Warthog News

188th Not Mentioned In Defense Cuts

2012-01-28T23:26:00.003+01:00

By Jeff Arnold
Times Record
Posted: Friday, January 27, 2012 9:40 am | Updated: 9:48 am, Fri Jan 27, 2012

A plan for slowing the growth of military spending the Pentagon outlined Thursday didn't provide anything definitive about the future of the 188th Fighter Wing, said Tom Anderson, wing commander.

"He (Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta) talked more about the 30,000-foot overview versus the down-in-the weeds tactical view of what they're going to do," Anderson said.

Anderson said neither Panetta nor Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made any mention of the 188th or A-10s during their news conference, which he watched from his office.

Panetta provided an overview of some cuts recommended by the Pentagon, which must cut $487 billion from the defense budget over the next 10 years. The cuts included, but were not limited to:

- Closure of six of the Air Force's 60 tactical squadrons, although Panetta didn't indicate if the Pentagon already has identified those units.

- A reduction in active-duty Army soldiers from their current level of 562,000 to 490,00 in five years and a reduction in Marines from 200,000 to 182,000.

- Asking Congress to approve a new round of domestic military base closures, with the goal of identifying additional savings.

The 188th is among the Air Force's 60 tactical squadrons, but Anderson reiterated that nothing was said about the 188th being among the six units that would be closed.

"I saw no details of specific units anywhere and certainly no details of specifics in the combat air force," Anderson said.

Anderson said a significant reduction in ground troops isn't overly concerning in the larger scheme of overall budget cuts because the A-10 isn't the only air platform that protects troops on the ground.

The primary mission of the 188th is providing close-air ground support for ground troops.

"When it comes to doing that, we are very good at it as an A-10 platform; not just the 188th, the A-10 is superior at doing that," Anderson said.

Retired Col. Kevin Wear, chairman of the 188th Fighter Wing Community Steering Committee, said despite it being an election year, he expects Congress to approve moving forward with evaluating bases for closure but doesn't expect any will be recommended for closure before 2013. Wear was wing commander of the 188th from May 2006 until October 2008.

In July 2005, the Pentagon recommended stripping the 188th of its primary mission, F-16 fighters, pilots and about 700 employees. A local task force guided by civic leaders appealed that decision to the Base Realignment and Closure Commission, which in August 2005 voted to remove F-16s from the 188th and replace them with A-10s.

Anderson said he wasn't surprised at Panetta's announcement that President Barack Obama would ask Congress to approve a new round of closures, but he didn't totally expect the announcement.

"That is in part a way they're going to try to pay the bills, because if they do make the cuts they're talking about there will be some places that probably wouldn't be economically effective for them to keep open," Anderson said.

Wear echoed Anderson's sentiment that the Pentagon news conference provided little insight on the future of the 188th.

"It was pretty large scale on how they plan to orchestrate our national defense strategy based on the budget cuts and the type of wars we're fighting … could be awhile before we hear anything specific," Wear said.

But based on the enormity of cuts recommended, even without specifics, Wear said it's obvious the cuts will affect everybody to some degree.

Anderson said he spoke to Maj. Gen. William Wofford, adjutant general of the Arkansas National Guard, after the news conference, and Wofford remains committed to keeping a flying mission in Fort Smith.

The 188th, deployed to Afghanistan in March 2010, is slated for another Air Expeditionary Forces rotation to Afghanistan this year. The 188th has a force of 350 full-time airmen.

Source

A-10 squadron about to deploy

2012-01-28T23:09:00.002+01:00

Written by John Andrew Prime
shreveporttimes.com
12:05 AM, Jan. 21, 2012

Adapting to the latest in a series of dramatic changes, air crews with the local 47th Fighter Squadron will deploy to Afghanistan in the next few weeks.

The increased training tempo may be apparent to people living near the base and residents of the south Arkansas training ranges who have seen its twin-tailed A-10 Warthog jet fighters go through paces as the pilots ready to take part again in war.
Just over a year ago, the 917th Wing ceased to be and separated its components, with bombers going to the new 307th Bomb Wing and the A-10 fighters under Travis' command going into the 917th Fighter Group. Though based here, the Reserve fighters are under the Missouri-based 442nd Fighter Wing.

In addition to that corporate restructuring, the 47th Fighter Squadron was told to change from being a training unit to a combat unit, and also to transition to the newest model of the A-10, the A-10C.

"It's a significant change in the way we do business," said Lt. Col. Jim Travis, the squadron's commander. "There's tactics that changed, there's equipment that changed, and the guys have risen to the challenge of not only knowing how to do the tactics with the equipment, but they're school house instructors that are going to combat-coded level of skill-sets. And then all of a sudden we get this new equipment. We had three years to convert and we're deploying at the year-and-a-half mark."

The deploying air crews and other squadron personnel will catch up with almost 250 fellow Reservists from Barksdale and Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., who left for Afghanistan in late December.

The deployed airmen represent various units from the local 917th Fighter Group and Whiteman's 442nd Fighter Wing.

The units maintain and operate the Warthog, the informal crew name for what the service calls the Thunderbolt II, which provides close air support to ground troops with a wife assortment of bombs and missiles and its best-known weapon, a fierce 30-millimeter Gatling gun.

"The purpose of A-10 combat power is to keep others safe," Col. Eric S. Overturf, 442nd Fighter Wing commander, told his deploying troops at the December departure, according to the wing's website. "Because you're going over there to employ this aircraft and its munitions, you are ensuring that a soldier, sailor, airman or Marine can return home safely to his family."

The wing, which took over the 917th Fighter Group a year ago, has deployed four times since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the east coast.

The deployed personnel are expected to return in the spring, or as Travis put it, "home by Easter."

Morale is high, he said, with many personnel eager to fill the deployment slots.

"A good challenge makes for good morale," he said. "Everybody around here walks around with fire in their heart."

Travis said his squadron's job "is to defend the Army mission." Drawing a comparison to the end of the movie "Saving Private Ryan," where air power saves the day for the embattled soldiers, he said his unit's goal is "to make sure they've got what it takes to be able to provide somebody's movie ending right."

Source

'A-Team' A-10s, Apaches hone CSAR, CAS skills

2012-01-27T21:09:00.006+01:00

by Senior Airman Natasha Stannard
52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs

BAUMHOLDER, Germany – U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Bob Carpenter, 81st Fighter Squadron pilot, uses a combat survivor evader locater radio to communicate that a U.S. Army AH-64 Apache helicopter that has arrived to rescue him during a joint training exercise at the Baumholder Major Training Area here Jan. 23. This training integrates U.S. Army and Air Force resources to more accurately simulate the real-life close air support and combat search and rescue scenarios encountered in deployed locations. The goal of this training is to develop tactics, techniques and procedures between military branches to enhance interoperability. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Natasha Stannard) Hi-res

1/27/2012 - BAUMHOLDER, Germany -- A joint close air support and combat search and rescue exercise involving U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II pilots and U.S. Army AH-64 Apache helicopter pilots took place for the first time at the Baumholder Major Training Area here Jan. 23 - 26.

A-10 pilots who participated in this joint training are assigned to Spangdahlem Air Base's 81st Fighter Squadron and the AH-64 Apache helicopter pilots are assigned to Illesheim Army Airfield's Company C, the 2-159 Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 25th Infantry Division.

The training simulated real-life CSAR and CAS scenarios. Its purpose was to establish joint tactics, techniques, and procedures for future deployment operations.

"We frequently work with Apache pilots downrange, and the ability to train with them now allows us to sharpen our skills prior to future deployments," said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. John Briner, 81st FS commander.

Close air support is essential to the recovery of surviving service members in CSAR situation, but nothing is accomplished on either end without proper communication, which was the focus of the exercises, explained U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Bob Carpenter, 81st FS pilot.

"It's important everyone has the same level of understanding of what needs to be done and how to do it," Carpenter said of joint rescue missions. "The survivor on the ground needs to be picked up, and if all elements aren't working like a well oiled machine, that may not happen,"

Army and Air Force often work together in these rescues, but because they are from different military branches, they have different procedures, rules and even lingo. Training before real events gives them the opportunity to clear anything that may not be understood and establish joint procedures.

"The integration we're performing here is paramount training," said U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Karl Metz, 2-159 ARB Apache helicopter pilot. "We're learning each other's language and tactics, and in doing so, we have a baseline to grow from for when we're actually deployed. Today we got to integrate with A-10 pilots, and the most successful piece is learning their language. I know I will deploy with A-10s, and being able to work with them now is instrumental."

The Air Force pilots who were "rescued" in this training scenario used combat survivor evader locater radios to communicate and assist the A-10 pilots performing CAS. Pilots carry these radios along with a survival kit if they have to eject themselves from their aircraft.

These radios allow those being rescued to relay to the A-10 pilots their location and what hazards are in the area. The A-10 pilots then relay this information to the Apache pilots performing CSAR, lead them to the rescue pick-up area and simulate clearing the area of enemy threats.

"We're learning different capabilities and limits of each platform, and how our different capabilities can combine our strengths in order to prosecute targets more effectively," Briner said of the two aircraft working together.

Carpenter said practicing these scenarios now ensures once these two aircraft are deployed together, they can seamlessly seek, attack and destroy any enemies trying to keep them from their most important mission: rescuing their brethren.

"We do this for the guys on the ground," Metz said. "We'll do anything it takes to get service members to safety. Our job isn't to kill - it's to keep our guys alive, and we're really good at our job."

BAUMHOLDER, Germany – U.S. Air Force Capt. James Schmidt, 81st Fighter Squadron pilot, raises a signal smoke flare during joint forces close air support and combat search and rescue training at the Baumholder Major Training Area here Jan. 23 to signal a U.S. Army AH-64 Apache helicopter crew participating in the training. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Natasha Stannard) Hi-res

Source

See also:
Warthogs take flight with U.S. Army

Historic A-10 photos archived by DoD now online again

2012-01-27T00:38:00.012+01:00

By Joachim Jacob, Warthog News Editor

An A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft is mounted on a pedestal during a test at the Rome Air Development Center's Newport Test Site.

Note: Pictured is the first YA-10A prototype 71-1369 (tail number 11369).

In late 2005, when I was very busy with posting some of my well-researched info about F-16 combat deployments of operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom on F-16.net - The Ultimate F-16 Reference, there was a Department of Defense (DoD) website, called dodmedia.osd.mil, which provided a lot of archived official photos. Sometime later, this website was offline. Later, DoD launched a new site, called defenseimagery.mil. But for years, there was at least no public access to this new site. Some weeks ago, they announced that they still have some problems with server relocations to provide searchable photo stuff. Yesterday, I tried it again and was surprised by the new-uploaded A-10 photo stuff. Please just try DefenseImagery for still images of A-10! If the search engine not works, just try it again - same technical problems like years ago...

I'm now in the process to download all available A-10 photos to preserve it.

Tactical Airlift Command A-10 Thunderbolt aircraft in camouflage paint scheme depart from the base following the Long Rifle III competition., The semi-annual air-to-ground gunnery competition tested tactical air crews' abilities to plan and execute long-range missions execute attacks on first-look targets and acccurately deliver ordnance.

A right side view of a 57th Fighter Weapons Wing A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft dropping parachute-retarded bombs during a tactical capabilities exercise.

Two A-10 Thunderbolt II and a C-130 Hercules aircraft are parked next to Highway 1 while participating in highway landing exercise during TEAM SPIRIT '86.

An aerial view of Highway 1, with two A-10 Thunderbolt II and C-130 Hercules aircraft parked alongside during TEAM SPIRIT '86. The aircraft are participating in highway landing exercises.

Please note: Some more sample pics and additional photo interpretation will be uploaded soon, also hi-res links.

