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Oregon F-15s head home after summer in Idaho

BOISE, Idaho — The F-15 fighter jets that were a common sight over Boise this summer are returning home to Oregon.

Twenty-two planes and 200 crew members from the 173rd Fighter Wing had been at Gowen Field while their home base's runways in Klamath Falls were fixed.

Boise leaders expect the local economy to profit from the temporary assignment, with an amount between $3 million and $5 million, the Idaho Statesman reported.

Idaho National Guard Lt. Col. Tim Marsano called it a valuable experience to have the F-15s train alongside the A-10 Warthog jets normally stationed at Gowen Field.

He says, "It helps us to train like we would expect to operate in combat."

Some locals, however, were bothered by the jets' noise. The F-15 engines are much louder than the tankbusting A-10s.

The last of the F-15 crews will be back in Oregon by next week.