NY Army Guard aviators heading home after duty in Kuwait completes

3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation Regiment Soldiers based in Latham and Ronkonkoma flew passengers and supplies in Kuwait and Iraq.

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Two UH-60M Black Hawks assigned to the New York Army Guard’s 3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation Regiment land on the U.S.S. Lewis B. Puller during operations in the Persian Gulf.

CAMP BEUHRING, KUWAIT (05/08/2023) (readMedia)-- The New York Army National Guard's 3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation Regiment ended its mission in the Middle East with a transition of authority ceremony at Camp Beuhring, Kuwait on Saturday, May 6.

A third of the 250 Soldiers who deployed on the mission in June, have already returned to Fort Hood, Texas to out process prior to returning home. The remaining Soldiers will be departing in the coming week.

The New York National Guard unit, which has been flying missions in support of Task Force Spartan, the U.S. Army's 10,000 Soldier force in the region, handed over its duties to the 1st Battalion, 106th Aviation Regiment from the New York Army National Guard.

The 250 Soldiers are based at Army Aviation Support Facility 3 at the Albany International Airport in Latham, and at Army Aviation Support Facility 2 and Long Island MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma.

The assault helicopter battalion deployed with 22 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters and provided transportation for personnel and cargo in Kuwait and Iraq under the command of the 36th Combat Aviation Brigade from the Texas Army National Guard.

The battalion's Soldiers flew 5,030 hours and moved 6,384 passengers and 129 tons of cargo.

The 142nd Aviation also flew many distinguished visitors around the region, including Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

The battalion also took part in Exercise Juniper Oak with the Israeli Defense Force in January. This was a major annual U.S. Central Command exercise with Israeli forces.

The New York Army Guard aviators also participated in a massive multi-national live fire exercise held in February to mark Kuwait's liberation from Iraqi forces in the Persian Gulf War.

The 3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation was also served as the aviation element for a regional crisis response task force. The New York Army National Guard Soldiers were team up with an infantry battalion and trained to transport and insert those Soldiers during air assault operations.

After demobilizing at Fort Hood, the New York Army National Guard Soldiers will return to the airport closest to their home.

The returning Soldiers will go through a Yellow Ribbon process, along with their families, which will help them transition back to civilian life and learn about the benefits available to them.