Alpha Company 2-135th GSAB Smugglers

12/24/2025

On behalf of the Aircrews and Soldiers of Alpha Company, 2-135th GSAB, we wish you and your families a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

Thank you for your continued support throughout the year. We look forward to what lies ahead and will see you in 2026.

RELEASE THE KRAKEN! ⛵🚁

12/21/2025

During the December Battle Assembly, Soldiers of Alpha Company, 2-135th GSAB, focused on key administrative tasks in preparation for the unit’s planned shutdown in 2026.
Efforts centered on logistical coordination and ensuring Soldiers are supported in finding new units and opportunities as the transition approaches.

Members of the Raleigh Police Department also visited the unit, sharing career opportunities for Soldiers considering a transition from military service or exploring a new professional path. Thank you to the RPD officers for their time, insight, and continued support of our Soldiers.

The weekend concluded with A/2-135th’s final official Christmas holiday party. Soldiers, families, and friends came together to celebrate with good food, games, photos with Santa, arts and crafts, and activities for the kids — a meaningful way to close out CY25 and honor the community that has defined this unit.

Proud of the Soldiers, families, and legacy of Alpha Company.

RELEASE THE KRAKEN!⛵️🚁

[📸: Various soldiers of A/2-135th, ]

06/15/2025

The culminating event of Annual Training FY’25 marked a significant moment for Alpha Company with a formal Change of Command ceremony.

CPT Allison Hart relinquished command to 1LT Sarah Kloiber, in a time-honored Army tradition that symbolizes the transfer of authority and responsibility. The ceremony was officiated by LTC Joseph Spencer, Battalion Commander of the 8-229th Attack Helicopter Battalion, headquartered at Fort Knox, KY.

The event was attended by distinguished guests including COL Casey Martinez, Commander of the 244th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade, as well as proud family and friends of both the outgoing and incoming commanders.

The Change of Command reinforces the continuity of leadership, honors the accomplishments of the past, and sets the stage for the future.

Farewell and fair winds, CPT Hart, thank you for your unwavering leadership.
Welcome to the fight, 1LT Kloiber “Kraken 6,” the helm is yours.

RELEASE THE KRAKEN! ⛵🚁

[📸: SGT Jacob Southard, Delta Detachment]

06/15/2025

Wishing a Happy Father’s Day to all the dedicated dads serving in the .

Thank you for your service!

06/14/2025

Hail and Farewell

Alpha Company conducted a Hail and Farewell ceremony for some fellow smugglers, additionally some awards were presented by the Battalion Commander, LTC. Joseph Spencer.

We Hail to our formation the following;

1LT Kloiber, Incoming Commander
SPC Blassino, Delta Detachment
SGT Cole, Delta Detachment
SPC Harvey, Delta Detachment
SGT Booten, Delta Detachment
SGT Leslie, Delta Detachment

We bid Farewell and fair winds to the following Smugglers, all whom have shown dedication, commitment, and loyalty to Alpha Company. We wish you the best in your next chapter and endeavors.

CPT Hart, Outgoing Commander
SGT Oyler, Delta Detachment
SPC Fleet, Delta Detachment
SPC Gayle, Echo Detachment
SPC Knight, Echo Detachment
SPC Boston, Echo Detachment

As LTC Spencer pointed out. “Change is constant” a saying that is known too well in the Army. Thank you all for your service and dedication to the formation.

Notable mentions for awards and dedication through this AT and change of command process are SGT Ashley and SGT Van Rossum, both who are 15T crew chiefs but have stepped out of their roles to assume Operations and supply positions to ensure continuity for the unit. Congratulations.

RELEASE THE KRAKEN!⛵️🚁

#2025

06/14/2025

Yesterday, Captain Allison Hart completed her final flight as a Pilot in Command of a UH-60L and as the Commander of Alpha Company 2-135th GSAB.

Family and friends joined in sharing this special occasion for Captain Hart.

Kraken-6, we bid you farewell and fair winds on your next endeavors. Thank you for your steadfast leadership, commitment, and dedication to the soldiers of Alpha Company over the last 15 months.

RELEASE THE KRAKEN!⛵️🚁

[📸: CW4 Bryce Yarbourgh]

#2025

05/31/2025

Recapping some good training during May, Alpha Company had a fellow Smuggler from Echo Detachment at the Hotel 8 course at Fort Bragg, NC. The Hotel 8 course is a wheeled vehicle recover course that focuses on the safe and efficient recovery of deadlined vehicles. This course additionally highlights the critical skills of proper rigging, towing, and using specialized equipment like the M1098A2.

