BOISE, Idaho — The skies over southern Idaho are going to get much louder over the next three weeks.
The Idaho National Guard is hosting six AV-8B Harrier aircraft from the Marine Corps Air Station in Cherry Point, North Carolina. They will be in Idaho through April 28.
The jets will be trainings with A-10s from the Idaho Air National Guard’s 190th Fighter Squadron. Operations will involve both day and night training. The majority of the training flights will occur during daylight hours. Night flying will occur April 19-22.
The training activities will be in air space and training ranges typically used by the Idaho Air National Guard in southern Idaho and northern Nevada.
“Training with other units that operate different fighter aircraft is a critical component to maintaining combat readiness,” said Col. Shannon Smith, commander of the Idaho Air National Guard’s 124th Fighter Wing. “This is how we operate in the combat environment so it’s imperative our pilots have the opportunity to train with other services, who operate and maintain dissimilar aircraft.”
This training will expose Idaho pilots to scenarios beyond their normal Close Air Support training and provide a unique experience to enhance their joint operations capabilities.
“It’s critical for our pilots to take these opportunities, but we will also maintain our commitment to being good neighbors,” Smith said. “Additional aircraft means that the flight line will be louder than normal but as always, we will ensure we take the necessary steps to limit negative impacts to the community. If anyone has any concerns, we ask that they call us so we can address them directly.”
A special phone line has been established to address comments from the public, call 208-422-5252.
