2nd Battalion, 3rd Aviation was originally constituted on 18 April 1963, in the Regular Army as Company B, 3rd Aviation Battalion an element of the 3rd Infantry Division. The battalion was activated 15 July 1963, in the Federal Republic of Germany where it served with honor through 5 June 1967, and later from 21 August 1978, to 16 August 1987.

On 16 August 1987, the unit was reorganized and redesignated as the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Aviation, an element of the 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized). Following the end of the Gulf War, the battalion was reorganized as an attack helicopter battalion and equipped with the AH-64 Apache helicopter. On 15 July 1993, the battalion was inactivated during the Army wide drawdown. The battalion was reactivated on 16 February 1996, as a General Support Aviation Battalion at Hunter Army Airfield as part of the reflagging of the 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized) to the 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized).

In recent history, the unit has been at the forefront of Army Aviation. 2-3 AVN supported Operation BAHAMAS, TURKS, and CAICOS (OPBAT), USSOUTHCOM counter narcotics mission in the Caribbean through 2001; deployed to Bosnia Herzegovina in support of SFOR 8 and 9; participated in Bright Star '97 and '99 in Egypt; Operation DESERT THUNDER in Kuwait; two Operations WEEDEATER counter-drug deployments to Trinidad and Tobago; and numerous rotations to the National Training Center.

In August 2002, 2-3 Aviation deployed 4 UH-60s to Kuwait to support Operation Desert Spring, the rest of the battalion followed in January 2003 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The Knighthawks played an integral part of 3rd ID (Mech)'s attack into Iraq in March 2003. From June to August 2003, TF KNIGHTHAWK was formed utilizing two OH-58 D air troops from 3-7 Cavalry and a UH-60 Blackhawk company to support 2nd BCT's combat operations in Al Fallujah, Iraq.

In January 2005, 2-3 Aviation deployed again to Iraq, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom III. The battalion's missions included VIP support, combat assaults, MEDEVAC, heavy and medium lift support, aircraft recovery, and the daily movement needs of the Divisional command group and staff. The battalion was the primary movement support unit for the Iraqi government and routinely moved the Prime Minister, President, and key Cabinet Members throughout the combat theater. The battalion relentlessly dedicated itself to the mission and the needs of the division. The battalion flew 11,265 combat hours, transported 101,837 passengers, moved over 10 million pounds of equipment, conducted 23 combat assaults resulting in the capture of over 50 insurgent leaders, and completed 4,127 missions without the loss of one soldier or piece of equipment. The battalion redeployed in January 2006.

After a brief rest and refit, the battalion was called to deploy for operation Iraq Freedom V. On May 5, 2007, the unit left Hunter Army Airfield for a fifteen month tour out of Baghdad, Iraq. Upon arrival to the theater of operations this large and complex general support aviation battalion (GSAB) worked around the clock to position over 730 soldiers at seven different locations throughout Iraq. The battalion's assets provided critical capabilities as they engaged in multiple high priority missions to include division command group support, air assault, medical evacuation, and medium/heavy lift support. Indiana's 2-238th and subsequently Maine's 1-126th air ambulance companies of the National Guard were attached to the unit, giving the Knighthawks the ability to provide aeromedical evacuation coverage for over half of the country and fighting forces on the ground. As part of operational strategy to quell sectarian violence and stabilize the capital of Iraq, the Knighthawks participated in countless operations which resulted in the battalion flying over 24,000 hours, the air traffic services company controlling 185,000 aircraft movements, transporting 110,000 passengers, moving over 20 million pounds of cargo, completion of over 6000 air mission requests, the evacuation of over 4,300 patients, and conducting 40 air assaults. The Knighthawks returned safely with of its personnel and equipment in late July 2008.