25th AMU wins Load Crew of the Quarter

2012-01-25T20:40:00.003+01:00

by Staff Sgt. Stefanie Torres
51st Fighter Wing Public Affairs

Staff Sergeants Christopher DeGrizio (left) and Brian Crews, 25th Aircraft Maintenance Unit load crew members, work together to load a GBU-38 on an A-10 Thunderbolt II during the 4th quarter load crew competition here Jan. 20, 2012. The three-man team competed against the 36th AMU and won. They now compete against other load crews at U.S. Air Force bases in the Pacific. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Craig Cisek) Hi-res

1/24/2012 - OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- Two weapons loading teams competed against each other during the 4th quarter load crew competition here Jan. 20.

A three-person weapons load crew team under the 25th Aircraft Maintenance Unit loaded munitions onto an A-10 Thunderbolt II while another team under the 36th AMU loaded an F-16 Fighting Falcon during the competition.

"These two teams were the top-rated loaders for this quarter," said Senior Airman Jonathan Eusebio, 51st Maintenance Operations Squadron load crew trainer. "They had the greatest statistics from their individual squadrons, and now they are competing for the top spot for the base."

These competitions are always open for squadrons to watch as their top Airmen vie for the trophy, but the actual load is only a minor portion. The competitors also prepare for a written examination and a dress and appearance evaluation, Eusebio explained. Safety standards are extremely important in this type of environment, especially when teams are being graded for speed and accuracy.

Munitions loaders prepare the aircraft for combat, and working together as a team is a must in this high-stress environment, said Staff Sgt. Nathaniel Calvert, 36th Aircraft Maintenance Unit load crew member. Load crew members here practice day in and day out because they support the mission to continue to protect the Republic of Korea.

Even though a lot of pressure goes into the competition, it's all worth it to competitors, said Staff Sgt. Brian Crews, 25th AMU load crew member.

"This is my first competition and I'm ecstatic," he said. "We all know our jobs and it's great to be recognized in an organization like this."

"These competitions showcase our combat capabilities, improve morale and shows off their hard work," Eusebio said. "We are ready to fight tonight."

The 25th AMU took the lead in the competition for all categories. Team members include Staff Sergeants Dorinda Becker, Christopher DeGrizio and Crews. The winners will be submitted to compete against other Air Force bases in the Pacific.

Senior Master Sgt. James Faucette, 25th Aircraft Maintenance Unit weapons superintendent, performs dress and appearance inspections on the 25th AMU load crew team during the 4th quarter competition here Jan. 20, 2012. The 25th AMU won the competition and will go on to compete against other loaders in the Pacific Air Forces. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Stefanie Torres) Hi-res

Please note: This photo includes Staff Sgt. Dorinda Becker, the third member of the team.

Source (including video)

Warthogs take flight with U.S. Army

2012-01-24T19:57:00.009+01:00

Released by 52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs

BAUMHOLDER, Germany – U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Matthew Kading, 81st Fighter Squadron pilot, raises a signal smoke flare during joint forces combat search and rescue training at the Baumholder Major Training Area here Jan. 23. The training integrates U.S. Army and Air Force resources to more accurately simulate the real-life CSAR and close air support scenarios encountered in deployed locations. The goal of this training is to build a stronger partnership between the military branches to enable pilots to train like they fight. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Dillon Davis) Hi-res

BAUMHOLDER, Germany – A U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II assigned to the 81st Fighter Squadron simulates close-air support during joint forces combat search and rescue training at the Baumholder Major Training Area here Jan. 23. The training integrates U.S. Army and Air Force resources to more accurately simulate the real-life CSAR and close air support scenarios encountered in deployed locations. The goal of this training is to build a stronger partnership between the military branches to enable pilots to train like they fight. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Dillon Davis) Hi-res

Note: A very good overhead shot but presented by USAF in a very bad photo quality.

BAUMHOLDER, Germany – A U.S. Army AH-64 Apache takes off during joint forces combat search and rescue training at the Baumholder Major Training Area here Jan. 23. The training integrates U.S. Army and Air Force resources to more accurately simulate the real-life CSAR and close air support scenarios encountered in deployed locations. The goal of this training is to build a stronger partnership between the military branches to enable pilots to train like they fight. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Dillon Davis.) Hi-res

Background info:
U.S. Army Garrison Baumholder

BTW: Related to that, I remember the glory old days of A-10 TDY's to their Forward Operation Locations (FOL's) in Germany... (including the legendary "Autobahn" landing or stop-over spots...) Please check: German Autobahn

Request: Anybody who likes to provide me historic A-10 shots, taken on air bases in Germany? If yes, I would be very grateful for any related support!

Winter Hawgs

2012-01-22T19:22:00.009+01:00

Released by 124th Fighter Wing Public Affairs on their Beacon Live website (probably yesterday) and captured from the photo slideshow by Warthog News:

An A-10C Thunderbolt II sits on the snow covered flight line of Gowen Field, Boise, Jan. 18. This is the first major snow fall to hit Gowen Field. (U.S. Air Force photo by Robert Barney) Full size

Source

Note: Pictured at left is A-10C 78-0624 from the 190th Fighter Squadron.

Please enjoy this classic Christmas song by Old Frank:

BTW: Here in Berlin, Germany, we have still to deal with rain, rain, rain. Zero snow this winter, at least so far...

Question to 124th Fighter Wing maintainers: Do you have any problems with de-icing?

Warthogs provide top cover for ground troops

2012-01-21T21:54:00.010+01:00

By Staff Sgt. David Carbajal
451st Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- A 451st Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief waits for the pilot's call to pull the chalks during an A-10 Thunderbolt II launch at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan Jan. 20, 2012. Kandahar's A-10s provide close-air support for U.S. and coalition ground troops throughout Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. David Carbajal) Hi-res

Note: Pictured is an A-10C from the 107th Fighter Squadron, 127th Fighter Wing (Michigan Air National Guard), Selfridge ANGB.

1/21/2012 - KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- Kandahar's A-10 Thunderbolt IIs provide close-air support for U.S. and coalition ground troops throughout Afghanistan. Members of the 451st Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron make sure the "Warthogs" are fully-mission capable and launch on time.

Click here to see the photo slideshow.

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- A parked A-10 Thunderbolt II sits on the ramp in the early-morning hours at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan Jan. 20, 2012. Kandahar's A-10s provide close-air support for U.S. and coalition ground troops throughout Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. David Carbajal) Hi-res

Note: Pictured is A-10C 79-0111 from the 303rd Fighter Squadron, 442nd Fighter Wing (AFRC), Whiteman AFB, Missouri.

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- An A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot taxis to the runway at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan Jan. 20, 2012. The A-10 fires a 30-millimeter cannon and can carry up to 16,000 pounds of ordnance for close air support missions to support troops on the ground. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. David Carbajal) Hi-res

Note: Pictured is an A-10C from the 47th Fighter Squadron, 917th Fighter Group (AFRC), Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. Visible in the background is Kandahar International Airport's main terminal with the tower just behind the "Hog's" nose gear.

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- A 451st Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief waits for the pilot's call to pull the chalks during an A-10 Thunderbolt II launch at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan Jan. 20, 2012. The A-10 can employ a wide variety of conventional munitions, including general purpose bombs, cluster bomb units and laser guided bombs. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. David Carbajal) Hi-res

Note: Pictured is A-10C 80-0262 from the 107th Fighter Squadron, 127th Fighter Wing (Michigan Air National Guard), Selfridge ANGB.

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- Weapons load crew chiefs perform end-of-runway inspections on two A-10 Thunderbolt IIs at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan Jan. 20, 2012. The A-10 can employ a wide variety of conventional munitions, including general purpose bombs, cluster bomb units and laser guided bombs. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. David Carbajal) Hi-res

Note: Pictured at left is an A-10C from the 47th Fighter Squadron, 917th Fighter Group (AFRC), Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. Pictured at right is A-10C 80-0262 from the 107th Fighter Squadron, 127th Fighter Wing (Michigan Air National Guard), Selfridge ANGB.

Source

BTW: Special thanks to Staff Sgt. David Carbajal and the entire 451st AEW PA staff for sharing these impressive frontline pictures!

Further aircraft identification will be uploaded soon.

Visible standard combat loadout configuration:
Station 1: empty
Station 2: AN/AAQ-28 LITENING AT targeting pod
Station 3: LAU-117 launch rail (for a single AGM-65 Maverick)
Station 4: GBU-38 JDAM
Station 5: GBU-38 JDAM
Station 6: empty
Station 7: GBU-38 JDAM
Station 8: GBU-38 JDAM
Station 9: SUU-25 Flare Dispenser
Station 10: LAU-131 Rocket Pod
Station 11: empty

Air National Guard director visits 188th Fighter Wing

2012-01-21T21:29:00.003+01:00

By 188th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

Lt. Gen. Harry M. Wyatt III, Director of the Air National Guard, right, shakes hands with Col. Tom Anderson, 188th Fighter Wing commander. (National Guard photo by Senior Master Sgt. Dennis Brambl / 188th Fighter Wing Public Affairs) Hi-res

1/20/2012 - FORT SMITH, Ark. -- Lt. Gen. Harry M. Wyatt III, Director of the Air National Guard, visited the 188th Fighter Wing Jan. 18. Wyatt met with 188th and Arkansas National Guard leaders as well as officials with the City of Fort Smith during his visit.

Wyatt also was able to gauge the 188th's capabilities and assets during a helicopter flight over Ebbing Air National Guard Base and Fort Chaffee Maneuver Training Center, where the 188th's Detachment 1 Razorback Range is located. Wyatt was able to observe an exercise at Razorback Range involving the 188th's A-10C Thunderbolt II "Warthogs" and the 188th Security Forces Squadron.

Source

STARBASE Photo Gallery

2012-01-20T20:05:00.007+01:00

Released by 307th Bomb Wing Public Affairs

The A-10 is always a favorite stop for STARBASE. (U.S. Air Force photo) Hi-res

Note: Pictured is A-10C 78-0615, still without nose art and fuselage art which is typical for 47th Fighter Squadron "Hogs".

81st AMU wins load crew of the quarter competition

2012-01-18T21:03:00.004+01:00

Released by 52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs

1/18/2012 - SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany – Senior Airman Michele Atencio, 81st Aircraft Maintenance Unit weapons load crew member, works with Staff Sgt. Michael Elkington, 81st AMU weapons load crew chief, to load a CBU-103 bomb during a load crew of the quarter competition in Hanger 1 here Jan. 13. This 81st AMU team competed against a weapons load crew from the 480th AMU and won the competition. The crew will compete in the 2011 Load Crew of the Year competition against the winners from the previous quarterly competitions. The competitions are held to showcase the teamwork and capabilities of the weapons load crews during wartime, TDYs and deployments. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Matthew B. Fredericks) Hi-res

1/18/2012 - SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany – Staff Sgt. Michael Elkington, 81st Aircraft Maintenance Unit weapons load crew chief, reads through a checklist while Staff Sgt. James Clay, 81st AMU weapons load crew member, inspects a CBU-103 bomb to be loaded onto an A-10 Thunderbolt II during a load crew of the quarter competition in Hanger 1 here Jan. 13. This 81st AMU crew competed against a weapons load crew from the 480th AMU and won the competition. The crew will compete in the 2011 Load Crew of the Year competition against the winners from the previous quarterly competitions. The competitions are held to showcase the teamwork and capabilities of the weapons load crews during wartime, TDYs and deployments. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Matthew B. Fredericks) Hi-res

1/18/2012 - SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany – Staff Sgt. Michael Elkington, 81st Aircraft Maintenance Unit weapons load crew chief, prepares an MJ-1 to be driven by Staff Sgt. James Clay, 81st AMU weapons load crew member, during a load crew of the quarter competition in Hanger 1 here Jan. 13. This 81st AMU team competed against a weapons load crew from the 480th AMU and won the competition. The crew will compete in the 2011 Load Crew of the Year competition against the winners from the previous quarterly competitions. The competitions are held to showcase the teamwork and capabilities of the weapons load crews during wartime, TDYs and deployments. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Matthew B. Fredericks) Hi-res

Source

Note: The CBU-103 is a Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser (WCMD). It's the result of a program to add a tailkit to existing cluster bomb units, such as the CBU-87, CBU-89, and CBU-97. The WCMD tailkit assembly corrects for wind effects and errors during the weapon's ballistic fall, achiving an accuracy of within 30 feet. It is capable of delivery from medium to high altitude, allowing the A-10 to remain at a safer, higher, altitude during weapons delivery. The A-10C is the only A-10 variant to employ WCMDs. Pictured here is a training version. They are marked with the inscription DO NOT FLY - INERT LOAD CREW TRAINING ONLY, shortened LCT - DO NOT FLY on the tailkit.

