The Idaho National Guard said goodbye to the last of its Apache helicopters during a ceremony at Gowen Field Thursday morning. The change is due to a national initiative to transfer a portion of the fleet to the Army.
Four hundred Idaho personnel work with Apaches. According to Major Chris Borders, a Guard spokesman, about 385 of those Guard members will be trained to work on Black Hawk helicopters. He says the remaining 15 worked on aspects of the Apache that don't transfer to the Black Hawks, but those personnel will be given other opportunities to transfer.
The transition from one helicopter mission to the other could take about a year.
Find reporter Frankie Barnhill on Twitter @FABarnhill
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