aviation Group, 1st Aviation Brigade, primarily stationed at Dĩ An. It was responsible for air cavalry support in the western part of III Corps Tactical Zone. On 20 July 1970 it was placed under the control of II Field Force, Vietnam. In January 1971 Troop C was transferred to the 7th Squadron, 1st Cavalry. Troops A, B and D departed Vietnam together in April 1972 and Troop C rejoined them for the redeployment.

The 7th Squadron - 17th Cavalry was attached to 17th Aviation Group. Moving to many combat locations throughout Vietnam during the war.

Troop K, 17th Cavalry arrived in Vietnam on 1 October 1970 as an air cavalry unit of the 17th Aviation Group in Nha Trang. It departed Vietnam in December 1970.

Troop K, 17th Cavalry arrived in Vietnam on 1 October 1970 as an air cavalry unit of the 17th Aviation Group in Nha Trang. It departed Vietnam in December 1970.

1st Cavalry Div Airmobile w Basic Airborne Badge

For the majority of the Vietnam war, the principal weapon of the door gunner was a medium machine gun (MG), initially, a M1919A4 .30 caliber MG, and soon thereafter, the M60 7.62mm MG became the standard helicopter door armament system. Initially however not all helicopters were armed or outfitted with a dedicated MG for door armament. For example the very first U.S. Army helicopter units, flying CH-21 helicopters, that began flying combat missions in Vietnam in 1962 didn't. Therefore door gunners on Vietnam photographs are sometimes seen using an M1 Carbine, an M14 rifle, or an M16 rifle, as their only weapon. Initially, the door gunner's MG weapons were mounted on swiveling mounts (on a pintle mount) in order to retain and stea...

During the Vietnam War, one unit assigned to the 52nd Combat Aviation Battalion, 17th Combat Aviation Group, 1st Aviation Brigade was the 119th Assault Helicopter Company. The company operated throughout the Central Highlands of Vietnam during the war, from arrival in September 1962 until deactivation in November 1970. Originally designated the 81st Transportation Company (equipped with twin-rotor CH-21 "Flying Banana" piston-engined helicopters), the company was reorganized in 1963 as the 119th Assault Helicopter Company (Airmobile), re-equipped with turbine-powered single-rotor UH-1A and B model Hueys. Also known as the 119th Aviation Company (Assault Helicopter), the company's area of operations included the entire Central Highlands

The 57th Assault Helicopter Company deployed to Vietnam in October 1967. The 57th were assigned to the 1st Aviation Bridge's 17th Combat Group, 52nd Combat Aviation Battalion's "Flying Dragons" and made their first base in Kontum in the Central Highlands of II Corps.

The squadron was reactivated as the 430th Fighter-Bomber Squadron in 1952, when it replaced an Air National Guard squadron in Japan. It again saw combat in the Korean War, earning another Distinguished Unit Citation and a Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation. The squadron returned to the United States in 1954, but made frequent overseas deployments, including combat in the Vietnam War. It remained a fighter unit until inactivating in 1989. In 1992, the unit became the 430th Electronic Combat Squadron, but was only active for one year. It was converted to provisional status and received its current name in 2013.

Troop H, 17th Cavalry was initially the ground reconnaissance element of the 198th Infantry Brigade (Light), arriving in Da Nang aboard Military Sea Transports on 22 October 1967 from Fort Hood, TX, where it has been formed from units of the 1st and 2d Armored Divisions. Troop H departed Vietnam on 1 October 1971. It was re-raised in Vietnam from the assets of Troop B, 7th Squadron, 17th Cavalry and served a second tour in Vietnam from 30 April 1972 to 26 February 1973 under the 17th Aviation Group at Pleiku.

The concept of the door gunner originated during the Vietnam War, when helicopters were first used in combat in large numbers. The original personnel who served as early door gunners aboard CH-21, UH-34, and UH-1 helicopters in Vietnam, were enlisted men, with a designated and specially trained crew chief serving as both the aircraft's maintenance manager and a door gunner.

