In this second of two interviews with Lieutenant Colonel Cory Mendenhall, he discusses his service as the operations officer for 1st Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment and as executive officer of the Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division through 2005 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He talks about the intensive training they participated in prior to redeploying to Iraq, the smooth handoff with the 1st Cavalry Division, the continual effort to address shortcomings in equipment, and the unique challenges of an aviation unit in a counterinsurgency environment. Mendenhall concludes his interview by stating that the close integration of ground and aviation assets lead to real successes.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited