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Chief Warrant Officer 4 Philip Hettich, 1-229th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion pilot, returns to Gray Army Airfield at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in an AH-64D Apache helicopter May 2 from his final flight prior to retirement. Upon completing taxiing, ...
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Chief Warrant Officer 4 Philip Hettich, 1-229th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion pilot, returns to Gray Army Airfield at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in an AH-64D Apache helicopter May 2 from his final flight prior to retirement. Upon completing taxiing, ...
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Chief Warrant Officer 4 Philip Hettich, 1-229th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion pilot, gets drenched with a fire hose per aviation tradition after returning to Gray Army Airfield at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in an AH-64D Apache helicopter May 2 from h...
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army)VIEW ORIGINAL
"It's great to be in a great unit and have this last flight," Hettich said. "I appreciate everything from the battalion."
Upon his return to Gray Army Airfield, Hettich was greeted by the battalion leadership, fellow pilots, Soldiers from the 1-229th ARB and members of the Joint Base Lewis-McChord fire department.
Per tradition in the aviation branch, pilots return to a wet welcome as they are drenched with a fire hose. Hettich received the same fate as he dismounted his airframe for the last time.
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