battalions were activated, they too were designated "Flying Tigers" as the name applied to the Regiment and not just the individual battalions. The unit completed the Apache Training Brigade Unit Training Program in October 1988 and completed a unit move with its 21 AH-64A and 3 UH-60A aircraft to Illesheim, West Germany where it was assigned to the 11th Avn Bde. Upon arrival in Illesheim, the Battalion received 13 refurbished OH-58C Kiowa helicopters. In November 1990, the unit was alerted that it would deploy along with VII Corps to Saudi Arabia for Operation DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM. The Battalion flew two night "Deep Attack" missions on 26–27 February 1991 and spent time at As Salman AB and along with the French forces, patrolled the westernmost portion of the coalition flank, including up to the Euphrates River to ensure Iraqi forces abided by the agreed upon cease fire terms. The Battalion was awarded the Valorous Unit Award for its performance during DESERT STORM and redeployed to Illesheim in April and May 1991. 8th Battalion The unit was constituted on 16 September 1989 in the Army Reserve as the 8th Battalion, 229th Aviation and activated on 17 September 1989 at Fort Knox, Kentucky. In 1999 the Battalion was ordered to Active Duty in support of NATO SFOR in Bosnia-Herzegovina, stationed at Comanche Base, BiH. It was again ordered into active military service on 6 June 2004 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, released on 28 December 2005 and reverted to reserve status. It was redesignated on 1 October 2005 as the 8th Battalion, 229th Aviation Regiment, and on 7 October 2010 it was ordered into active military service again in support of Operation New Dawn in Iraq. It has since reverted to reserve status. 8-229th was officially designated by the American Volunteer Group (AVG) to carry the "Flying Tigers" name. As part of the U.S. Army Reserves restructuring of its aviation assets the unit was redesignated as an assault helicopter battalion flying the UH-60 Blackhawk and ending its mission as an attack helicopter battalion in the fall of 2014. In April 2019 the battalion deployed to Camp Buehring, Kuwait in support of Operations Spartan Shield and Inherent Resolve. See also List of United States Army aircraft battalions References Citations Bibliography Aviation regiments of the United States Army