JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq - It's technically the battalion's second deployment in the past five years. The first began in December, 2003 - in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II. During that stint they worked just across the street from their current location on Joint Base Balad.
But ask any member of the Louisiana National Guard's 1st Battalion, 244th Aviation Regiment, and they'll tell you this is deployment number three.
The battalion, organized in Iraq as Task Force Voodoo, left Balad in February, 2005. In August, they began the fight of their lives - brought on by Hurricane Katrina.
"That lasted about six months for us," said Slidell, La. native, Capt. Timothy Cleighton. "We count Katrina as a deployment, even though it was six months long. It was much tougher than our combat deployment."
The unit was mobilized to provide aviation support to the hurricane victims - many of whom were friends and neighbors of the Soldiers in the unit. For those critical six months, 83 National Guard aircraft, and 40 active duty helicopters flew thousands of missions to help a state get back on its feet.
Cleighton, the commander of Company B, was one of many in the battalion personally affected by the storm.
"I had roughly an inch of water in the house, I didn't have 10 feet like some of the guys," he said. "It was pretty tough for a lot of our guys. Probably 75 percent of the people I knew had damage."
"A lot of these guys were directly affected by the devastation," said Task Force Voodoo Command Sgt. Maj. Myron Creecy. "They were able to understand that they had a pretty big task - knowing that their homes were under 10 feet of water, they did what they had to do to get their Families to safety, and then went on to perform a vital mission."
It's an experience that, coupled with the previous deployment, has created a battle-ready group of veteran aviators, says the battalion commander, Lt. Col. Patrick Bossetta, a New Orleans native whose own home and businesses were lost. The majority of the unit, about 70 percent, has remained unchanged since 2003.
"We have a group of aviators with a lot of experience, and we've got some young guys," he said. "But our core group has seen every mission set, both doctrinal and un-doctrinal. They know what "˜right' looks like."
The majority of TF Voodoo hails from Louisiana. Another 81 are from the Florida National Guard. In Iraq, they come together to form an aviation task force that performs a full spectrum of utility aviation missions.
At Balad, the battalion flies air assault and general support missions, such as passenger travel and cargo. A separate company works from Basra, in southern Iraq, providing general aviation support.
The pilots who've been here before say the mission hasn't changed much, but after only a month back in theater, it's still important to continue learning.
"You have to fight over-confidence," said Bossetta. "Sometimes guys think they've been there and done it, but they have to understand that things change in a few years. We've opened our eyes to a different way of flying."
"Knowing where to land and finding the places on the map is important, but you have to be ready for the new things," added Creecy, a native of LaPlace, La. "I think we have the right personnel who understand that the mission has changed and that we have to change with that mission."
TF Voodoo is scheduled for nine months in Iraq - A welcome change from their first 14-month deployment. Most of those who've been in Iraq before said that Katrina, while sobering, did little to change the way they approach the mission here.
"My feeling is still the same from the first time we were here until now," said Cleighton. "We're doing what we can to help out every little bit we can."
"No matter what, we've got to fly, fix and fly our aircraft safely," continued Bossetta. "Nothing else matters, because if we fly, fix and fly safely we'll bring everybody home."