The 2nd Battalion (Assault), 10th Aviation Regiment, "Soldiers of the Sky," was activated at Fort Drum, New York on 16 March 1996 as it was redesignated from the 3rd Battalion (Assault), 25th Aviation Regiment.

Following its activation the battalion remained busy. The first operational mission as the 2nd Battalion (Assault), 10th Aviation Regiment was a JTF-6 counter-drug mission in El Centro, California from January 1999 to February 1999. Bravo Company deployed to support that counter-drug mission. Locally, the Battalion assisted the New York region as it recovered from the devastating effects of the January 1998 ice storm. In May 1999, elements of Charlie Company deployed to Albania and were attached to Task Force Hawk to support Operation Allied Forge and Operation Shining Hope peace-keeping operations in Kosovo. In August 1999, Charlie Company redeployed to Bosnia and joined Alpha Company as part of Task Force Eagle to support SFOR-6, Operation Joint Forge, a peace-keeping mission in Bosnia from August 1999 to March 2000. Charlie Company deployed aircraft and crews on a JTF-6 counter-drug mission at Cape Girardeau, Missouri from August 2000 to September 2000.