The 11th Air Assault Division developed and refined air assault tactics and the equipment required to operate effectively in the role. The 187th and 188th tested helicopters during various exercises, ranging from command and control maneuvers to scouting, screening and aerial resupply, to assess their ability to perform as combat aircraft.However, the division was inactivated for the final time on 29 June 1965, with its personnel and equipment being merged with the 2nd Infantry Division to form the newly raised 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile).

14th Aviation Battalion Distinctive Unit Insignia (DUI), National Defense Service Ribbon, Vietnam War Service and Vietnam Campaign Ribbons

The Ruthless Riders deployed to Vietnam 28 October 1967 as a separate Air Cavalry Squadron of the 1st Aviation Brigade. The Squadron, part of the 17th Combat Aviation Group, established its base camp at Camp Enari, near Pleiku. The Squadron mission was to provide combat reconnaissance and security for the 4th Infantry Division and other allied units in Western II Corps. Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, A Troop, B Troop, C Troop and D Troop were combat operational by November and based out of Camp Enari.

Specialist 4th Class Jim Brannen who served in Vietnam during 1969 and 1970 in the Military Assistant Command Vietnam (MACV) and later the 4th Infantry Division agrees: Not a lot of people actually know that the whole decks were aces. I knew. I saw many of them in the Pleiku area since the 1st Air Cavalry was at An Khe. The 4th Infantry took over An Khe in March 1970. There were plenty of those ace of spades decks around. I wish I had kept some. I did see a few of the cards used. It is hard to talk about it now but during the war things were different. Some soldiers would place the cards on the eyes of a dead Viet Cong. It meant that the card was the last thing they saw. The Viet Cong really feared the Air Cavalry.

In Vietnam UH-1s tasked and configured for troop transport were often called "Slicks" due to an absence of weapons pods. Slicks did have door gunners which provided air and ground target suppression during an air assault or Medievac

Army Huey’s totaled 9,713,762 flight hours in Vietnam between October 1966 and the end of American involvement in early 1973. Cobra helicopters totaled 1,110,716 flight hours in Vietnam. This is also the main reason that soldiers in Vietnam saw more action than those soldiers of preceding wars. Large groups of soldiers could be air-lifted into a battle and then be withdrawn after a few hours and flown to another area to reinforce other units or to engage the enemy again in a different portion of the country.

the 82nd went into action in Vietnam. During the Tet Offensive, which swept across the Vietnam in January 1968, the 3rd Brigade was en route to Chu Lai within 24 hours of receiving its orders. The 3rd Brigade performed combat duties in the Huế – Phu Bai area of the I Corps sector. Later the brigade moved south to Saigon, and fought in the Mekong Delta, the Iron Triangle and along the Cambodian border, serving nearly 22 months. While the 3rd Brigade was deployed, the division created a provisional 4th Brigade, consisting of 4th Battalion, 325th Infantry; 3rd Battalion, 504th Infantry; and 3rd Battalion, 505th Infantry. The Division Artillery also created an additional battalion, 3rd Battalion, 320th Artillery, to support the 4th Brigade

The Bell AH-1 Cobra is a single-engined attack helicopter developed and manufactured by the American rotorcraft manufacturer Bell Helicopter. It was a member of the prolific Huey family, the AH-1 is also referred to as the HueyCobra or Snake. Slick was the name for the transport version of the Huey, dust-off was the official call sign for medical choppers, and gunships are pretty self-explanatory

The Bell AH-1 Cobra is a single-engined attack helicopter developed and manufactured by the American rotorcraft manufacturer Bell Helicopter. It was a member of the prolific Huey family, the AH-1 is also referred to as the HueyCobra or Snake.

Air Medal are denoted in the U.S. Army by Numeral devices displayed on the medal and ribbon. The Army originally used Oak Leaf Clusters to signify additional awards. However, this was changed to numeral devices in September 1968, during the Vietnam War, when the number of Air Medals awarded became too large to be annotated on a single ribbon. Since February 29, 1964, the medal may be awarded with a "V" Device for an act of heroism against an armed enemy less than the criteria for the Distinguished Flying Cross.