A-10 Afghanistan Combat Summary for November 2008

by Joachim Jacob

From the "Airpower Summaries", released on USAF's public main website, for November 2008 I extracted and edited all available info related to A-10 Thunderbolt II combat missions in Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom). The mostly daily airpower summaries for OEF and OIF are provided by Combined Air and Space Operations Center (CAOC) officials at Al Udeid AB, Qatar. According to the sources, all of the listed missions were confirmed successful by on-scene joint terminal attack controllers (JTACs).

Nov. 1: A-10s performed shows of force to deter enemy activities near Sheykhabad.

Nov.2: No A-10 info

Nov. 3: No A-10 info

Nov. 4: A-10s performed shows of force and provided armed aerial overwatch to deter anti-Afghan forces from firing at a coalition convoy conducting operations near Monari.

Nov. 5: Not released

Nov. 6: No A-10 info

Nov. 7: No A-10 info

Nov. 8: In the vicinity of Sheykhabad and near Kabul, A-10s conducted shows of force to deter enemy activities.

Nov. 9: No A-10 info

Nov. 10: A-10s performed shows of force to deter enemy activities and provide armed aerial overwatch for coalition ground forces who were moving through a village in the vicinity of Bagram. In the vicinity of Gardez, Moqur and near Qarah Bagh, A-10s conducted shows of force to deter enemy activities.

Nov. 11: A-10s performed shows of force to deter enemy activities and provided escort for a coalition ground forces convoy that was traveling through known enemy ambush points in the vicinity of Sheykhabad, near Bagram. An A-10 conducted a show of force and provided armed aerial overwatch for coalition ground forces conducting operations in the vicinity of Mata Khan.

Nov. 12: A-10s performed shows of force to deter enemy activities and provided escort for a coalition ground forces convoy that was conducting operations in the vicinity of Ghazni. In the vicinity of Malek Din, an F-15E and an A-10 performed shows of force to deter enemy activities and provided armed aerial overwatch for coalition vehicles that were conducting convoy operations.

Nov. 13: An A-10 fired cannon rounds against anti-Afghan forces who were firing mortars and rocket-propelled grenades at a coalition ground forces convoy. Furthermore, A-10s performed shows of force to deter any further enemy action against the coalition convoy's disabled vehicle in the vicinity of Bolocan. In the vicinity of Gardez and Worzhanah, A-10s performed shows of force and provided armed aerial overwatch for coalition ground forces conducting IED search operations.

Nov. 14: No A-10 info

Nov. 15: In the vicinity of Lashkar Gah, A-10s fired cannon rounds and a B-1B dropped a GBU-38 onto anti-Afghan forces hiding in a compound trying to shoot down an aircraft. Furthermore, a coalition aircraft performed a show of force to deter enemy activities near the compound where the anti-aircraft fire was seen. An F-15E Strike Eagle and A-10s performed shows of force to deter enemy activities and provided armed aerial overwatch for a coalition ground forces convoy conducting operations near Monari. In the vicinity of Sheykhabad A-10s conducted shows of force to deter enemy activities and provided armed aerial overwatch for a coalition convoy recovering a vehicle that was hit by an IED.

Nov.16: In the vicinity of Ghazni, an A-10 performed a show of force to deter enemy activities and provided armed aerial overwatch for coalition forces conducting operations.

Nov. 17: An A-10 performed a show of force to deter enemy activities and provided armed aerial overwatch for coalition forces conducting operations in the vicinity of Bari Kowt.

Nov. 18: In the vicinity of Sheykhabad, an A-10 and a F-15E Strike Eagle conducted shows of force to deter enemy activities and provided armed aerial overwatch for a coalition convoy that hit an IED. An A-10 performed shows of force to deter enemy activities and provided armed aerial overwatch for coalition ground forces conducting search operations near Kabul.

Nov. 19: An A-10 conducted a show of force to deter enemy activities and provided armed aerial overwatch for a coalition convoy that had struck an IED in the vicinity of Bari Kowt.

Nov. 20: A-10s conducted shows of force to deter enemy activities in the vicinity of Worzhanah Kalay and Sheykhabad.

Nov. 21: An A-10 dropped a guided bomb unit-38 onto anti-Afghan forces who were firing rocket propelled grenades at coalition forces from inside a compound in the vicinity of Musa Qal' Eh. A-10s also conducted shows of force to deter enemy activities and provided armed aerial overwatch for a coalition foot patrol in the same area. A-10s also conducted shows of force in the vicinity of Worzhanah Kalay and Qalat.

Nov. 22: A-10s and F-15E Strike Eagles dropped guided bomb unit-31s, GBU-38s and fired cannon rounds onto anti-Afghan forces who were firing rocket-propelled grenades at coalition forces in the vicinity of Bari Kowt.

Nov. 23: An A-10 fired cannon rounds onto anti-Afghan forces who were emplacing improvised explosive devices in the vicinity of Gardez. Near Sheykhabad, an F-15E Strike Eagle and an A-10 conducted shows of force to deter enemy activities and provide armed aerial overwatch for a coalition convoy that struck an IED.

Nov. 24: A-10s dropped a guided bomb unit-38 and fired cannon rounds onto anti-Afghan forces who were firing rocket-propelled grenades at coalition forces on a hillside in the vicinity of Bari Kowt.

Nov. 25: A-10s fired cannon rounds onto anti-Afghan forces who were firing rocket-propelled grenades at coalition forces from multiple directions in the vicinity of Nangalam.

Nov. 26: An A-10 fired cannon rounds onto anti-Afghan forces who were firing rocket propelled grenades and mortars at coalition forces from behind a ridgeline in the vicinity of Nangalam.

Nov. 27: F-15E Strike Eagles and A-10s fired cannon rounds, and a Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet dropped a guided bomb unit-38 onto anti-Afghan forces in the vicinity of Morghab. In the vicinity of Shkin, an A-10 conducted a show of force to deter anti-Afghan activities.

Nov. 28: In the vicinity of Shkin, A-10s dropped 500 pound bombs onto an anti-Afghan forces mortar team that was firing at a coalition convoy from a ridgeline. An A-10 and a coalition aircraft conducted shows of force to deter enemy activities near Lashkar Gah and Sangin.

Nov. 29: An A-10 fired cannon rounds against anti-coalition members who were emplacing improvised explosive devices on the side of a known travel route in the vicinity of Gardez. In the vicinity of Monari, F-15E Strike Eagles and A-10s performed shows of force and provided armed overwatch to deter anti-Afghan forces from firing at a coalition convoy traveling to a nearby forward operating base.

Nov. 30: In the vicinity of Nangalam, an A-10 dropped GBU-38s onto a building where anti-Afghan forces were hunkered down and firing at coalition forces. In the vicinity of Ghazni, A-10s performed shows of force and provided armed aerial overwatch to deter anti-Afghan forces from firing at a coalition ground forces patrol conducting search operations in the area.