Moody Airmen participate in ORE

2012-01-18T20:42:00.002+01:00

Released by 23rd Wing Public Affairs

1/17/2012 - A U.S. Air Force A-10C Thunderbolt II pilot taxis before takeoff during an operational readiness exercise at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., Jan. 11, 2012. Team Moody conducts OREs in preparation for an operational readiness inspection this spring. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Stephanie Mancha) Hi-res

Note: Pictured is A-10C 81-0964 from the 74th Fighter Squadron.

Source

Olson reaches 5,000 hours

2012-01-17T21:39:00.009+01:00

Released by 307th Bomb Wing Public Affairs

1/17/2012 - Lt. Col. Marc Olson, an A-10 pilot assigned to the 47th Fighter Squadron, waves as he taxis an A-10 Thunderbolt II to the runway at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., Jan. 11, 2012. Olson led a four-ship sortie, and in doing so accumulated 5,000 hours in the A-10. To complete this feat took Olson more than twenty and a half years of flying the A-10. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Jeff Walston) Hi-res

1/17/2012 - Lt. Col. Marc Olson, an A-10 pilot assigned to the 47th Fighter Squadron, taxis an A-10 Thunderbolt II to the runway at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., Jan. 11, 2012. Olson led a four-ship sortie, and in doing so accumulated 5,000 hours in the A-10. To complete this feat took Olson more than twenty and a half years of flying the A-10. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Jeff Walston) Hi-res

1/17/2012 - Lt. Col. Marc Olson, an A-10 pilot assigned to the 47th Fighter Squadron, touches down on the runway in an A-10 Thunderbolt II at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., Jan. 11, 2012. Olson had just returned from a four-ship sortie, and in doing so accumulated 5,000 hours in the A-10. To complete this feat took Olson more than twenty and a half years of flying the A-10. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Jeff Walston) Hi-res

1/17/2012 - Lt. Cols. Marc Olson and Patrick McKeever, both A-10 pilots assigned to the 47th Fighter Squadron, Col. John Breazeale, commander of the 917th Fighter Group, and Lt. Col. Robert Hetland, weapons officer for the 47th FS, strike their "Warrior" pose after returning from a four-ship sortie at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., Jan. 11, 2012. That sortie pushed Olson over the 5,000 flying hours mark in an A-10 Thunderbolt II. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Jeff Walston) Hi-res

Note: THOR'S HAMMER ladder door art, LI'L ABNER fuselage cartoon art.

1/17/2012 - Lt. Col. Marc Olson, an A-10 pilot assigned to the 47th Fighter Squadron, performs a pre-flight inspection of an A-10 Thunderbolt II before a flight at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., Jan. 11, 2012. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Jeff Walston) Hi-res

1/17/2012 - Lt. Col. Marc Olson, an A-10 pilot assigned to the 47th Fighter Squadron, stows an American Flag in an A-10 Thunderbolt II before a flight at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., Jan. 11, 2012. Olson carried the burial flag of Retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Ronald L. Hutchison on the sortie. Hutchinson, who was a Bossier City resident, retired at Barksdale in 1978. During his career, Hutchinson flew the F-86, F-100, and the F-4 in Vietnam. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Jeff Walston) Hi-res

1/17/2012 - Lt. Col. Marc Olson, an A-10 pilot assigned to the 47th Fighter Squadron, is congratulated by Lt. Col. Travis Caughlin, deputy commander for maintenance, 917th Fighter Group, following his return from a four-ship sortie at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., Jan. 11, 2012. The sortie pushed Olson over the 5,000 flying hours mark in an A-10 Thunderbolt II. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Jeff Walston) Hi-res

Source

163th Fighter Squadron A-10Cs caught at D-M January 14, 2012

2012-01-16T00:52:00.011+01:00

At Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, Warthog News contributor Ned Harris from the United States had the opportunity to take the following shots:

Three more A-10Cs from the 163rd Fighter Squadron "Blacksnakes", 122nd Fighter Wing (Indiana ANG), Fort Wayne IAP, arrive at D-M. (Photo by Ned Harris) Full size

A-10C 79-0095 still only with tail number. (Photo by Ned Harris) Full size

A closer look on A-10C 79-0095. (Photo by Ned Harris) Full size

A-10C 79-0162 still only with tail and bow number. (Photo by Ned Harris) Full size

A-10C 80-0152 already with IN tail code, and the last three digits also painted on the right main gear well. (Photo by Ned Harris) Full size

Ohio ANG KC-135 Stratotanker arriving just prior to "Blacksnakes" A-10Cs. Probably their supporting tanker. (Photo by Ned Harris) Full size

Full size

Loadout configuration:
Station 1: empty
Station 2: SUU-25 Flare Dispenser
Station 3: LAU-117 launch rail (for a single AGM-65 or CATM-65 Maverick)
Station 4: Triple Ejector Rack (TER) with a LAU-131 Rocket Pod on the bottom
Station 5: MXU-648 baggage pod
Station 6: empty
Station 7: MXU-648 baggage pod
Station 8: Triple Ejector Rack (TER) with a LAU-131 Rocket Pod on the bottom
Station 9: LAU-117 launch rail (for a single AGM-65 or CATM-65 Maverick)
Station 10: AN/AAQ-28 LITENING AT targeting pod
Station 11: empty

Note: mounting a LAU-131 Rocket Pod to a TER (designed for "dumb" and practice bombs) is unusual and a very rare view. Maybe they did that to ferry the pods to their TDY location. But as mentioned in Jake Melampy's book "The Modern Hog Guide - The A-10 Warthog Exposed", in the 1980's it was not uncommon to see them hanging from the bottom of a TER mounted on stations 4/8 and 5/7 (See page 114).

See also:
163th Fighter Squadron A-10Cs caught at D-M January 10, 2012

Note: According to a comment from Anonymous, they are on a training TDY as part of "Operation Snowbird". Logged so far by Ned's pictures are:
A-10C 78-0679 (10 January arrival)
A-10C 78-0692 (10 January arrival)
A-10C 79-0095 (14 January arrival)
A-10C 79-0162 (14 January arrival)
A-10C 80-0152 (14 January arrival)
A-10C 80-0244 (10 January arrival)

Please note: Photo captions will be further updated soon.

Please also note: In a couple of days I will post an A-10C aircraft inventory update of the 163rd Fighter Squadron "Blacksnakes". I've already logged 15 aircraft. Anybody who can/will tell me the serial numbers of the remaining others? I would be very grateful for any support.

422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron A-10C caught at Nellis January 10, 2012

2012-01-13T22:18:00.007+01:00

At Nellis AFB, Nevada, Warthog News contributor Bruce Smith from the United States had the opportunity to take the following shot:

A-10C 80-0242, marked 53 WG as the 53th Wing's boss bird. AN/AAQ-28 LITENING AT targeting pod on station 10. (Photo by Bruce Smith) Full size

Please note: This shot seems very special due to the lights underneath.

Waiting our turn

2012-01-13T21:32:00.003+01:00

Released by 307th Bomb Wing Public Affairs

1/12/2012 - Three B-52 Stratofortresses assigned to the 2nd Bomb Wing wait their turn on a busy runway as two A-10 Thunderbolt IIs from the 917th Fighter Group make their approach at Barksdale Air Force base, La., Jan. 11, 2012. One of the A-10s landed while the other peeled off and landed later. (U.S Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Jeff Walston) Hi-res

Source

Maintaining operational readiness

2012-01-13T21:24:00.002+01:00

by Airman 1st Class Saphfire Cook
355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

1/12/2012 - DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- Aircraft not only fight wars, but they transport war fighters. This makes them an important factor to any deployment. During an operational readiness exercise the generation of aircraft is a major aspect. D-M held its first ORE of 2012 Jan 9-11 and the 355th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron played a pivotal role.

During an ORE, the 355th AMXS is broken up into cells. Each cell spends its days loading fuel tanks and munitions onto A-10C aircraft on the flightline.

"Our goal during an ORE is to generate 22 aircraft in 24 hours," said Master Sgt. Andrew White, 355th AMXS maintainer and the cell boss of Cell Six. Squadron members work 24-hour operations split into two 12-hour shifts to meet this deadline.

"These exercises are about practicing the steps required to deploy our A-10s to any overseas conflict," White said. "If a real-world deployment order dropped we would have to work around the clock to get the planes ready. So we try to play like we work."

During this 24-hour manning, the focus is kept on pumping out combat-ready aircraft.

"We have to strip the name from the aircraft for operational security reasons, check the in-flight refueling then load the guns," White said.

After the guns are locked and loaded, maintainers hang avionics pods, missile racks and a roughly 600-gallon external fuel tank that takes a minimum crew of three to lift.

A group of Airmen perform these tasks simultaneously, with it all culminating in a combat-ready aircraft.

"The planes cannot fly without all of its components, such as the engine, in working order," said Tech. Sgt. Omar Wright, 355th AMXS aerospace propulsion mechanic. "We maintain the parts so that the plane can fly. As long as the planes can fly, the mission gets done."

Airmen from the 355th Component Maintenance Squadron and 355th Equipment Maintenance Squadron collaborate with members of the 355th AMXS to ensure that all tasks were completed on time.

"It is a team effort from across the group and the wing to make a successful ORE happen," White said.

Source

Crash of A-10C 80-0282 - The official Accident Investigation Board Report

2012-01-13T03:53:00.003+01:00

By Joachim Jacob, Warthog News Editor

Thanks to Air Force Times, the report is published now! Later today, I will post the entire content (which includes a lot of typos) and try to post also the included pictures.

Report: Multiple failures led to A-10 crash

2012-01-13T03:28:00.006+01:00

By Jill Laster - Staff writer
Air Force Times
Posted: Wednesday Jan 11, 2012 15:57:50 EST

Pilot inexperience and a malfunctioning warning system contributed to an A-10C crash last year that destroyed the aircraft and resulted in $150,000 in environmental damage, an Air Force investigation has found.

The Sept. 26 crash occurred about 20 miles northwest of Moody Air Force Base, Ga., during a functional check flight, which tests an aircraft's airworthiness after major maintenance. The pilot ejected safely from the aircraft before the $14.7-million Warthog was destroyed.

Investigators found several incidents culminated in dual-engine failure and the aircraft's subsequent crash.

For one, the pilot was inexperienced at flying over 23,000 feet, according to the accident report released Wednesday. A warning system within the aircraft also malfunctioned, and the checks the pilot conducted at about 35,000 feet weren't required by any sort of guidance.

"The cause of the mishap was the [A-10C's] engines flaming out due to being flown under conditions where aircraft stall and engine failure were imminent," the report states.

Investigators found that the pilot acted in a way that was logical and appropriate during the accident.

