FORT RILEY, Kan. (June 9, 2015) -- The 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, has announced the final flight for the 1st Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment's OH-58 Kiowa Warrior helicopters over Fort Riley, as part of Victory Week 2015 activities, which will take place at 6:30 a.m., Friday, June 12.
"This is going to be a crucial day in the history of Army aviation," said Lt. Col. Andrew Beyer, commander of 1st Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, or 1st CAB, 1st Inf. Div. "Both for Families and friends of 'the Fighting Sixth' as well as many of the ground forces the craft and crews have supported over the years."
As the penultimate event of the division's Victory Week, 25 Kiowa Warriors will fly over a formation of more than 10,000 Soldiers as they conduct the yearly Victory Run on Custer Hill. This will be the Kiowa Warrior's last mission flight on Fort Riley and will mark a historic change in Army's aviation arsenal.
The Army announced the Kiowa Warriors' duties would be assumed by the AH-64 Apache after serving as the Army's primary aerial scout reconnaissance aircraft.
The OH-58 has been a part of the Army's aviation corps since May 1969, though it has adapted to the times and mission requirements. The current Kiowa Warrior was first fielded in 1983, and has deployed in support of almost every major U.S. operation since that time.
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