| Unit Name: | 1st Military Intelligence Battalion (Aerial Exploitation) |
| Dates: | 1957–1982 1984–present |
| Type: | Intelligence battalion |
| Role: | Aerial Signals Information Acquisition |
| Command Structure: | 66th Military Intelligence Brigade, Regular Army |
| Garrison: | Lucius D. Clay Kaserne |
| Equipment: | RC-12 Guardrail RQ-5 Hunter |
| Nickname: | Flying Eye Battalion[1] (Special Designation) |
| Motto: | Infomare Laboramus ("We labor to inform") |
| Battles: | Korean War Vietnam War Operation Desert Storm Operation Iraqi Freedom III-IV and V-VI Operation Enduring Freedom VI |
| Decorations: | Presidential Unit Citation Meritorious Unit Commendation Superior Unit Award Vietnam Cross of Gallantry |
| Identification Symbol Label: | Distinctive Unit Insignia |
1st Military Intelligence Battalion (Aerial Exploitation), nicknamed the "Flying Eye Battalion", is a unit of the United States Army which specializes in the acquisition of aerial signals information in direct support of the 66th Military Intelligence Brigade. 1st MI Battalion (AE) is currently headquartered at Lucius D. Clay Kaserne in Germany.
The unit was originally formed on 14 December 1956 as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 1st Air Reconnaissance Support Battalion, and formally activated 1 February 1957 at Fort Polk, Louisiana. It was reorganized and redesignated 1 May 1959 as Company A, 196th Aerial Photo Interpretation Detachment at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Then on 20 March 1962 it was converted and redesignated the 1st Military Intelligence Battalion (Air Reconnaissance Support). In October 1962 the 1st Military Intelligence Battalion (ARS) was instrumental in identifying Russian missile activity from clear photographic evidence produced from Air Force U-2 Spy Planes.[2] Upon its return from Vietnam in 1973, 1st MI was assigned to Fort Bragg, North Carolina and eventually inactivated 15 July 1982.[3] Reactivated 14 January 1984 in Germany as V Corps' aerial exploitation battalion, 1st MI is currently assigned to the 66th Military Intelligence Brigade out of Lucius D. Clay Kaserne, Wiesbaden, Germany, and supported Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
1st MI Battalion has served in
The battalion has undergone various reorganizations. Currently it comprises four companies:
The unit served in Vietnam from 23 December 1965 from Ft. Bragg and departed Vietnam on 19 April 1971 to return to Ft. Bragg, as 1st Military Intelligence Battalion (Air Reconnaissance Support)(MIBARS).[5] Detachments were stationed in multiple locations during the battalion's deployment. Each detachment consisted of an operations/imagery interpretation section, a reproduction section and a supply and maintenance section.
The following decorations have been awarded to the 1st Military Intelligence Battalion:[6]
Company A is additionally entitled to: