A-10 Thunderbolt II airplanes leave Boise’s Gowen Field en route to Middle East
Following the deployment of hundreds of servicemen and servicewomen, around a dozen aircraft departed Boise’s Gowen Field on Tuesday en route to the Middle East.
Roughly a dozen A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft from the Idaho Air National Guard’s 124th Fighter Wing were sent overseas, according to state officials. The aircraft will be stationed in Southwest Asia along with other members of the 124th Fighter Wing, who deployed Monday.
Both groups will act in support of three combat operations: Freedom’s Sentinel, Inherent Resolve and New Normal. The operations include activity in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Libya.
This week’s deployment is among the largest in the fighter wing’s history, according to a news release from the Idaho Military Division.
Maintenance and medical personnel were deployed Monday, along with aircraft, pilots, security forces and other support staff. The dozen or so aircraft and pilots left Gowen on Tuesday. Other personnel will be deployed throughout the spring and summer. Deployments last around 180 days, with some planned departures.
On Monday, Col. Shannon Smith — commander of the 124th — said the deployment comes during a strange time.
“These past few weeks have been different for all of us. The pandemic has changed all our lives in so many ways,” Smith said. “But what I can tell you about how we do things in the Air National Guard ... is that this is what we train for.”
This story was originally published May 12, 2020 at 1:03 PM.
