601st Aviation Support Battalion

601st Aviation Support Battalion

"Guardians" known before as "Dragon Support"

The 601st Aviation Support Battalion was originally constituted as D Company, 501st Aviation Battalion (Combat) on 21 August 1972. When 501st Aviation was redesignated as the 4th Brigade (Aviation), 1st Armor Division on 17 April 1986, D Company became the 61st Aviation Maintenance Company, 1st Armored Division.

On 16 November 1987, it was redesignated as I Company, 1st Aviation. In 1990, the unit was redesignated as the 9-1st Aviation Regiment and deployed to Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm.

Following redeployment from Iraq, 9-1st Aviation Regiment was reflagged as the 603rd Aviation Support Battalion, as a result of the reflagging of 1st Armored Division to 3rd Infantry Division. Upon the reflagging of the 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized) to 1st Infantry Division (Mechanized), 603rd ASB was reflagged as the 601st Aviation Support Battalion, 4th Brigade (Aviation), 1st Infantry Division (Mechanized).

With the transformation of the 1st Infantry Division (Mechanized) to the US Army's new modular force structure, the 4th Brigade (Aviation) was redesignated Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division (Mechanized). The 601st Aviation Support Battalion was subsequently reassigned to the Combat Aviation Brigade.