BISMARCK, N.D. - Members of the Family Readiness Group of the Company C, 2/285th Aviation Battalion have been regularly sending their loved ones well-wishes and support in the form of letters and packages since the unit left North Dakota for a yearlong mission to Iraq in October 2009.
The FRG came together last month to make mini family photo albums for their deployed Soldiers at the Army Aviation Support Facility, Bismarck.
The albums each contained a dozen photos, plus one more for the cover, and were small enough to fit in a pocket. Chief Warrant Officer Aaron Schwehr, of Lincoln; Jill Yri, of Bismarck, and Kim Iverson, of Bismarck, set up laptops and printers to print and design the albums with photos sent in by family members. More family members showed up in person to put their albums together.
"It's just a nice little token of home for everybody to get," said Kristie Knopp, of Mandan and wife of Chief Warrant Officer Knopp; a pilot with the 2/285th. She was ably assisted in her album making by her daughter, Lexee, age 4, and Tyler, age 3.
"We're going to keep making them until everybody has one," Yri said. Jill is the wife of 1st Lt. Josh Yri, also a pilot with the 2/285th.
Company C is an assault helicopter company with about half of its members from North Dakota and half from Utah, plus a few from Arizona. About 90 percent of Company C is in Basrah, Iraq, but North Dakota members in Companies D, E, and Headquarters and Headquarters Company are also located at Tillil and Al Kut.
They serve as a quick reaction force, 24 hours a day and seven days a week, performing air assault missions with U.S. and Iraq forces and medical evacuations. They also transport personnel and equipment and provide support for other helicopters; both AH-64 Apaches and UH-60 Black Hawks.
"We replaced two UH-60 companies. This keeps us pretty busy," said Capt. Doug Larsen, company commander. "The Soldiers are gaining a lot of experience planning, flying and maintaining. Since we've been in country, the company has averaged over 500 flight hours per month. The average crew member has over 150 combat hours."
Larsen said Basrah has more amenities than one might expect. There is a brand new gym and United Service Organization building. Communication with family and friends is good with free phones and a computer lab at the USO, phones and a computer lab at the flight line. Support from home has been great, with mail arriving steadily.