Lt. Col. Jon Neumann and Sergeant Major Peter Smith, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, know how to thank those who have helped their soldiers out of a number of tight spots.

"I can't begin to tell you how much we owe the guys in the 1st Squadron, 17thCavalry," said Smith as we bounced down a dusty road toward the squadron's hangar.

"When we have called for air support, these guys have brought their Kiowas in and have not been afraid to pull the trigger."

The 1/17 Cavalry is an aviation unit attached to the 82ndAirborne Division.

For Lt. Col. Mike Morgan, commander of the 1/17, Neumann's appearance at his tactical operations center, or TOC, was a welcomed surprise.

"It is good to see you, brother," said Morgan as he shook hands with Neumann.

It was the first time the two men had ever met.

In order to show their appreciation for what the air cavalry had done for the battalion's soldiers, Neumann and Smith had brought along a couple of DShK Soviet heavy machine guns to present.

"We figured these guys might like to have these as trophies," said Neumann.  "They certainly have been shot at with these things, and we just happened to capture a couple of them."

After Smith and Neumann presented the guns to Morgan and some of his pilots, the air cavalry had a gift for the ground pounders.

"We'd like you to know how much we admire the courage you and your soldiers display on the missions you carry out," said Morgan as he handed Neumann a plague and an American flag.

"You guys are truly heroes."