FORT RILEY, Kan. - Finished with a year's work in Iraq, Fort Riley's helicopters are home.
Soldiers of the Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division returned from a year-long deployment this March, and the last of their helicopters will be returned to post this week.
Coming home several months behind most of the brigade's troops, its fleet of helicopters faced a lengthy journey by boat from Kuwait to Texas, where they were rebuilt and flown to Fort Riley.
The brigade still has a number of aircraft in reset facilities across the country, where they will undergo thorough maintenance.
The aircraft were pushed to their limit in Iraq, where the unit served as the Army's only aviation brigade supporting Operation New Dawn. Their responsibilities spanning to every corner of the country, the brigade's aircraft racked up more than 130,000 flight hours.
The Flint Hills area will see the brigade flying overhead again soon, as it gradually resumes its regular training cycle later this month.
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