The hotel 8 course increases the efficiency, reliability, and self-recovery ability for the unit during ground operations. Providing a crucial skill in Large Scale Combat Operations (LSCO)

RELEASE THE KRAKEN!⛵️🚁
[📸: SSG White, Echo Det. PSG]

#2025

05/16/2025

05/16/2025

Back in February 2025, a routine IFR training mission turned into something unforgettable for Alpha Company.

While on a training flight to Raleigh, a crew of aviators stopped to refuel and wait out the day-to-night transition. It was there that they met a young aviation enthusiast named Ms. Addie Nel. Her excitement was instant when she spotted the crew — and even greater when she learned they flew helicopters, not airplanes.

CW4 Drew Andrews, the Senior Pilot and Pilot in Command, struck up a conversation with Addie and her family. Before parting ways, he returned to present her with an Alpha Company flight patch — a small gesture that meant the world to her.

Unfortunately, Addie lost the patch on the way home and was devastated.

Fast forward to May 2025: Addie’s mother reached out after finding Alpha Company’s social media, hoping to replace the patch. Once the original crew heard, they acted quickly — and Alpha Company came together led by 1LT Corbin Nicholson to build something even better: a care package filled with two patches, stickers, a Smugglers hat, toy helicopter, aviator wings, aircrew wings, a water bottle, a challenge coin from CPT Allison Hart, handwritten letters from the crew — and one very special surprise.

Addie was officially named “Kraken 1-1,” an honorary Army Aviator.

Call signs like this are typically reserved for senior leaders and Pilots in Command. This rare honor, approved by the unit commander, was given to a young girl whose passion reminded all of us why we serve.

In moments like these, we’re reminded that being an Army Aviator is more than just a mission — it’s a dream, a calling, and a chance to inspire the next generation. A very special thanks to Mrs. Jordan Nel for sharing this story and allowing us to share it with others!

Fly high, Kraken 1-1.

RELEASE THE KRAKEN!⛵️🚁

[📸: ] (Because you said Addie loved our video with this song; To Addie!)
#2025

05/05/2025

May BA Part 2/2:

While Alpha Company’s flight crews focused on Table II Aerial Gunnery, Delta and Echo Detachments stayed mission-focused, conducting critical sustainment operations in preparation for ECT.

Delta Det (Maintenance) executed both scheduled and unscheduled maintenance tasks to ensure our aircraft remain fully mission capable (FMC). From 15T UH-60 maintainers to the specialist expertise of 15N Avionics, 15D Powertrain, and 15S Sheetmetal, it was a full-team effort to keep our fleet in the fight.

Echo Det (Ground Maintenance & Refueling) provided essential support through ground vehicle operations and refueling training, ensuring FARP operations remain efficient and mission-ready—anytime, anywhere.

These dedicated professionals are the backbone of Alpha Company’s air mobility and ensure we can support ground commanders during Large Scale Combat Operations (LSCO).

We also bid farewell to CW2 Celine Matteoni, who has served Alpha Company with distinction for nearly a decade—first as a 1LT, then as a Warrant Officer. Thank you for your years of commitment and leadership. Wishing you all the best in this next chapter with your family.

Congratulations to SPC Brandon Acevedo-Ramos, winner of the Soldier of the Year award and proud representative of the Army Reserve Aviation Command at the 2025 Combined Best Squad Competition at Fort Knox, KY.

From every angle—aircrew, maintenance, refueling, and support—Alpha Company showed up and delivered. Rest and recover, Smugglers. ECT is coming, and the mission never sleeps.

RELEASE THE KRAKEN! ⛵️🚁

RELEASE THE KRAKEN!
[📸: SFC Kaiser (Delta Det), SSG Sathre (Echo Det)

#2025

05/05/2025

May Battle Assembly Part 1/2

A long four-day Battle Assembly (BA) weekend is in the books as Alpha Company pushes closer to Extended Combat Training (ECT) and aerial gunnery certification. During May BA, 25 aircrew members, which consisted of pilots and crew chiefs, successfully completed Table II qualifications in preparation for aerial gunnery at ECT.

These efforts directly support the Commander’s Aviation Training Program (ATP) and Mission Essential Task Lists (METL)requirements, ensuring Alpha Company remains lethal and mission-ready to provide decisive air support to ground commanders during Large Scale Combat Operations (LSCO). Training with purpose. Executing with precision.

RELEASE THE KRAKEN! ⛵️🚁

04/23/2025