The lineage of the 188th Aviation Company goes back to World War II. On October 1, 1943 the United States Army activated the 2026th Quartermaster Truck Company, Aviation at Lockbourne Army Air Base in Ohio. During World War II the 2026th participated in the New Guinea campaign in the South Pacific and was inactivated in Japan after the war on April 15, 1946. On August 1, 1946 the 2026th was converted and re-designated as the 2026th Transportation Corps Truck Company. On November 1, 1966 the 2026th was redesignated as the 188th Aviation Company, Air Mobile Light Aircraft (AML), allotted to the United States Third Army at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

188th Aviation Company (Air Mobile Light), 101st Aviation Battalion, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Kentucky - Dau Tieng, South Vietnam – III Corps Area of Operation (AO) (11/66-5/67).

188th Assault Helicopter Company “Black Widows”, 269th Combat Aviation Battalion “Black Barons”, 1st Aviation Brigade, call sign: “Hawk”, Dau Tieng (Camp Rainier), South Vietnam (5/67-3/68) Motto: “AIM HIGH”

188th Assault Helicopter Company, 308th Combat Aviation Battalion “Black Adler”, 1st Aviation Brigade, LZ Sally, South Vietnam – northern I (pronounced eye) Corps AO (3/68-7/68).

Spiders gun platoon (11/66-7/68), Motto: “GUNS UP” The Spiders, along with all the other 101st t gun platoons were reassigned to Delta Company, 101st Aviation Battalion, 101st Air Cav Division, call sign: “Hawk” The Spiders became the 3rd flight platoon.

Charlie Company, 101st Assault Helicopter Battalion (Wings of the Eagle), 101st Air Cav Division, LZ Sally, South Vietnam – northern I Corps AO (7/68-8/68). The 101st didn’t like being called the “Air Cav” and changed the designation back to “Airborne” in August 1968.]

Charlie Company, 101st Assault Helicopter Battalion (Wings of the Eagle), 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile), LZ Sally (8/68- 4/69).

Charlie Company, 101st Assault Helicopter Battalion (Wings of the Eagle), 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile), Phu Bai, South Vietnam (4/69-2/72).

Charlie Company, 101st Assault Helicopter Battalion (Wings of the Eagle), 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile), Fort Campbell, Kentucky (2/72-3/76).

Charlie Company, 101st Aviation Battalion (Wings of the Eagle), 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky (3/76-10/81).

Alpha Company, 158th Aviation Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky (10/81-10/87).

Alpha Company, 5th Aviation Battalion (Eagle Assault), 101st Aviation Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky (10/87-7/89).

Alpha Company, 6th Aviation Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky (7/89-12/89).

Alpha Company, 9th Battalion (Eagle Strike), 101st Aviation Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky, Afghanistan, Iraq (12/89-5/04). Motto: “Mate and Kill”

A/9/101 “BLACK WIDOWS” were re-flagged A/4/3 in May of 2003 after returning to Fort Campbell after Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003-2004).

Alpha Company, 4th Battalion (Marne Assault), 3rd Aviation Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division adopts “Spiders” as the companies call sign, deployed to Iraq in February 2005. The company is presently based at Camp, Taji, Iraq and commanded by Spider 06, Captain Carl Preciado. The majority of A/4/3 aviators are former Black Widows from A/9/101.

Charlie Company, 4th Aviation Regiment (Wings of the Eagle), 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) C/4/101, the new “Black Widows,” are deploying to Iraq in October 2005 under the command of Black Widow 06, Captain Melissa Jones. Motto: “Mate and Kill” (5/04 to the present).

The Comancheros, Kingsmen and Black Widows of the 4th Aviation Regiment also served together in 101st Aviation Battalion in Vietnam from 1968 through 1972.