Idaho Guard mobilizes unit

BOISE – The size of the Idaho National Guard contingent in Iraq will increase by about 200 with the mobilization of the guard’s l-183rd Aviation Battalion.

The mobilization order was issued Friday by the Defense Department and announced Monday by Gov. Dirk Kempthorne.

The mobilization order affects the majority of the Boise-based unit, which includes 16 AH-64 Apache attack helicopters. The Apache can conduct precision strikes against fixed and moving targets and provides armed reconnaissance.

The more than 200 being mobilized will be mostly pilots, crew chiefs, helicopter mechanics and armament specialists.

The members of the 1-183rd will have several weeks to get their personal affairs in order. When they do mobilize, battalion members will initially conduct training at Fort Hood, Texas. Once training operations are complete, they expect to deploy to Southwest Asia for a period of at least 12 months. In total, the mobilization is expected to last approximately 18 months.