The pilot faces administrative action, however, because a toxicology screening after the crash found the presence of amphetamines consistent with "go pills," used to keep pilots awake and alert during long flights.

The presence of amphetamines in the pilot's system isn't believed to have contributed to the crash.

First Lt. Chelsey Garrison, a Moody spokeswoman, said that "appropriate administrative action will be taken" because of the results of the toxicology screening. She declined to release the pilot's name, citing Air Force regulations.

Problems began when the pilot reached 15,000 feet and the aircraft's stall warning system malfunctioned. Although that meant that the pilot couldn't hear stall warning tones, no explicit guidance kept him from stopping the flight, and he proceeded.

He conducted high altitude checks at about 34,000 feet, but noticed the aircraft entering a stall with a slight right bank. He then noticed that both engine gauges were winding down and tried to recover the engines, which ultimately failed.

"The [pilot] attempted to restart the left and right engines multiple times without success," according to the accident investigation board report. "He continued his attempts until reaching an unpopulated area and ejected from the [aircraft]."

The engines had flamed out and failed to restart because of engine seizure, which kept the engines from rotating and starting, according to the report.

The report faulted training for not putting enough emphasis on high-altitude aircraft- or engine-stall possibilities. Because the pilot hadn't received the techniques to accomplish high-altitude checks, the report states, he was ill-prepared for the mishap scenario.

"Therefore, at 34,000 feet, the [pilot] was unaware he was operating the [aircraft] in an envelope where aircraft stall and engine failure were imminent," according to the report.

Source

Please note: Because this news article includes some more details, including a PDF of the report, let me post this news article separately. The full PDF will be published ASAP.

A-10C accident investigation report released

2012-01-12T18:25:00.008+01:00

Released today on USAF'S public main website

(U.S. Air Force Graphic / Corey Parrish) Full size Note: Pictured in this graphic is A-10 81-0954.

1/12/2012 - LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (AFNS) -- Dual engine failure during a functional check flight caused the crash of an A-10C Thunderbolt II Sept. 26, 2011, according to the Air Combat Command Accident Investigation Board report released Jan. 11.

According to the report, the mishap aircraft's stall warning system malfunctioned at 15,000 feet, preventing stall warning tones from functioning properly. Without evidence of additional malfunctions, the mishap pilot continued the FCF.

At 34,000 feet, the mishap aircraft experienced a stall that quickly resulted in dual engine failure. The mishap pilot performed checklist items to recover the aircraft, but without success. The pilot located a controlled bailout area and safely ejected from the aircraft.

The aircraft crashed onto private property approximately 20 miles northwest of Moody Air Force Base, Ga., and was destroyed. The pilot did not sustain serious injuries. The aircraft loss is valued at approximately $14.7 million. The environmental clean-up costs are estimated at $150,000.

(Courtesy of the Air Combat Command Public Affairs Office)

Source

Related info:
Investigation ongoing for A-10C incident
Moody locating dropped aircraft ejection seat
Moody A-10C pilot ejects from aircraft

Please note: As visible on the relased USAF photos, the crashed A-10C clearly belonged to the 75th Fighter Squadron. And according to a non-official source, it was A-10C 80-0282. By the way: The serial number of the A-10C from the 81st Fighter Squadron, 52nd Fighter Wing (USAFE), Spangdahlem AB, Germany, which alreday crashed near Laufeld, western Germany, on Friday, April 1, 2011, is known to Warthog News as A-10C 81-0963. Meanwhile, from a personal contact I got a non-official and probably interim crash report. But please understand: I will held back it before an official accident investigation report is released.

This breaking news will be updated ASAP. But please note: At least on the moment there's no related info on ACC's public main website. And there's also no new entry in their website's section Accident Investigation Board Reports

163th Fighter Squadron A-10Cs caught at D-M January 10, 2012

2012-01-11T21:07:00.006+01:00

At Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, Warthog News contributor Ned Harris from the United States had the opportunity to take the following shots:

ICE 11 flight of three A-10Cs from the 163th FS "Blacksnakes" over Davis-Monthan AFB. (Photo by Ned Harris) Full size

A-10C 78-0679. Note: Litening AT pod on Station 10, two MXU-648 Baggage pods, a rocket pod on station 4 and a possible rocket pod on Station 2.
(Photo by Ned Harris) Full size

A-10C 78-0692. (Photo by Ned Harris) Full size

A-10C 80-0244. (Photo by Ned Harris) Full size

Please note: Loadout info will be updated soon.

Question: What did the "Blacksnakes" at D-M?

CPI Aerostructures Announces $12.7 Million Purchase Order from Boeing for A-10 Assemblies

2012-01-11T20:14:00.005+01:00

A news release from CPI Aerostructures, published by defense.aerospace.com

(Source: CPI Aerostructures, Inc.; issued January 4, 2012)

EDGEWOOD, N.Y. --- CPI Aerostructures, Inc. (CPI Aero) today announced that it has received its first new business award for 2012, a purchase order valued at $12.7 million from the Boeing Defense, Space & Security unit of The Boeing Company for assemblies for the A-10 aircraft. This represents a follow-on order for CPI Aero's previously announced long-term requirements contract to support Boeing's A-10 Wing Replacement Program (WRP).

The A-10 WRP contract between Boeing and CPI Aero is worth up to approximately $84 million for the production of a variety of structural assemblies for up to 242 enhanced wings. To date, CPI Aero has received firm requirements for 117 ship sets at a value of approximately $47.3 million for the A-10 WRP program.

In addition, CPI Aero announced that new business awards from all customers for the year ended December 31, 2011 was approximately $83.6 million compared to $61.7 million for all of 2010.

CPI Aero is engaged in the contract production of structural and other aircraft parts for leading prime defense contractors, the U.S. Air Force, and other branches of the armed forces. CPI Aero also acts as a subcontractor to prime aircraft manufacturers in the production of commercial aircraft parts. In conjunction with its assembly operations, CPI Aero provides engineering, technical and program management services.

Source

Please note: At least at the moment, there are no related news releases available on CPI Aero's or Boeing's websites. Maybe this version, published by defense.aerospace.com, should be one of the very first releases, meanwhile copied a lot by other sources.

See also:
Boeing's Other Delay: New Wings for the Warthog

BTW: Let me link some older related sources after checking my own archives.

Selfridge Airmen to Return Home [Update]

2012-01-10T20:25:00.015+01:00

Col. Michael Thomas welcomes home members of the Michigan Air National Guard at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich., Jan. 9, 2012. The Airmen returned home after a 4-month deployment to Afghanistan, where they flew, maintained and supported the A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft. The Airmen are all members of the 127th Wing at Selfridge, of which Thomas is the commander. (U.S. Air Force photo by TSgt. Dave Kujawa) Hi-res

by TSgt. Dan Heaton
127th Wing Public Affairs

1/9/2012 - SELFRIDGE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Mich. -- Approximately 300 Airmen of the Michigan Air National Guard returned to Selfridge Air National Guard Base Monday, Jan. 9, after a four-month deployment to Afghanistan. The Airmen operated and maintained the A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft while deployed, serving with the 451st Air Expeditionary Wing, based at Kandahar Airfield. [...]

Major Gen. Gregory J. Vadnais, the adjutant general of Michigan, welcomes home a group of Airmen at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich., Jan. 9, 2012. The Airmen, all members of the 127th Wing at Selfridge, were returning home after a 4-month deployment to Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force photo by TSgt. Dave Kujawa) Hi-res

Hundreds of friends and family members welcome home members of the Michigan Air National Guard at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich., Jan. 9, 2012. The Airmen returned home after a 4-month deployment to Afghanistan, where they flew, maintained and supported the A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft. The Airmen are all members of the 127th Wing at Selfridge. (U.S. Air Force photo by TSgt. David Kujawa) Hi-res

Source (Including 7 photos and a video)

Please note: The rest of this news article is identical with it's previous version, already published on January 6, 2012. See: Selfridge Airmen to Return Home

This video is available now also on YouTube:

Comment: Welcome home, 107th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron and all of your supporters!

Monarch Fury ORE at Gowen Field

2012-01-09T19:25:00.008+01:00

Released by 124th Fighter Wing Public Affairs, and captured by Warthog News as screen shots from a slideshow on their restricted "The Beacon Live" website - The Official Online Newsletter of the Idaho Air National Guard

Members of the 124th Fighter Wing, Maintenance Squadron, participate in Operational Readiness Exercise (ORE) Monarch Fury, Jan. 7 at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. (Photo by Robert Barney) Full size

Note: Pictured is A-10C 78-0707 from the 190th Fighter Squadron.

124th Fighter Wing munitions system specialists participate in Operational Readiness Exercise (ORE) Monarch Fury, Jan. 7 at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. (Photo by Robert Barney) Full size

Note: Probably the same aircraft. AN/AAQ-28 LITENING AT targeting pod on station 10.

Source (including some more related pictures)

A-10 ladder door art now on Facebook

2012-01-08T17:46:00.010+01:00

By Joachim Jacob, Warthog News Editor

Please don't miss this brand-new Facebook page, created by Joe "Dice-man" Hodges, the world's top source for A-10 Thunderbolt II ("Warthog") ladder door and other related art:

Joe's Facebook page captured early this evening. (Screenshot by Joachim Jacob) Full size

As a long time "Hog" maintainer, since years Joe does a great job with his outstanding and unique A-10 art project, formerly published only on his website The Warthog Pen, check Art Index. If you like to add some more related photos or info to identify pictured stuff by aircraft serial numbers, please contact Joe directly. I would be very grateful for any support.

For the next time, please visit Joe's Facebook page several times a day! He's still very busy with uploading more and more of his collected stuff...

BTW: Special thanks to Joe for linking Warthog News on his own website!

Two new A-10 books announced by Reid Air Publications

2012-01-07T18:39:00.014+01:00

By Joachim Jacob, Warthog News Editor

Good news for the A-10 Thunderbolt II community and "Hog" enthusiasts all over the world! Reid Air Publications is preparing two new books about this amazing aircraft.

Already in 2007, Jake Melampy - as author and his own publisher - had released his outstanding book "The Modern Hog Guide - The A-10 Warthog Exposed". I got my own copy in December 2008 as a Christmas gift from my son. And I declared this book as a "Must have" for A-10 enthusiasts.

Meanwhile, on November 13 last year, Jake announced a second edition of this book. He wrote:

Since the Hog Guide sold out back in the Spring, I bet I get 10 e-mails daily asking if it's going to be reprinted. The answer is no, it will not. However, a 2nd Edition of the book is nearly done, and will be released sometime in 2012, depending on how other releases (The Modern Hornet Guide, and two new Modeler's Guides) shake out early in the year. The 2nd Edition features all-new images, more pages, and more coverage of the early, pre-LASTE jets, and even more coverage of the A-10C and A-10A+. It will also have a lot more "in action" and air-air photos, something lacking in the first edition. Couple that with the new printing company we're using now, and it should be a far superior book to the first release, for the same price.

Source on zone-five.net

Jake Melampy

Secondly, on January 5, 2012, Jake announced another new A-10 book. He wrote:

If you're a follower of the aviation magazines such as Combat Aircraft, Air Forces Monthly, etc, you've probably seen Neil Dunridge's name before. He's an astonishingly talented photographer from the UK, and a great guy to hang around with.

He's been chasing the A-10 around the world now for a couple years compiling images and information to put together his book, which will be published by Reid Air Publications this summer. I'll let the images speak for themselves. This is going to be a very, very cool book, with combat pics from Afghanistan and Iraq, and every A-10 squadron at home.

His title will be "A-10C Thunderbolt II -- 21st Century Warthog".

Source on zone-five.net
Source on Facebook

Just three of the preview pictures (More will be uploaded soon):

Full size

Full size

Full size

Full size

Please note: Photo descriptions will be uploaded soon. Can't wait to get my own copies of both of these books...

