USARC to lose rotor-wing capabilities

As part of the Army Transformation Initiative (ATI), all United States Army Reserve Command (USARC) rotor-wing units will be deactivated on 15 September 2025. This decision was formally announced in May 2025.

In the US Army budget presentation, the following was stated regarding the Army Reserve: "Funds 29 Geographic and Functional Commands, four Readiness Divisions, and 975 USAR facilities, including three installations and two sub-installations, and inactivates two Combat Aviation Brigades to optimize force structure."

This process will affect sixteen companies that operate a total of 180 helicopters: 114 UH-60Ls, 30 HH-60Ms, and 36 CH-47Fs.

Funds freed up by these changes will be invested in modernizing the equipment and structure of the US Army as a whole, rather than specifically into Army aviation units or equipment.

According to the Scramble Magazine Air Order of Battle for the US Army Reserve, the following units are affected:

11th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade (ECAB) – HQ Fort Carson (CO)

• A/1-158th AVN (ASLT) - 10x UH-60L - ASF Conroe, Lone Star Executive Airport (TX)
• B/1-158th AVN (ASLT) - 10x UH-60L - ASF Conroe, Lone Star Executive Airport (TX)
• C/1-158th AVN (ASLT) - 10x UH-60L - ASF Conroe, Lone Star Executive Airport (TX)
• A/7-158th AVN (CMD) - 8x UH-60L - ASF Robert Gray AAF, Fort Hood (TX)
• B/7-158th AVN (HH) - 12x CH-47F - ASF Olathe, New Century Aircenter (KS)
• C/7-158th AVN (AA) - 15x HH-60M - ASF Butts AAF, Fort Carson (CO)
• G/7-158th AVN (AA) - 15x UH-60L - ASF JFTB Los Alamitos AAF (CA)

244th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade (ECAB) – HQ Fort Bragg (NC)

• A/5-159th AVN (CMD) - 8x UH-60L - ASF MacDill AFB (FL)
• B/5-159th AVN (HH) - 12x CH-47F - ASF Felker AAF, Fort Eustis (VA)
• C/5-159th AVN (AA) - 15x HH-60M - ASF Godman AAF, Fort Knox (KY)
• G/5-158th AVN (AA) - 15x UH-60L - ASF MacDill AFB (FL)
• A/8-229th AVN (ASLT) - 10x UH-60L - ASF Godman AAF, Fort Knox (KY)
• B/8-229th AVN (ASLT) - 10x UH-60L - ASF Godman AAF, Fort Knox (KY)
• C/8-229th AVN (ASLT) - 10x UH-60L - ASF Godman AAF, Fort Knox (KY)

Additional Units Reporting to 2-135th AVN, CO ARNG – AASF#1 Buckley AFB, Aurora (CO)

• A/2-135th AVN (CMD) - 8x UH-60L - ASF Simmons AAF, Fort Bragg (NC)
• F/2-135th AVN (HH) - 12x CH-47F - ASF Grey AAF, JB Lewis-McChord (WA)

For these last two units, it is unclear if the structure of 2-135th AVN will be altered, as the battalion would be left without a command company. It is possible that A/2-135th AVN will be reassigned to the Army National Guard (ARNG) rather than deactivated. Since this battalion already has a Chinook company, it is expected that F/2-135th AVN will be deactivated without further structural changes.

No changes are expected for USARC fixed-wing units, aside from a new command structure, as they currently report to the 11th ECAB and 244th ECAB, which will both be deactivated.

Credit photo: Kevin Kuhn (via AirHistory.net)