Emporians and other area residents had an unusual sight Thursday morning.
A quintet of helicopters flew overhead at low altitude, according to KVOE listeners. Kansas National Guard spokesperson Jane Welch says Fort Riley sent the helicopters south to Texas before shipping them overseas for a deployment.
Mission details will not be announced.
The move of the helicopters comes as National Guard servicemen and servicewomen return to Kansas after helping with inauguration security. Soldiers and airmen were first assigned to Task Force Response as what the National Guard calls a “quick reaction force” for several locations in the nation’s capital. Once the inauguration was finished, they were assigned as a security detail for the Supreme Court and the Library of Congress.
Around 300 Kansas men and women were involved in the effort. Over 200 have returned.
