Combat Aviation Brigade was awarded the Army Aviation Association of American Outstanding Aviation Unit of the Year Award at the 2013 AAAA Annual Professional Forum in Fort Worth, Texas on April 11.

The Brigade’s primary mission was to conduct full spectrum aviation operations, to defeat the insurgency, support and improve governance and development. Their efforts secured the Afghan people setting conditions for sustainable peace.

The Brigade’s fighting force consisted of more than 2,300 soldiers and equipment including OH-58D Kiowa Warriors, UH-60 Black Hawks, and CH-47 Chinook helicopters from WAAF and AH-64 Apache helicopters from Fort Carson, Colo.

The Brigade moved more than 100,000 passengers and 15.3 million pounds of cargo across the battlefield in approximately 139,000 combat flight hours. The CAB was spread out across more than 25 forward operating bases, with its Brigade headquarters located on Kandahar Air Field and three task force Headquarters at FOBs Wolverine, Tarin Kowt and Shindand.

Soldiers and units of the brigade had received several awards leading up to this accomplishment to include the Henry Q Dunn Crew Chief of the Year Award, Rodney J.T. Yano Noncommissioned Officer of the Year Award, Medicine Award, DUSTOFF Medic of the Year Award, Aircraft Survivability Equipment Award and the 2012 Avionics Award.

The 209th Aviation Support Battalion, 25th CAB was the recipient of the Lt. Gen. Ellis D. Parker Award for outstanding support to the CAB. The Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation recognized Chief Warrant Officer 5 Joe Roland, 25th CAB Standardization Officer, as the Army’s most decorated Black Hawk pilot.

Colonel Frank Tate, 25th CAB Commander, attributes the success of the CAB’s mission in Afghanistan to each individual Soldier’s hard work and dedication to accomplishing the mission.