Neil at work: He's posing here in front of A-10C 80-0208 from the 75th Fighter Squadron, parked in an aircraft revetment at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. Full size

See also:
74th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron featured in Combat Aircraft Magazine, August 2011 issue (Story by Neil Dunridge)
Neil's website

Selfridge Airmen to Return Home

2012-01-06T22:09:00.003+01:00

by TSgt. Dan Heaton
127th Wing Public Affairs

1/6/2012 - SELFRIDGE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Mich. -- Approximately 300 Airmen of the Michigan Air National Guard are returning to Selfridge Air National Guard Base this month, after a four-month deployment to Afghanistan. The Airmen operated and maintained the A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft while deployed, serving with the 451st Air Expeditionary Wing, based at Kandahar Airfield.

"The safe return of our Michigan Airmen is a very welcome way to begin the new year," said Col. Michael Thomas, commander of the 127th Wing, the home unit of the returning Airmen. "The selfless service rendered by these men and women, which included being deployed over the holiday season, epitomizes the core values of the U.S. Air Force."

The deployment was the fourth major deployment of the unit's since 2001. This was the first deployment for the Selfridge fighter aircraft unit to Afghanistan and the first since the 107th Fighter Squadron made the transition to flying the A-10, an air-to-ground attack aircraft. The deployment included members of the 127th Operations Group and the 127th Maintenance Group.

Over the 120-day deployment period, the unit logged approximately 8,300 flight hours in 2,000 sorties, or flight missions.

While the bulk of the unit is returning home in early January, a small cadre will remain behind to assist with the transition of the unit that replaced the Michigan Air Guardsmen at Kandahar, a NATO base in southern Afghanistan.

Composed of approximately 1,700 Citizen-Airmen, the 127th Wing of the Michigan Air National Guard is the host organization at Selfridge, flying the KC-135 Stratotanker, an aerial refueler, and the A-10 Thunderbolt II, also known as the Warthog, which is an air-to-ground attack fighter. In addition to the Wing, Selfridge is home to numerous other military and federal agencies, which fly a variety of helicopters and small, light fixed-wing aircraft.

More information on the 127th Wing and Selfridge Air National Guard Base is available at www.127wg.ang.af.mil.

Comment: Job well done, 107th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron and all supporting units! That was the first leg of an ongoing "Total Force" A-10C combat deployment to the 451st AEW at Kandahar Airfield in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

A-10 pilot surpasses 1,000 combat hours flown

2012-01-06T21:50:00.004+01:00

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- Capt. "Rudy," an A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot with the 107th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, surpassed 1,000 combat flying hours in support combat operations in Afghanistan and eclipsed more than 2,000 total flying hours during this deployment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. David Carbajal) Hi-res

by Staff Sgt. David Carbajal
451st Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

1/6/2012 - KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- (Editor's note: The name of "Captain Rudy" is being held for security and safety reasons.)

At a typical deployment, leaders will encourage you to "make every second count." One pilot here has done just that. In fact, he's made more than three million seconds count.

Capt. "Rudy," an A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot with the 107th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, surpassed 1,000 combat flying hours in support combat operations in Afghanistan and eclipsed more than 2,000 total flying hours during this deployment.

"This is a milestone rarely achieved for a fighter pilot," said Lt. Col. Joshua Ruddell, 107th EFS assistant director of operations. "This equates to being in a combat flying deployment for roughly two years."

He is completing his second deployment to Kandahar Airfield and his fourth overall.

However, this combat-hours milestone was not one of his goals.

"I didn't even know I reached the 1,000 combat hour point until I saw guys from the squadron arriving at my aircraft parking spot after I landed," Rudy said. "I wouldn't trade the experiences I've gained protecting our soldiers on the ground and the strong friendships I have made with squadron mates throughout my deployments."

But this mark comes at a price, he said.

"It also means I've spent about two years away from my wife and missed a lot of birthdays and anniversaries," Rudy said.

An Austin, Texas, native, he is currently assigned to Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany.

"Reaching 1,000 combat hours is honestly not an important milestone to me," he said. After all, it's really just a number. Nothing special happened to me when I reached that point. I didn't get smarter, didn't instantly become a better pilot."

"What's important to me is I've spent 1,000 hours in the air doing my best to make sure the guys on the ground can go home safely to their families," Rudy added. "If just five minutes of that time was enough to give a family a chance to see their father or son again then for me every second was worth it."

"Overall it has been a bittersweet experience but one that I am proud of and it's something that I will remember for the rest of my life."

Beyond his seldom-reached milestone, he is seen as much more than a pilot in his squadron, said Ruddell.

"He is an exceptional instructor pilot and strives to make every pilot he flies with better," said Ruddell. "Whether it's on the ground or in the air, he is constantly improving the quality of our pilots' flying skills."

Source

Please note: According to this official USAF source, Captain "Rudy" is deployed from the 81st Fighter Squadron, 52nd Fighter Wing (USAFE), Spangdahlem AB, Germany, to be part of the currently combat-deployed "Total Force" A-10C team.

23rd AMXS continues the mission after the holidays

2012-01-06T21:28:00.003+01:00

Released by 23rd Wing Public Affairs

1/5/2012 - U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Eric Mastin, 23rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, conducts a pre-flight inspection on an A-10C Thunderbolt II prior to a pilot upgrade training session at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., Jan. 5, 2011. The A-10 remained in limbo during the holiday break but is now back in action to prepare for next week's operational readiness exercise. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Eileen Meier) Hi-res

Note: Pictured is A-10C 186. Crew inscription: PLT: CAPT JOHN MYERS, DCC: SSGT JEREL MOORE, ACC: SRA ERIC MASTIN.

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Eric Mastin, 23rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, climbs an A-10C Thunderbolt II to conduct pre-flight checks prior to a pilot upgrade training session at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., Jan. 5, 2011. Pre-flight inspections are vital to the safety of pilots and maintainers of aircraft. The ability to conduct these inspections and other mission-related tasks will soon be challenged during an upcoming operational readiness inspection being held March 28 to April 4. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Eileen Meier) Hi-res

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. William Smith, 23rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, uses an ammunition loading adaptor to download 30-millimeter rounds into an A-10C Thunderbolt II ammo drum prior to a pilot training mission at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., Jan. 5, 2011. The weapons download helped prepare the 23rd AMXS for an upcoming operational readiness inspection being held March 28 to April 4. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Eileen Meier) Hi-res

U.S. Air Force Capt. Brandon Liabenow, 74th Fighter Squadron, conducts a pre-flight inspection on an A-10C Thunderbolt II prior to a pilot upgrade training session at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., Jan. 5, 2011. Since the holiday break ended, the 23rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and 74th FS are back in game-mode preparing for next week's operational readiness exercise and an operational readiness inspection being held March 28 to April 4. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Eileen Meier) Hi-res

Source

Professional A-10 photography by Paul Filmer

2012-01-04T19:06:00.014+01:00

By Joachim Jacob, Warthog News Editor

Some days ago, on my Warthog News fan page on Facebook, Jared Soergel hooked me up to excellent A-10 slideshows by aviation photographer Paul Filmer from the United States - never seen before by myself. Meanwhile, I'm in personal contact with Paul via e-mail, and he provided me some of his shots for posting on Warthog News exclusively. Just a few samples:

A-10C 80-0176 from the 357th Fighter Squadron, 355th Fighter Wing, Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, fires it's gun, February 28, 2011. (Photo by Paul Filmer) Full size

A-10C 78-0689 from the 107th Fighter Squadron, 127th Wing (Michigan Air National Guard), Selfridge ANGB, during Red Flag 11-3 at Nellis AFB, Nevada, March 9, 2011. (Photo by Paul Filmer) Full size

A-10C 78-0689 from the 107th Fighter Squadron, 127th Wing (Michigan Air National Guard), Selfridge ANGB, during Red Flag 11-3 at Nellis AFB, Nevada, March 9, 2011. (Photo by Paul Filmer) Full size

A-10C 641 from the 107th Fighter Squadron, 127th Wing (Michigan Air National Guard), Selfridge ANGB, during Red Flag 11-3 at Nellis AFB, Nevada, March 7, 2011. (Photo by Paul Filmer) Full size

An A-10C from the 107th Fighter Squadron, 127th Wing (Michigan Air National Guard), Selfridge ANGB, during Red Flag 11-3 at Nellis AFB, Nevada, February 23, 2011. (Photo by Paul Filmer) Full size

A four-ship of A-10Cs from the 107th Fighter Squadron, 127th Wing (Michigan Air National Guard), Selfridge ANGB, during Red Flag 11-3 at Nellis AFB, Nevada, February 22, 2011. (Photo by Paul Filmer)

A-10 79-0148 from the 47th Fighter Squadron, April 1, 2009. (Photo by Paul Filmer) Full size

A-10C ... from the 47th Fighter Squadron, April 2, 2009. (Photo by Paul Filmer) Full size

A-10 80-0171 from the 47th Fighter Squadron, April 1, 2009. (Photo by Paul Filmer) Full size

Close-up shot of the 47th Fighter Squadron's DOGPATCHERS fin cap marking, April 1, 2009. (Photo by Paul Filmer) Full size

MOONBEAM McSWINE ladder door art of A-10 79-0148 from the 47th Fighter Squadron, April 1, 2009. (Photo by Paul Filmer)

MOONBEAM McSWINE fuselage art of A-10 79-0148 from the 47th Fighter Squadron, April 1, 2009. (Photo by Paul Filmer) Full size

BRUTE FORCE ladder door art of A-10 79-0151 from the 47th Fighter Squadron, April 1, 2009. (Photo by Paul Filmer)

CAVE GAL fuselage art of A-10 79-0151 from the 47th Fighter Squadron, April 1, 2009. (Photo by Paul Filmer) Full size

Please note: In the next couple of days I will share a lot of links related to Paul's online slideshows. Please re-check this post again.

451st AEW support Kandahar Air Wing open house

2012-01-02T17:44:00.002+01:00

KANDAHAR AIR WING, Afghanistan -- An A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot speaks to an interested event attendee during the 2012 Kandahar Air Wing Open House at Kandahar Air Wing, Afghanistan, Jan. 1, 2012. The 451st Air Expeditionary Wing supported the open house by having an MQ-9 Reaper and an A-10 Thunderbolt II static display for Afghan locals to see and ask questions about. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. David Carbajal) Hi-res

Note: Pictured in the background is A-10C 81-0965 from the 81st Fighter Squadron, 52nd Fighter Wing (USAFE), Spangdahlem AB, Germany. The A-10C pilot is called BUBBLES on his name patch (probably his personal callsign), and due to the checkerboard design of the A-10 logo he's deployed from the 107th Fighter Squadron, 127th Wing (Michigan ANG), Selfridge ANGB.

by Staff Sgt. David Carbajal
451st Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

1/2/2012 - KANDHAR AIR WING, Afghanistan -- Hundreds of Afghan locals, Kandahar Air Wing leadership and Kandahar Airfield leadership attend the 2012 Kandahar Air Wing Open House at Kandahar Air Wing, Afghanistan, Jan. 1, 2012. Leaders at the Kandahar Air Wing invited more than 300 local children to the open house to show them the various airframes flown at Kandahar Air Wing and Kandahar Airfield.

