The 3rd of the 17th Air Cavalry - Red Horse Squadron - Bien Hoa, Di An – See 1969 Article, See 1970 Article, See 1971 Article

Valorous Unit Award, Streamer embroidered CAMBODIA http://www.3rdsq17thacr.org/

The brigade’s three Air Cavalry units were elite all volunteer units in the thick of things nearly every day. They engaged in every major Army campaign in each of their Corps. The 3^rd of the 17^th was an air cavalry unit which arrived in Vietnam in Oct 1967 and departed Apr 1972.  It was made up of troops (companies): HHT, A, B, C, D. The 3/17th has a long history, activated during each wartime beginning in 1916 WW1, then WW2, then again in 1966 for Vietnam.  During it’s tour in Nam, 3/17^th provided priority support for the 25^th Infantry Division, the Capital Military Assistance Command, the Bien Hoa Tactical area and the half dozen large bases surrounding Saigon, the capital city. In 1988 it was reactivated as part of the 10th Mountain Division and saw service in the Somalia crisis then Afghanistan and more recently in Iraq. A Troop is currently deployed in Afghanistan. You can read more about their current operations at the Fort Drum website www.drum.army.mil/

HHT - Headquarters Troop - Di An  http://www.3of17th.d2g.com Another website for HHT is at http://home.swbell.net/markaaro/hht/HHT.htm

Valorous Unit Awards —31 Jan–19 Feb 68 for defense of Long Binh Tet '68 and Cambodian Incursion May, June 1970

A Troop - Silver Spur - Di An, Soc Trang, Lai Khe 575^th Transportation Detachment 812^th Security Detachment

http://members.aol.com/bear317/spurs.htm

The Spurs earned their first Valorous Unit Award - our nation's second-highest Unit Award - for their tenacious defense of Saigon and Long Binh during the TET of 1968. Later, the Spurs were placed under Operational Control (OPCON) to the famous 1st Cavalry Division during the Cambodian Incursion of 1970 and at that time was based at Quan Loi.

B Troop - Stogie – Di An, Phu Loi 576^th Transportation Detachment 813^th Security Detachment

Valorous Unit Award—31 Aug–31 Oct 68; Streamer embroidered TAY NINH PROVINCE

http://users.erols.com/moonstar/aircav.html

Troops A, B and C each were equipped with OH6A (LOH) choppers for scouting (aero-scout platoon), UH-1H Huey’s for carrying their troops and others (aero-rifle platoon) and AH-1G Cobra’s (guns platoon) for providing aerial gun support The LOH’s were manned by an officer pilot and an enlisted observer, who in addition to his M60 machine gun normally also carried an M16 or Car 15 rifle. Early on these were OH-6 models, later OH-58A Kiowa’s. The Huey slicks carried a two pilot crew along with enlisted crew chief and gunner. The Cobra’s were a two pilot crew, sitting in line due to its narrow profile. Arriving in 1967, the 3/17th worked closely with most units in III Corps, including the U.S. 9^th and 25th Infantry, Navy Seals and Vietnamese units.

C Troop - Charlie Horse - Di An – See 1969 article, See 1970 Article 369^th Transportation Detachment 816^th Security Detachment

C Troop supported units in and around the Bien Hoa Tactical Area with their scout, guns and their aero-rifle platoon. They often flew in support of the 199^th Light Infantry Brigade and in 1970 participated in the Cambodian Incursion across the Ho Chi Minh Trail. In 1971 C 3/17th (which had been in Nam as part of the 1st Aviation Brigade since 1967) exchanged designations with D Troop, 3/5th Cavalry.  They remained in RVN until 1972.

D Troop - Blue Tiger – Tay Ninh, Bien Hoa - See Article

Valorous Unit Award—1 May–29 Jun 70 http://www.splorg.org/vietnam/index.html

Highly trained, Delta Troop, 3/17th Air Cavalry, was used as a guard force for Long Binh and Bien Hoa, in addition to small special operations missions. These missions included clearing supply routes, supporting LRP patrols when needed, recovering caches of arms and supplies, and providing defense for Long Binh and Bien Hoa bases.

E Troop - Sabers - (formed from the 334th AWC) - go to 334th AHC page http://www.rolandwilson.com/Military/5-vietnam/334th/index_334th.htm

During December 1970 and January 1971, the 334th who had been supporting the 3rd/17th was designated E Troop, 3/17th Cavalry.

D Troop 3rd of the 5th Air Cavalry – Bear Cat, Vinh Long, Quang Tri – See article

Valorous Unit Award—6–12 May 68 http://www.lighthorseaircav.com/

D Troop, 3/5th arrived in Vietnam February 1967 serving as the recon troop in the 3/5^th Cavalry, assigned to the 9th Infantry Division at Bear Cat. In January 1970 it was assigned as part of our 7/1st Cav Squadron at Vinh Long, when the 9th Infantry left Nam; and continued to operate in the Delta until January 1971 when it exchanged designations with the 3/17^th Air Cavalry. It later was designated as D Troop, 17^th Cavalry and remained in RVN until 1973.

F Troop - 4th Air Cavalry – Centaurs http://centaurs.org/default.htm http://www.3-4cav.com/ When the  3^rd Armored Cavalry Squadron left Vietnam with the 25th Infantry Division, the Air Cavalry Troop remained in-country. D Troop was re-designated F Troop (Air), 4th Cavalry Regiment on 10 February 1971 as a separate Air Cavalry Troop, retaining the CENTAURS unit call sign and logo. F Troop CENTAURS initially flew in Support of the Second Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, that remained in Vietnam when the Division returned to Hawaii. F Troop was later assigned at various times to the 11th Aviation Group and the 12th Aviation Group, flying in support of South Vietnamese military units. F Troop continued to accumulate individual and unit honors while operating as an independent Air Cavalry Troop and was one of the last U.S. Army units to depart Vietnam - standing down on 26 February 1973.

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