Viva Las Vegas - The 124th Fighter Wing Arrives at Green Flag-West

More than 190 Airmen from the 124th Fighter Wing, Boise, Idaho and 12 A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft from the 190th Fighter Squadron arrived at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, May 30, 2019.

The aircraft and Airmen are participating in Green Flag-West 19-8, a realistic air-land integration combat training exercise. This exercise will heavily support the Idaho Army National Guard’s 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team, who are training at the Fort Irwin National Training Center in California in preparation for an overseas deployment.

“This training is invaluable to our pilots, maintenance and support Airmen,” said Col. Shannon Smith, the 124th Fighter Wing commander. “It allows us the opportunity to hone our close air support skills, validate joint interoperability and achieve combat readiness.”

Not only is this training valuable to the wing, but it directly supports our fellow guardsmen.

“We not only will be enhancing our combat lethality, but we will directly be supporting our fellow guardsmen in the Idaho Army National Guard during our Green Flag rotation,” said Smith. “Nothing hits home more than knowing you are directly supporting your fellow brothers and sisters from the Idaho National Guard.”

Out of the 3,000 soldiers that comprise the 116th CBCT, more than 1,800 are from 137 Idaho communities. The training is key to the success of the soldiers.

“The national training center provides some of the most realistic training the Army has to offer,” said Col. Scott Sheridian, the 116th CBCT commander. “This gives us the opportunity to exercise our warfighting functions in a way we can’t anywhere else.”

This Army deployment is the largest in the 116th CBCTs history, but that’s not the only first.

“From what I understand, this is the first time that both an air and land component from the same state have supported each other in both the Green Flag and NTC training environment,” said Smith. “This is one of those unique opportunities to directly and positively impact the overall combat readiness of the entire Idaho National Guard.”