First public log of the A-10C ANG "Rainbow Team" aircraft package currently en route to Afghanistan

As already reported on Warthog News, a new A-10C ANG "Rainbow Team" ist currently en route to Afghanistan to replace the 354th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron from the 355th Fighter Wing, Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, after their six-month combat deployment to Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF).

The 354th EFS will be replaced by an A-10C ANG "Rainbow Team", consisting of jets and people from both the 104th Fighter Squadron, 175th Wing (Maryland Air National Guard), Martin State AP Air Guard Station, Baltimore, Maryland (tailcode MD) and the 184th Fighter Squadron, 188th Fighter Wing (Arkansas Air National Guard), Fort Smith Regional Airport, Fort Smith, Arkansas (tailcode FS).

On their way from CONUS (Continental United States) en route Afghanistan, they will make stopovers at Lajes Field, Azores; Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella, Sicily; and Al Udeid AB, Qatar (home of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing - 379th AEW).

Unfortunately, none of my Warthog News contributors from Portugal was able to take stopover pictures at Lajes Field, Azores.

But surprisingly, reported on the Dutch Scramble Messageboard yesterday evening (European time) were the following serial numbers:

The Hogs, flight of six,
78-0682/MD
78-0702/MD
78-0720/MD
79-0082/MD
79-0165/MD
78-0719/MD

The Hogs, flight of five,
78-0613/FS
78-0659/FS
79-0129/FS
80-0166/FS
78-0640/MD

Source

Update (January 12, 2010): In a private message to me, this very helpful personal contact told me that the flight of six were callsigns Mazda 41-46 and the flight of five were callsigns Mazda 51-55. Could be this info is related only to Lajes departures (with one A-10 still at Lajes?). If yes, we could await a third cell of A-10s.

And if all quoted serial numbers are correct, at least currently we have the following deployment info:

A-10C ANG "Rainbow Team" (Expeditionary Fighter Squadron designation still unknown to me)

104th Fighter Squadron, 175th Wing (Maryland Air National Guard), Martin State AP Air Guard Station, Baltimore, Maryland (tailcode MD):

78-0640, 78-0682, 78-0702, 78-0720, 79-0082, 79-0165, 78-0719

184th Fighter Squadron, 188th Fighter Wing (Arkansas Air National Guard), Fort Smith Regional Airport, Fort Smith, Arkansas (tailcode FS):

78-0613, 78-0659, 79-0129, 80-0166

BTW: Although all deployed Hogs departed Martin State AP Air Guard Station, Baltimore, Maryland (after the arrival of an unknown number of jets from Arkansas), there's still no official deployment info on 175th Wing's public website.

Related info:
188th Fighter Wing deploys first group of Airmen to Aerospace Expeditionary Force rotation in Afghanistan
Six more ANG "Rainbow Team" A-10Cs departed for Lajes Field en route to Afghanistan
Six A-10Cs of a new ANG "Rainbow Team" landed at Lajes Field en route to Afghanistan
188th Deploys to Afghanistan