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Following two recent AH-64 Apache helicopter incidents, including a fatal crash in Mississippi, the Army National Guard has suspended all helicopter flights temporarily.

Lt. Gen. Jon Jensen, the director of the Army National Guard, emphasized the importance of safety, stating, “Safety is always at the top of our minds. We will stand down to ensure our crews are prepared as well as possible for whatever they’re asked to do.”

The grounding serves as a period for the Army National Guard to reevaluate its safety protocols and training regimens, especially in light of findings that Guard pilots have been flying fewer hours than deemed optimal. A Government Accountability Office report indicated that between 2017 and 2019, most Guard pilots averaged about five hours of flight time per month, whereas seven to nine hours are necessary for maintaining proficiency.