Tulsa-Based National Guard Soldiers Back In Oklahoma From Iraq

NewsOn6.com

LAWTON, OKLAHOMA -- Soldiers with the Tulsa-based 2nd Battalion, 285th Aviation Regiment are now back in Oklahoma.

The aviation soldiers, who arrived in the U.S. on Wednesday, have been on active duty since last October and in Iraq since December.

10/6/2010 Related story: Oklahoma National Guard Black Hawks Head To Iraq

Many of them arrived at Fort Sill in Lawton in order to undergo the demobilization process at nearby Fort Sill.

The soldiers were formally welcomed back during a ceremony Thursday at Fort Sill.

The 285th Aviation Regiment was attached to both the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade and the 1st Combat Aviation Brigade.

The U.S. Army says they conducted aviation operations across southern Iraq. 

The Army says they provided command and control, aviation maintenance, and aviation refueling support consisting of 32 UH-60 Black Hawks helicopters, 10 HH-60 Medical Evacuation Black Hawks Helicopters, 12 AH-64 Apache helicopters, as well as joint missions with CH-47 Chinook helicopters.

They executed more than 1,700 combat missions, flying in excess of 19,000 hours. They safely transported more than 31,000 passengers and executed 154 deliberate operations.

After completing demobilization, the soldiers will travel back to Tulsa.  One of the pilots in the unit is SKYNEWS 6 pilot Will Kavanagh.

For more information about the aviation soldiers attached to Company B, visit: Oklahomans on the War Front.