U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Nolan Brown, shakes hands and celebrates with members of Echo Company (Grey Eagles), 1st Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment (Attack Battalion), 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, after his promotion and re-enlistment ceremonies at 33rd Air Base Powidz, Poland, November 10, 2025. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Dean Johnson)
As the sun crept through the clouds, the bright energizing red-orange hue painted the sky for what would be a surefire day to remember for an AH-64 Apache Helicopter to soar through the sky.
Soldiers from 3rd Squadron, 17th Calvary Regiment, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division gathered to honor Chief Warrant Officer 2 Ernest “Tommy” Barela, an AH-64 Apache Helicopter pilot, with his final flight, Jan. 10, at Hunter Army Airfield, Ga., after 20 years of service to the Army and the Soldiers he has mentored through the years.
The final flight is a tradition held in Aviation to honor the pilots and crew chiefs, which signifies the end of their Army career.
Born and raised in Albuquerque, Barela, a New Mexico...
01.15.2019 | HUNTER ARMY AIRFIELD, GEORGIA, US |
Story by Sgt. Ryan Tatum
Most often the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade is the main element in Savannah, Georgia's St. Patrick's Day Parade, however, with majority of the brigade supporting operations in Afghanistan they want to show support to the City of Savannah.
