NEWS RELEASE – Utah National Guard to receive Army’s most advanced attack helicopter

Featured image for “NEWS RELEASE – Utah National Guard to receive Army’s most advanced attack helicopter”
DRAPER, Utah – Nov. 21, 2024 — The Utah National Guard is scheduled to receive theArmy’s newest and most advanced attack helicopters, the new AH-64E ApacheGuardian, this weekend. The first four of these aircraft are scheduled to fly into Utah onSaturday, Nov. 23, 2024 (the flight schedule may shift by a day or two depending onflight paths and weather impacts).

DRAPER, Utah – Nov. 21, 2024 — The Utah National Guard is scheduled to receive the
Army’s newest and most advanced attack helicopters, the new AH-64E Apache
Guardian, this weekend. The first four of these aircraft are scheduled to fly into Utah on
Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024 (the flight schedule may shift by a day or two depending on
flight paths and weather impacts). The remaining 20 aircraft will be received into the
unit’s inventory throughout the next six months completing the full allotment of aircraft
assigned to the battalion for the first time in several years.
Media desiring to attend the event are invited to a media open house and press
conference scheduled to begin Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at 1:30 p.m. where Utah National
Guard commander’s will share comments as they prepare to welcome their pilots back
from a cross-country flight and witness the arrival of four of the most modern military
aircraft in the U.S. arsenal. Media will have access to interview a flight crew once they
arrive and land (approximately 2 p.m.). Contact Lt. Col. Chris Kroeber, 801-716-9063 to
coordinate attendance to the event. Media escorts will be available to take participating
personnel to the conference location at 1 p.m. in the parking lot outside the facility. When
confirmed with pilots the date and time of the event will be released to those that RSVP
no later than 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22, 2024.
“We are excited for the capabilities these new helicopters bring to the state,” said Col.
John Dzieciolowski, commander of the 97th Aviation Troop Command. “These
capabilities improve our capacity to fly in inclement weather, increases the lethality of the
joint force, enhances our targeting systems, and the increased power is critical for our

Utah National Guard Office of Public Affairs – State Headquarters, 12953 S. Minuteman Drive, Draper, Utah 84020
higher altitudes here in Utah. Putting the AH-64E into the hands of our Utah Guard
members will enable our combatant commanders to dominate on the battlefield.”
The first Apache helicopters arrived in Utah in 1992, as the Utah National Guard began
modernizing its attack aviation battalion. The battalion has deployed three times since the
beginning of the Global War on Terror, and each deployment has improved the capacity
of the unit and its leaders. This newest step in the unit’s evolution improves the unit’s
morale and heightens its already prestigious military record.
“The Utah Army National Guard is fortunate to be modernized with the new version of
the Apache helicopter,” said Lt. Col. Jon Richardson, director of Aviation and Safety for
the Utah National Guard. “The significant improvements of this aircraft enhance
preparations of our Soldiers and units, so they are ready for our nation’s defense.”