Source

Barksdale Reservists do their part

2011-12-30T18:58:00.004+01:00

Released by 307th Bomb Wing Public Affairs

12/29/2011 - Col. John Breazeale at right, commander of the 917th Fighter Group, converses with two 47th Fighter Squadron pilots at Hoban Hall on Barksdale Air Force Base, La., Dec. 28, 2011. The pilots assigned to the 47th Fighter Squadron, are a part of approximately 124 Airmen who deployed from the 917th FG to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The 917th FG is an A-10 Thunderbolt II Air Force Reserve unit. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Jeff Walston) Hi-res

Source (including four more photos)

Related info:
Reservists head to Afghanistan

Note: And so, according to all of these official sources, at least approximately 254 reservists are currently deployed to take over the A-10C OEF combat missions at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, from the Air National Guard. Maybe later next year they will be replaced by personnel from the 52nd Fighter Wing (USAFE), Spangdahlem AB, Germany, for the third and final leg of this "Total Force" A-10C team combat deployment.

Reservists head to Afghanistan

2011-12-29T18:41:00.008+01:00

Approximately 130 reservists from the 442nd Fighter Wing deployed to Afghanistan, Dec. 28, 2011 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The 442nd Fighter Wing is an A-10 Thunderbolt II Air Force Reserve unit at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo. The deployed reservists are scheduled to return in spring 2012. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Nick Wilson) Hi-res

by Staff Sgt. Danielle Wolf
442nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs

12/28/2011 - WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. -- Approximately 130 Citizen Airmen from the 442nd Maintenance and Operations groups here deployed to Afghanistan today in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

The units maintain and operate the A-10 Thunderbolt II, which provides close air support to ground troops and is most notable for its 30-millimeter gatling gun.

"The purpose of A-10 combat power is to keep others safe," said Col. Eric S. Overturf, 442nd FW commander to the deploying Airmen at their final out brief. "Because you're going over there to employ this aircraft and its munitions, you are ensuring that a soldier, sailor, Airman or Marine can return home safely to his family."

Members from throughout the community, to include the Whiteman Base Community Council and local retirees had to opportunity, Dec. 28, to wish the reservists well on their deployment. The Whiteman BCC made hundreds of cookies that each reservist got to take with him to make the flight more comfortable.

"The support from the local community is outstanding," Overturf said. "They not only support our Airmen, but they support the families the Airmen have to leave behind, which makes it much easier for them to accomplish the mission in theater."

Despite the 3 a.m. takeoff, the reservists had dozens of people sending them off.
The wing has a rich history in deployments - four deployments since 9/11 - where it has sent a package of maintainers, operators and aircraft to the area of responsibility.

Hundreds of reservists from other parts of the wing have also deployed in previous years, but most recently the 442nd Security Forces Squadron, and currently, the 442nd Civil Engineers Squadron.

The reservists are scheduled to return in the spring.

For more photos, see the 442nd Fighter Wing slideshow.

Source

See also:

Whiteman reservists deploy over holidays

by Staff Sgt. Danielle Wolf
442nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs

12/27/2011 - WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. -- Approximately 230 reservists from the 442nd Fighter Wing here and from its geographically separated unit, the 917th Fighter Group, Barksdale AFB, La., will deploy at the end of December in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

The reservists, most of whom maintain civilian employment in the local area, are assigned to the 442nd Maintenance and Operations groups.

The 442nd Fighter Wing is an A-10 Thunderbolt II Air Force Reserve unit at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo.

The reservists are expected to return in April.

Source

Note: Seems like this deployment marks the second leg to operate and maintain a "Total Force" A-10C team which is currently combat-deployed to the 451st Air Expeditionary Wing at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The reservists will replace guardsmen from the 127th Wing (Michigan Air National Guard), Selfridge ANGB, which deployed for the first leg in late September 2011. As a result of this replacement, maybe the designation of the deployed A-10C aircraft package will be changed from 107th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron to another designation. But I'm not sure.

23rd Wing weapons manager retires

2011-12-21T19:20:00.003+01:00

Released by 23rd Wing Public Affairs

Being Recognized: U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Kenneth Lilly [right], 23rd Wing weapons manager, is presented with a plaque of recognition from Master Sgt. Steven Glick, 74th Aircraft Maintenance Unit section chief, during his retirement ceremony held at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., Dec. 19, 2011. Throughout his 30 year career, Lilly has worked with several different units and with various weapons systems. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Olivia Dominique) Hi-res

Note: According to the caption of another related photo, Lilly is scheduled to retire March 1st from active duty.

Overturf nominated for brigadier general

2011-12-21T09:05:00.003+01:00

by Staff Sgt. Danielle Wolf
442nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs

12/20/2011 - WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. -- Col. Eric S. Overturf, commander of the 442nd Fighter Wing here, has been nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general, as announced Friday.

Overturf is responsible for approximately 2,000 reservists here and at three other geographically separated units: the 917th Fighter Group, Barksdale AFB, La.; the 476th Fighter Group, Moody AFB, Ga.; and the 924th Fighter Group, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.

Overturf was born in Greeley, Colo. He is a 1984 honors graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. He served 14 years in the regular Air Force in a wide variety of F-16 assignments in U.S. Air Forces Europe, Pacific Air Forces, and Air Combat Command and as an instructor at the U.S. Air Force Weapons School. He joined the Air Force Reserve in 1998 as a traditional reservist and is currently serving in full-time status. Colonel Overturf is a command pilot with more than 4,300 hours of fighter time in the A-10 Thunderbolt II, F-22A Raptor and the F-16 Fighting Falcon including missions in support of Operation Noble Eagle, Operation Northern Watch, Operation Southern Watch, and Operation Enduring Freedom. He took command of the 442nd Fighter Wing in December 2010.

The promotion ceremony is pending Senate confirmation.

Source

See also:
Official USAF biography of Col. Eric S. Overturf

442nd Fighter Wing members deploy for Afghanistan

2011-12-21T08:48:00.003+01:00

Released by 442nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs

Approximately 30 reservists from the 442nd Fighter Wing departed Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., and headed for Afghanistan, Dec. 19. Made up of mostly maintainers and pilots, the group is scheduled to return around April 2012. The 442nd FW is an A-10 Thunderbolt II Air Force Reserve unit at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Danielle Wolf) Hi-res

Note: This combat deployment to the 451st Air Expeditionary Wing at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom is part of the currently deployed "Total Force" A-10C team. For some more related pictures please check the 442nd FW public website's photo section.

Bobby Bell tours 442nd Fighter Wing

2011-12-21T08:31:00.004+01:00

Released by 442nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs

Bobby Bell, NFL hall-of-famer and retired Kansas City Chiefs football player, tours the 442nd Fighter Wing with his family, Dec. 16. Bell, an ambassador for the KC Chiefs and supporter of the Air Force Reserve, presented the wing with an autographed football during the tour. The 442nd Fighter Wing is an A-10 Thunderbolt II Air Force Reserve unit at Whiteman AFB, Mo. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Lauren Padden) Source

Note: Pictured is A-10C 79-0114 from the 303rd Fighter Squadron. Please take a look on the air intake cover with the new unit logo, honoring the Kansas City Chiefs. More pictures will be uploaded soon.

Home on the range: Joint Terminal Attack Controllers train with 188th Warthogs

2011-12-20T21:16:00.010+01:00

Updated 22 December 2011:

An A-10C Thunderbolt II "Warthog" with the 188th Fighter Wing, Arkansas Air National Guard fires its 30mm Gatling gun at the 188th's Detachment 1 Razorback Range during a Close-Air Support (CAS) training exercise with Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs). (U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. Heath Allen / 188th Fighter Wing Public Affairs) Hi-res

By 188th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

12/20/2011 - FORT CHAFFEE MANEUVER TRAINING CENTER, Ark. -- Several A-10C Thunderbolt II "Warthogs" with the 188th Fighter Wing, Arkansas Air National Guard conducted a Close-Air Support (CAS) training exercise with Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs) at the 188th's Detachment 1 Razorback Range located at Fort Chaffee Maneuver Training Center, Ark., Dec. 12, 2011.

The Warthogs conducted strafing runs, shot targets with their 30mm Gatling gun and dropped sundry munitions while working with JTACs, who plotted coordinates for air strikes during the CAS training. The JTACs are members of the 19th Air Support Operations Squadron based in Fort Campbell, Ky.

Razorback Range is a key asset and currently is the best among all Air National Guard units nationwide in terms of proximity to the wing. Razorback Range's proximity to Ebbing Air National Guard Base allows the 188th's A-10s to be on the range just two minutes after takeoff, which makes the unit the most efficient A-10 wing in the ANG in terms of training costs.

To view additional photos from this training exercise, watch the slideshow.

An A-10C Thunderbolt II "Warthog" with the 188th Fighter Wing, Arkansas Air National Guard conducts a strafing run at the 188th's Detachment 1 Razorback Range during a Close-Air Support (CAS) training exercise with Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs). (U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. Heath Allen / 188th Fighter Wing Public Affairs. (Note: This picture is copied from the 188th FW's Facebook page. The hi-res link of this picture on their website doesn't work.)

Source

See also:
Related album on Facebook

Update 22 December 2011:
The following additional hi-res photo has been released:

Updated December 21, 2011

An A-10C drops a 25 pound BDU-33 practice bomb. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class John Hillier / 188th Fighter Wing Public Affairs) Hi-res

188th family members take to skies, range to observe mission

2011-12-20T06:34:00.010+01:00

Updated December 22, 2011

The 188th Fighter Wing, Arkansas Air National Guard conducted spouse orientation rides on a KC-135R Stratotanker with the 185th Airlift Wing, Iowa Air National Guard Dec. 2-3, 2011, in Fort Smith, Ark. Spouses of 188th members were able to observe the Flying Razorbacks' A-10C Thunderbolt II "Warthogs" conduct aerial refueling from the KC-135R's boom operation area during the flight. The flight was part of an open house in which 188th family members were afforded the opportunity to fly an A-10 simulator as well as observe A-10 training exercises at the 188th's Detachment 1 Razorback Range located at Fort Chaffee Maneuver Training Center, Ark. The objective of the program was to showcase the 188th's mission to family members. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Hannah Landeros / 188th Fighter Wing Public Affairs) Hi-res

Note: Pictured is A-10C 78-0642 (ex 131st FS, 104th FW, Massachusetts ANG) from the 184th Fighter Squadron.

by Airman 1st Class John Hillier
188th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

12/19/2011 - FORT SMITH, Ark. -- It was a family affair at the 188th Fighter Wing during the December Unit Training Assembly.

Spouses took to the skies over Fort Smith for an up-close look at flight operations during a "Spouse Lift" orientation flight here Dec. 3.

Unit family members also took advantage of the opportunity to observe the 188th's A-10C Thunderbolt II "Warthogs" drop munitions, conduct strafing runs and fire their 30mm Gatling guns at Detachment 1 Razorback Range, which is located at Fort Chaffee Maneuver Training Center, Ark.

Family members were also afforded the chance to operate an A-10 flight simulator during the two-day program.

"I thought it would be a good idea to do something for the families, to show them a small part of what we do here," said Capt. Josh Parnell, a 188th pilot who also functioned as the project officer for the spouse orientation flights. "I wanted them to see what their spouse as a unit member does to contribute that as a civilian you wouldn't normally get to see."

In all, 97 spouses had the opportunity to fly aboard a KC-135R Stratotanker from the Iowa Air National Guard's 185th Air Refueling Wing as it conducted mid-air refueling exercises with the 188th's A-10s.

After a safety briefing from Tech Sgt. Mike Dunlop, a boom operator with the 185th, spouses were given a tour around the KC-135R, and learned about the refueling mission of the aircraft.

Spouses then boarded the KC-135R and strapped in for takeoff. Once the aircraft reached 16,000 feet, spouses were able to explore the aircraft and talk with the crew and visit the cockpit.

While the spouses took photos of the Stratotanker and watched out the windows for the arrival of the A-10s, Dunlop talked about the KC-135R's mission, and entertained them with stories from his career.

Each spouse had the opportunity to observe a contact drill between the KC-135R and an A-10, in which the boom operator connects the refueling hose to the other aircraft in preparation for mid-air refueling.

