Military Rolls Peacefully Into Idaho Convoy Of Guard Vehicles Draws Stares, Not Shots

Sun., May 7, 1995

By Winda Benedetti windab@spokesman.com

More than 30 military vehicles, including several armored personnel carriers and a 60-ton tank, rolled through Kootenai County on Saturday morning.

And life went on as usual.

Both the Army National Guard from Coeur d’Alene and the Air National Guard from Spokane conducted weekend training in North Idaho.

“It didn’t shock me or shake me,” said Edna Johnson, who was taking a morning walk along U.S. Highway 95 as one of the convoys roared past. “This is what the government pays them to do, be ready. If they ever do get called out at least they’re going to be prepared.”

Guardsmen, concerned about recent militia hysteria, called media organizations to let citizens know about their practices.

“We just wanted the public to be aware of what we’re doing so we don’t create any unnecessary alarm,” said Lt. Kay Steward of the Air National Guard.

A 20-vehicle convoy traveled from Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane to Farragut State Park north of Coeur d’Alene on Saturday morning.

They will spend the weekend setting up a tent city, Steward said.

National guardsmen from Coeur d’Alene took about 15 vehicles - humvees, armored personnel carriers and bulldozers - to a field west of Rathdrum.

They got a few double looks but little more as they rolled down Appleway in their tank-like Combat Engineer Vehicle.

“We’re the National Guard, we’ve been here a long time,” said Sgt. Bill Braid, explaining they practice many times a year.

“It wasn’t a show of force.”

This weekend, the company will practice planting a mine field and safely breaching it. The mines are inert.

The guardsmen and their vehicles will be returning to Coeur d’Alene and Spokane this afternoon. Security police will accompany the Washington convoy to Spokane to help with traffic.

“We just want to make sure everyone knows we’re the good guys,” said Lt. Bill Knight.

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