News
1-4 Cavalry troops officially deactivated; Kiowa copters headed stateside
Stars and Stripes
May 28, 2005
Retired Lt. Col. Hugh Mills, right, points out the adjacent airfield where he used to land helicopters to Col. Walter Golden, 4th Brigade commander. Mills commanded “Darkhorse Troop” in 1972 in Vietnam. Mills also is the author of the book “Low Level Hell,” which is about his time as a scout helicopter pilot with the 1st Infantry Division in Vietnam. Mills came to Schweinfurt to mark the deactivation of the troops and share his photos, video and experiences at a “Darkhorse Troop” veterans’ reunion. (Kristen Chandler Toth / Courtesy of U.S. Army)
The 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment’s troops D, E and F officially deactivated in a ceremony Wednesday in Schweinfurt, Germany.
The units’ 1970s-vintage OH-58 Kiowa Warrior helicopters were to be wrapped up and shipped to the States. Once they arrive stateside, the helicopters will be reconditioned and sent to the fleets of two light infantry divisions: the 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, and the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, N.Y.
The OH-58 is used for surveillance but can also carry a .50-caliber machine gun, rockets or missiles.
The three troops were originally organized under one troop called Darkhorse Troop that provided aviation support for squadron operations in Vietnam, according to a news release from the 280th Base Support Battalion in Schweinfurt. The troop then split up into two troops, D and E, with an additional maintenance platoon that became Troop F.
The 1-4 Cav awarded 15 combat Air Medals to Kiowa Warrior pilots, according to Capt. Nathan Springer, the squadron’s personnel officer in the Nov. 14 edition of Stars and Stripes.
Almost all of the 400 soldiers assigned to the units were expected to scatter to stateside units.