AEROMEDIA
The Italian Aerospace Information Web
by Aeromedia - corso Giambone 46/18 - 10135 Torino (Italy)

OPERATION ALLIED FORCE
OPERATION DECISIVE EDGE (1996)
"E" Company, 502nd Aviation Regiment "Centurions"

"E" Company, 502nd Aviation Battalion US Army, previously the 304th Aviation Company, was constituted 1 October 1980, then activated 16 December 1980 as an element of 2nd Armored Division, Fort Hood, Texas. During the period 16 December 1980 - 16 September 1986, "E" Company served as a regular line company for the 502nd Aviation Battalion, a general support aviation battalion. On 16 September 1986, "E" Company was inactivated and relieved from assigment to the 2nd Armored Division.
On 16 January 1989, the unit name was retrieved from the archives and became "E" Company, 502nd Aviation Regiment (Provisional) at Aviano Air Base, equipped with Boeing CH-47D Chinooks. The change from battalion to regiment was instituted by the 1988 Army Regimental Reaffiliation Program. "E" Company, 502nd Aviation Regiment became an active Army unit on 16 September 1989.
"E" Company mission at Aviano was to provide medium lift helicopter support to meet high priority cargo movement and tactical troop/equipment transport throughout the Mediterranean Region, as directed by the Southern European Task Force and the 5th Support Command.
"E" Company was deactivated on September 15, 1997 due to draw down requirements for the US Army in Europe.

In the picture: Boeing CH-47D Chinook 88-0101 of the US Army "E" Company, 502nd Aviation Regiment "Centurions", based at Aviano AB till 1997.

 (Aeromedia, May 1999)

Operation Decisive Edge
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Operation Allied Force