Parnell, who flew with the 185th for three years before coming to the 188th had flown spouse flights with KC-135Rs before, he said. He was able to use that relationship to benefit both the 185th and 188th.

"I've flown with both the pilots and boom operators many times," Parnell said. "I know them really well. That helped with organization of the flights, and would have been much more difficult without that personal relationship."

Parnell said it can be challenging to keep current with training requirements, especially for part-time flyers. Parnell said they don't get to refuel A-10s very often, so it's a change of pace for them.

"The 185th gets get to fly sorties out of a different location and refuel an aircraft that they don't normally get to practice with," Parnell said.

Parnell said the 188th pilots got to not only exhibit the aerial refueling process to unit member spouses but it was also a chance to prepare for the 188th's upcoming Air Expeditionary Forces deployment to Afghanistan this summer.

"We've got a lot on our plate next year, and air refueling is a big part of letting us execute our mission." Parnell said. "It's also something that family members were able to go see. Knowing that we're going to be deployed next summer, it's a way to say 'thank you' to the families for supporting us when we have to go away and do our jobs."

The flight was certainly appreciated. It was the first flight ever for Shelley Staggs.

"It was really neat; I enjoyed it," she said. "We went up in the cockpit and got down in the [boom area]. I'd definitely do it again."

A-10C 78-0586 (ex 118th FS, 103rd FW, Connecticut ANG) from the 184th Fighter Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class John Hillier / 188th Fighter Wing Public Affairs) Hi-res

A-10C 78-0646 (ex 118th FS, 103rd FW, Connecticut ANG) from the 184th Fighter Squadron. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Hannah Landeros / 188th Fighter Wing Public Affairs) Hi-res

Source

Update December 20, 2011: Today, 184th FW Public Affairs released some more related pictures on the wing's website and posted a huge album 188th family members observe unit's mission with 77 photos on the wing's fan page on Facebook, ncluding a lot of additional air-to-air shots.

Update December 22, 2011
The following two additional hi-res photos has been released:

A-10C 78-0642 approaches the tanker. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Hannah Landeros / 188th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Hi-res

A brilliant shot of A-10C 78-0586. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class John Hillier / 188th Fighter Wing Public Affairs)

Impressive A-10 albums by Ken Middleton on Flickr

2011-12-19T18:53:00.006+01:00

By Joachim Jacob, Warthog News Editor

Some years ago, aviation photographer and Warthog News contributor Ken Middleton from the United States created his two websites about the 103rd Fighter Wing and the 104th Fighter Wing, both linked in the section "Other A-10 Sites" on my blog's left navigation sidebar.

Already in 2009, but unfortunally overlooked by me, Ken launched his own photostream on Flickr. Meanwhile, his collections include five different sets of A-10 photos, also related to the 111th Fighter Wing and the 175th Wing. Please enjoy!

Here are two of Ken's latest added shots, uploaded on December 17, 2011:

A-10 80-0230 from the 103rd Fighter Squadron, 111th Fighter Wing (Pennsylvania ANG), Willow Grove, taken on June 27, 2009. (Photo by Ken Middleton) Full size

A-10 78-0659 from the 131st Fighter Squadron, 104th Fighter Wing (Massachusetts ANG), taken on June 25, 2006, at Barnes 2006 Airshow. (Photo by Ken Middleton) Full size

Please also visit Ken on Facebook.

Nice A-10 slide show by photographer Tom Hildreth

2011-12-19T03:47:00.002+01:00

By Joachim Jacob, Warthog News Editor

This night, photographer Tom Hildreth from the United States hooked me up via Facebook to his very nice A-10 slide show on photo.net. At first, let me share this sample picture which deals with the current winter season (Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!):

A-10A 79-0104 from the 131st Fighter Squadron "Death Vipers", 104th Fighter Wing (Massachusetts ANG), Barnes ANGB, Massachusetts (Tailcode MA); photo taken on December 8, 1996. The nose in the foreground belongs to A-10A 78-0644 from the same unit. (Photo by Tom Hildreth) Full size

Source

See also all of Tom's online pictures

By the way: In the next couple of days I will ask Tom for posting some more (if not all) of his historic A-10 shots on Warthog News.

354th Fighter Squadron Change of Command

2011-12-17T21:38:00.005+01:00

Released by 355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Samuel Milam, 355th Operations Group commander, passes the guidon to Lt. Col. Daniel Luce [on the right] as he assumes command of the 354th Fighter Squadron on Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. Dec. 16, 2011. Before assuming command of the 354th FS, Luce was the 355th Operations Support Squadron director of operations here on D-M. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Timothy D. Moore) Hi-res

Note: The "Hog" with 354th FS "Bulldogs" insignia in the background should be A-10C 78-0706, formerly assigned to the 357th Fighter Squadron and marked as 357th FS boss bird. Anybody who can identify the cartoon art on the ALQ-131 ECM pod? It looks to me like a raven. It is usual to apply such art on ECM pods at D-M?

Some historic Fairchild Republic Company's A-10 stuff preserved now by Warthog News

2011-12-16T21:09:00.006+01:00

By Joachim Jacob, Warthog News Editor

Thanks to a German aviation friend of mine who wants to remain anonymous, today I was able to preserve a small but very informative collection of original Farchild Republic Company's news releases and some of their black-and-white press photos from the seventies. Now, I have to scan and digitalize all of this, allongside with some clipped newspaper stuff and additional personal A-10 photos.

Just an appetizer:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

354th TACTICAL FIGHTER WING COMPLETES FIRST FULL YEAR OF A-10 OPERATIONS

FARMINGDALE, L.I., N.Y., September 3, 1978 -- The 354th Tactical Fighter Wing at Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, South Carolina, is the first operational U.S. Air Force wing to complete a full year of operations equipped with the USAF/Fairchild A-10 Thunderbolt II close air support aircraft.

The wing commander of the 354th, Colonel Robert H. Reed, reported that his organization, which started in July 1977 with 14 new A-10 aircraft and 11 pilots, had grown to 55 A-10s and 68 mission-ready pilots in June 1978. In the previous 12 months, according to Colonel Reed, those pilots flew 7,165 sorties for a total of 12,184 hours.

Three tactical fighter squadrons comprise the 354th. They include the 353rd (Black Panthers) Tactical Fighter Squadron, the 355th (Fighting Falcons) Tactical Fighter Squadron and the 356th (Green Demons) Tactical Fighter Squadron.

When A-10 operations got underway last year, a total of 138 sorties representing 294 hours were flown in the initial month. Last June, Myrtle Beach Air Force Base operations handled 1,016 A-10 sorties totaling 1,651 hours.

Production aircraft are also in service with the U.S. Air Force's Tactical Air Command at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, and Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. With nearly 140 A-10 aircraft presently in the Air Force's inventory, plans are to ultimately procure 733 aircraft to equip tactical fighter wings in Europe and components of the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve in the United States.

Chaffee Panel Plots 188th Fight

2011-12-16T19:33:00.005+01:00

A squadron of 188th Fighter Wing A-10 Thunderbolts sit on the flightline Wednesday, July 20, 2011, after a recent inspection at Ebbing Air National Guard Base. (Photo by Corey S. Krasko, Times Record) Full size

Note: Pictured in the foreground is A-10C 78-0626 from the 184th Fighter Squadron.

By Wanda Freeman
Times Record
Posted: Tuesday, December 13, 2011 8:40 am

As the Defense Department grapples with $450 billion in possible budget cuts nationally, the case for keeping the 188th Fighter Wing and its current mission intact will center on cost-effectiveness, said community and military leaders Monday.

During a news conference of the 188th Fighter Wing/Fort Chaffee Community Council, Col. Tom Anderson, 188th commander, said the reason the wing can perform its training mission so economically is its location. The close proximity to Fort Chaffee Maneuver Training Center allows for short commutes and time for two training missions a day instead of one.

"When you count all the missions over a year, it adds up pretty quickly," he said.

Gen. Dwight Balch, commander of the Arkansas Air National Guard, said the best value for the country is to keep the A-10 Thunderbolt II in the military and specifically with the 188th in Fort Smith.

"The cost per flying hour for the A-10 is one of the cheapest," Balch said.

Although the Air Force continues to develop plans for the F-35 and F-22, Balch said those planes are more expensive to operate than the A-10, an older plane that is not in the Air Force's long-term vision.

"We would like to see the F-35 on that ramp," Balch said, gesturing toward a ramp just outside of the 188th headquarters building.

After the news conference, he said the F-35 is in the long-term plan for the 188th, and could certainly replace the A-10 if the A-10 mission were to end. Compared to the A-10, which performs air-to-ground support, he said, the F-35 does both air-to-ground and air-to-air work.

Col. Keith Klemmer, chief of staff for Maj. Gen. William D. Wofford, Arkansas Guard adjutant general, said Wofford was in Washington meeting with leaders on behalf of the 188th, the Arkansas National Guard and the entire reserve component of the military.

Dr. Jerry Stewart, president of the Community Council, said the current arena for discussion is within the military, but the more political arena will come into play when President Barack Obama presents the budget in February.

The Community Council steering committee recently formed to defend the 188th against budget cuts will meet with political leaders on Dec. 20. During that briefing, the committee will speak in detail with state legislators and elected leaders from municipal and county governments.

The 188th was home to a wing of F-16 fighters, known as the Fighting Falcons, until 2005, when the Base Closure and Realignment Commission approved moving the F-16s to the 144th Fighter Wing in California. In 2008, partly as a result of community support, the 188th transitioned to the A-10 Thunderbolt II.

Source (Please check this source for more related news stories)

See also:
PRESS RELEASE: Rumors addressed with Fort Smith's 188th Fighter Wing; A-10 units among discussion of Department of Defense budget cuts

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2011!

2011-12-16T01:45:00.008+01:00

By Joachim Jacob, Warthog News Editor

Dear visitors, contributors and other friends of Warthog News. I wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for 2012! Special greetings to the entire USAF A-10C Thunderbolt II "Warthog" community and their families, especially to the airmen of the 107th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron which is currently combat-deployed to the 451st Air Expeditionary Wing at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF).

To make you smile, from my archives I selected the following historic USAF photo, taken at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, December 24, 2003:

Original photo caption: A visit from Santa. Staff Sgt. John Hamilton, 455th Expeditionary Operations Group resident "Santa," deployed from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., spreads holiday cheer Dec. 24 to the troops along the flightline at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Brian Davidson) Larger version

Please note: This funny official USAF picture was taken during the deployment of the 354th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, 355th Fighter Wing (ACC), Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, commanded by Lt. Col. Tim Saffold, to the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). This deployment was part of the Air Expeditionary Forces's AEF 5/6 (Cycle 4) rotation (December 2003 – February 2004).

Related OEF background info:
A-10 Units of Operation Enduring Freedom

For Christmas 2011 see also:
A Warthog Christmas by Joe

BTW:
If anybody needs a hi-res copy (2100 x 1500) please drop me a line via e-mail.

Airmen showcase fighter-wing mission to SACEUR, EUCOM commander

2011-12-15T22:49:00.002+01:00

by Staff Sgt. Daryl Knee
52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs

SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- U.S. Navy Adm. Jim Stavridis, U.S. European Command commander and NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, visited with Airmen in Hangar 1 here Dec. 14 as part of a familiarization tour. He thanked the Airmen for their hard work to secure enduring stability in Europe and Eurasia. During the visit, Stavridis saw the unique capabilities the 52nd Fighter Wing provides to the European theater of operations and learned about some of the wing’s accomplishments this year. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Matthew B. Fredericks) Hi-res

12/15/2011 - SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- The commander of U.S. European Command and NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe visited with Airmen here Dec. 14 as part of a familiarization tour.

