Final Utah National Guard troops return home from Afghanistan
The last of Utah s National Guard troops serving in Afghanistan returned home Tuesday.
and last updated 2021-05-04 23:21:28-04
SALT LAKE CITY â The last of Utah s National Guard troops serving in Afghanistan returned home Tuesday.
Families and friends of soldiers waited at Salt Lake City International Airport with open arms, eager to see loved ones who deployed overseas in May 2020.
âI was so excited to just hug him and see him. Itâs been a long year, said Rebecca Crowther of West Jordan, who welcomed home her husband Staff Sgt. Spencer Crowther. Both Crowthers serve in the military. They have been married for about three years and say they ve spent almost half their marriage apart to serve our country.
After a three-day journey originating from the manufacturing facilities in Mesa, Arizona, the 1-229th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, became the first operational unit to receive the AH-64E version 6 Apache helicopter Jan. 14.
The V6 is equipped with an open systems design including the latest communications, navigation, sensor and weapon systems. The model has multiple upgrades with the improved Lockheed-Martin Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision System, which includes a new integrated infrared laser for easier target designation and enhanced infrared imagery capabilities. The GEN3 Day Sensor Assembly doubles the sensorâs field of view and increases resolution. The addition of color imagery improves target detection and identification.