{"id":482754,"date":"2025-06-14T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-14T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=482754"},"modified":"2025-06-17T07:17:14","modified_gmt":"2025-06-17T07:17:14","slug":"north-carolina-guard-flies-into-armys-250th-birthday-celebration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=482754","title":{"rendered":"North Carolina Guard Flies into Army\u2019s 250th Birthday Celebration"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n Crew members from the 1-130th Attack Battalion, North Carolina Army National Guard, support a static display during the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday celebration on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., Saturday, June 14, 2025. The event honors 250 years of Army history and service to the nation.
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\n Crew members from the 1-130th Attack Battalion, North Carolina Army National Guard, support a static display during the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday celebration on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., Saturday, June 14, 2025. The event honors 250 years of Army history and service to the nation.
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\n Crew members from the 1-130th Attack Battalion, North Carolina Army National Guard, support a static display during the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday celebration on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., Saturday, June 14, 2025. The event honors 250 years of Army history and service to the nation.
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\n Crew members from the 1-130th Attack Battalion, North Carolina Army National Guard, support a static display during the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday celebration on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., Saturday, June 14, 2025. The event honors 250 years of Army history and service to the nation.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 The heart of Washington, D.C., became a landing zone June 14 when an AH-64E Apache helicopter touched down on the National Mall.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t a combat mission, but it was one just as powerful in symbolism.<\/p>\n

As part of the Army\u2019s 250th birthday celebration, this moment brought aviation history face-to-face with the public thanks to the skill and dedication of an elite crew from the 1-130th Attack Battalion of the North Carolina Army National Guard.<\/p>\n

Leading the mission was CW 4 James \u201cWoody\u201d Watkins, pilot in command, who has spent his entire 30-year career flying and maintaining Army helicopters.<\/p>\n

For Watkins, this flight held a special place in a lifetime of aviation.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have had the opportunity for the past 30 years in aviation to participate in multiple static displays, tours, and airshows,\u201d Watkins said. \u201cI love aviation and I love the Apache attack helicopter. I have spent most of my life learning everything I could about this amazing aircraft. This one is definitely different for me, mainly because I have never seen my nation\u2019s capital in all this time. To come here and land an AH-64E Apache on the national lawn for the Army\u2019s 250th birthday is truly an honor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sharing the cockpit was CW3 Darius Jenkins, a 22-year veteran and co-pilot from Raleigh, North Carolina, who called the opportunity a career-defining moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is an amazing once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Most aviators will never get to do this, and it\u2019s a privilege to have the chance,\u201d Jenkins said. \u201cI get to be part of the Army\u2019s 250th birthday celebration, which in and of itself is a unique event.\u201d<\/p>\n

The pilots weren\u2019t the only ones making the celebration happen. Behind the scenes and on the ground were a dedicated team of maintainers responsible for keeping the Apache display ready and safe.<\/p>\n

Staff Sgt. Michael Frutchey, a 12-year veteran from Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, has deployed to Afghanistan and holds certifications from the Federal Aviation Administration and the Army in airframe and powerplant mechanics.<\/p>\n

For him, the static display wasn\u2019t just about showcasing equipment. It was personal.<\/p>\n

\u201cPersonally, to be a part of this celebration, right here in the nation\u2019s capital, is extraordinary,\u201d Frutchey said. \u201cTo highlight what we do, the tactical and technical expertise involved with Army Aviation\u2019s history within the Army to the general public in this volume is really amazing. Many of my family members have served in the Army or supported its operations in a civilian capacity, which makes it hit close to home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sgt. Elijah Braddy of Spring Hope, North Carolina, was a member of Frutchey\u2019s team. Braddy emphasized the meticulous preparation that went on behind the scenes.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo prepare for a static display, we must choose an aircraft that is equipped the way we want to show it off,\u201d Braddy said. \u201cWe make sure the aircraft won\u2019t have any maintenance issues that will interfere with it being away from home station. We need contingency plans and select maintainers who can handle anything that might come up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sgt. Daniel Browning, another experienced Apache mechanic from Kenly, North Carolina, reflected on the deeper meaning of the mission.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing part of the Army\u2019s 250th birthday means everything I signed up for,\u201d Browning said. \u201cIt represents the pride I feel as a Soldier in the Army National Guard, my loyalty to my country and my commitment to selfless service. Celebrating this milestone inspires me to continue contributing to the strength and resilience of our nation every day.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Sgt. Edgar Echeverria-Nolasco of Winston Salem, North Carolina, a technical inspector and night vision specialist, the event was a huge milestone.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like it\u2019s a great honor to be able to show the nation our AH-64E Apache while participating in an event like the 250th Army birthday. Just standing on the National Mall and seeing our Apache on display brought a sense of pride in what we do as maintainers.\u201d<\/p>\n

From their arrival in the skies to their engagement with curious families, veterans and civilians on the ground, the Apache team did more than display a helicopter.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeeing that all of our hard work at the Flight Facility and the Attack Battalion is paying off,\u201d Echeverria-Nolasco said.<\/p>\n

They told the story of commitment, of people who have dedicated their careers to mastering complex machines, defending their country and mentoring the next generation.<\/p>\n

The legacy of the U.S. Army is not only alive, it is on proud display, upheld by the hands and hearts of today\u2019s Soldiers.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt makes me so proud to be part of the Army, and specifically the North Carolina Army National Guard,\u201d Frutchey said.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.nationalguard.mil<\/a><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TheNationalGuard<\/a><\/p>\n

https:\/\/x.com\/USNationalGuard<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

1 \/ 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption \u2013 Crew members from the 1-130th Attack Battalion, North Carolina Army National Guard, support a static display during the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday celebration on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., Saturday, June 14, 2025. The event honors 250 years of Army history and service to the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":482756,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-482754","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/482754","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=482754"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/482754\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":482761,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/482754\/revisions\/482761"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/482756"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=482754"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=482754"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=482754"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}