U.S. Navy Adm. Jim Stavridis saw the unique capabilities the 52nd Fighter Wing provides to the European theater of operations and learned about some of the wing's accomplishments this year.

"Here at Spangdahlem, we have a wonderful example that we can show to the 51 different countries in U.S. European Command - the vast majority of which have air forces," he said about the base earning the 2011 Air Force Installation Excellence Award. "They can come to a place like Spangdahlem and have an opportunity to see the very best in installation management, and I'm just so proud of what's been accomplished here."

During the visit, pilots and maintainers of the F-16 Fighting Falcon and A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft briefed the admiral about Spangdahlem's weapon systems and how those systems allow Saber Airmen to provide combat power to the current fight.

The wing supported Operation Odyssey Dawn, NATO's operations in Libya earlier this year. Stavridis said Spangdahlem's F-16, A-10 and mobility operations all combined to form a part of the global air capability the United States is known for delivering.

"In terms of Libya, this is where the first flights were launched, we saw the suppression of enemy air defense and above all, these great Airmen forward deployed into Italy to continue that mission," Stavridis said. "They did terrific work."

While EUCOM's overall mission involves conducting military operations and partnering with international military and interagency departments to defend the United States forward, Stavridis said there is more he wants Airmen to think about during their day-to-day operations.

"One thing I really admire about how we do business here is we deliver combat capability, we support partnership building with all of our European allies and we also deliver a wonderful environment for our families," he said. "So, we do combat, we prepare to partner in the international world, and we take care of our families.

"That's our mission," he continued.

More than 100,000 military and Department of Defense civilian employees work for the command, and Stavridis thanked them all for their hard work in the effort to secure enduring stability in Europe and Eurasia.

"To all of our great Airmen, Sailors, Soldiers, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, and outstanding DoD civilians - have a wonderful holiday," he said. "I give thanks every single day that I get to work in Europe with great members of the Department of Defense, and I'm very proud today to be in Spangdahlem, Germany, with my Airmen."

Source

A Warthog Christmas by Joe

2011-12-15T05:07:00.012+01:00

By Joachim Jacob, Warthog News Editor

Please enjoy A Warthog Christmas, edited by Joe "Dice-man" Hodges from the United States.

As a long-time Hog maintainer, Joe is the owner and webmaster of The Warthog Pen, already founded in 1998 and still one of the few A-10 online sources. Meanwhile, Joe's website is the world's top source for A-10 ladder door art. Please visit his unique Ladder Door Art Pages. Joe is also one of the moderators of Warthog Territory Forums - the only A-10 forum on the web.

I really enjoy the pretty childlike voice of Joe's daughter Melissa, performing the unique song "Warthog, The Ugly Airplane". Don't miss it! This song should be a "must have" for all Warthog enthusiasts.

Joe, would you be so kind to share a picture of Melissa?

Enlistment Oath

2011-12-15T04:45:00.003+01:00

Released by 175th Wing Public Affairs

New enlistee Zachary A. Zarbos repeats the enlistment oath from Col. Scott L. Kelly, commander of the 175th Wing Maryland Air National Guard, at Warfield Air National Guard Base, Baltimore, MD. Federal law requires everyone who enlists or re-enlists in the Armed Forces of the United States to take the enlistment oath. The oath of enlistment into the United States Armed Forces is administered by any commissioned officer to any person enlisting or re-enlisting for a term of service into any branch of the military. The officer asks the person, or persons, to raise their right hand and repeat the oath after him. The oath is traditionally performed in front of the United States Flag and other flags, such as the state flag, military branch flag, and unit guidon may be present. John enlisted into the Maryland Air Guard for six years as a Munition Specialist. Col Kelly had referred Zachary and John Weinhold to the guard under the referral program. Air National Guard Referral Rewards Program is a voluntary recruitment referral program where members who successfully help recruit a new member are rewarded with incentives. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Ed Bard) Hi-res

Note: Please check the 175th Wing website's photo section for two more related pictures.

KC Chiefs interview Airmen, fans for webisode

2011-12-13T23:42:00.003+01:00

Released by 442nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs

12/12/2011 - The 442nd Fighter Wing has adopted the arrowhead logo to represent the wing. The logo combines that of the Kansas City Chiefs and the A-10 Thunderbolt II. The KC Chiefs is a National Football League team that is making a web episode about the 442nd Fighter Wing for their internet-based show, Chiefs Kingdom. The 442nd Fighter Wing is an A-10 Thunderbolt II Air Force Reserve unit at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Danielle Wolf) Hi-res

Source

Please also visit the official website of the Kansas City Chiefs.

47th Fighter Squadron commander selected for colonel

2011-12-13T22:55:00.003+01:00

By Joachim Jacob, Warthog News Editor

According to 442nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs, four lieutenant colonels from the 442nd Fighter Wing were announced as O-6 selectees, Dec. 12, 2011. Among the officers who will be promoted to colonel is Lt. Col. Jim Travis, 47th Fighter Squadron commander.

The 917th Fighter Group (AFRC), Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, and their 47th Fighter Squadron are subordinated units of the 442nd Fighter Wing (AFRC), Whiteman AFB, Missouri.

Source

Moody prepares for ORI

2011-12-13T21:55:00.003+01:00

Relased by 23rd Wing Public Affairs

12/12/2011 - A U.S. Air Force A-10C Thunderbolt II taxis to an aircraft ramp after a mission during a phase II operational readiness exercise at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., Dec. 7, 2011. The A-10 can maneuver at low air speeds and altitude, and has a highly accurate weapons-delivery platform. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Stephanie Mancha) Hi-res

Note: Pictured is A-10C 0180 with 76th Fighter Squadron markings.

12/12/2011 - U.S. Air Force crew chiefs with the 23rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron prepare an A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft for refueling during a phase II operational readiness exercise at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., Dec. 7, 2011. The A-10 received maintenance, a weapons load and fuel. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Stephanie Mancha) Hi-res

Note the crew inscriptions: PLT: LT COL MITCHELL HANSON, DCC: TSGT JACOB FLINK, ACC: SRA STEVE GRENAT

12/12/2011 - U.S. Air Force weapons armament systems specialists with the 23rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron secure munitions onto an A-10C Thunderbolt II during a phase II operational readiness exercise at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., Dec. 8, 2011. Following proper procedures and safely working with a sense of urgency increases efficiency in loading munitions onto the aircraft, which is vital to the A-10 mission. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Stephanie Mancha) Hi-res

Note: Pictured is A-10C ..60.

Source

81st Fighter Squadron A-10Cs caught on TDY in the UK - Photos by Stevie Beats

2011-12-13T07:14:00.006+01:00

By Joachim Jacob, Warthog News Editor

On Saturday, aviation photographer Stevie Beats from the United Kingdom provided me the following 1024-pix-width pictures of his great shots of A-10Cs from the 81st Fighter Squadron, 52nd Fighter Wing (USAFE), Spangdahlem AB, Germany, taken during their recent exercise in the U.K.

These pictures were already released by Stevie on his website. See: USAF A10 "Warthogs" Low Level. See also: A10 "Warthogs"

Stevie wrote: August 15th 2011 - The rare sight of two Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II "Warthogs" flying low level through the Welsh Valleys was memorable. Also known to many as "Tankbusters" these welcome visitors were from the 81st Fighter Squadron, part of the 52d Fighter Wing based at Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany. The A-10's were in the UK for a few weeks in August and were based at RAF Lakenheath in support of a UK led exercise. Many days were spent hunting these aircraft when at last after much speculation they appeared. Their agility and flying skills were superb and fantastic to watch. All photos taken with Nikon D3s and Nikon 300mm F2.8.

A-10C ... This very impressive top view should be a nice reference for weathering of scale models. (Photo by Stevie Beats) Full size

A-10C ... (Photo by Stevie Beats) Full size

A-10C 81-0992. (Photo by Stevie Beats) Full size

A-10C 81-0992. (Photo by Stevie Beats) Full size

A-10C 81-0992 with vapor. (Photo by Stevie Beats) Full size

A-10C ... (Photo by Stevie Beats) Full size

A-10C ... (Photo by Stevie Beats) Full size

Please note: Special thanks to Stevie for sharing this larger pictures on Warthog News! But it seems like Stevie caught THREE different "Hogs". I will try to identify the two others.

See also:
81st Fighter Squadron A-10Cs caught on TDY in the UK - Photos by Rick Ingham
Photo links: 81st Fighter Squadron A-10Cs caught on TDY in the UK

STARBASE students get a hands-on lesson of the A-10 Thunderbolt II

2011-12-12T21:16:00.002+01:00

Released by 307th Bomb Wing Public Affairs

12/12/2011 - STARBASE students get a tour of an A-10 Thunderbolt II at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., Dec. 9, 2011. The students interact with military personnel to explore careers and observe science, technology, engineering and math applications in the "real world". (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Greg Steele) Hi-res

12/12/2011 - U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Peter Olson, 47th Fighter Squadron pilot, talks about the A-10 Thunderbolt II to STARBASE students at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., Dec. 9, 2011. The STARBASE program provides students with 20-25 hours of stimulating experiences at National Guard, Navy, Marine, Air Force Reserve and Air Force bases across the nation. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Greg Steele) Hi-res

Source (including two more picures)

Note: Pictured is a preserved A-10.

917th FG recognizes quarterly award winners

2011-12-12T20:38:00.005+01:00

Released by 442nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs

12/8/2011 - U.S. Air Force Col. John Breazeale, 917th Fighter Group commander, recognizes U.S. Air Force Maj. Grant McCall during a commander's call ceremony, Barksdale Air Force Base, La., Nov, 4, 2011. McCall, an A-10 pilot assigned to the 47th Fighter Squadron, was recognized as the Field Grade Office of the Quarter. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Greg Steele) Full size

The other award winners:

U.S. Air Force Capt. Brian Plauche, 917th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron maintenance officer, was recognized as the Company Grade Office of the Quarter, September 2011.

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Arthur Cowan, who is assigned to the 917th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, received the 917th FG Noncommissioned Officer of the Quarter award for the 3nd quarter, September 2011.

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Lance Duay, who is assigned to the 917th Maintenance Squadron, received the 917th FG Airman of the Quarter award for the 3rd quarter, September, 2011.

U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Thomas Hire, who is assigned to the 917th Maintenance Operations Flight, received the 917th FG Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Quarter award for the 2nd quarter, June 2011.

Source (including four more pictures)

Ladder door art of A-10C 79-0123

2011-12-11T21:07:00.002+01:00

By Joachim Jacob, Warthog News Editor

Yesterday, Joe "Dice-man" Hodges from the United States e-mailed me this very nice ladder door art close-up shot of A-10C 79-0123 from the 303rd Fighter Squadron, 442nd Fighter Wing (AFRC), Whiteman AFB, Missouri. I asked him for such a picture after posting Kansas City Chiefs visit 442nd Fighter Wing.

Joe is the owner and webmaster of The Warthog Pen, already founded in 1998 and still one of the few A-10 online sources. Meanwhile, Joe's website is the world's top source for A-10 ladder door art. Please visit his unique Ladder Door Art Pages. Joe is also one of the moderators of Warthog Territory Forums - the only A-10 forum on the web.

66th Weapons Squadron A-10C mishap at Boise

2011-12-11T20:47:00.001+01:00

By Joachim Jacob, Warthog News Editor

A-10C 80-0200 from the 66th Weapons Squadron, 57th Wing (ACC), Nellis AFB, Nevada, got a "broken leg" while taxiing at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho, November 11, 2011, "Air Forces Monthly" reported in their January 2012 issue (see Accident Report, page 35).

The aircraft's starbord undercarriage collapsed while taxiing for take-off at around noon at Boise-Gowen Airport, Iaho, where it was visiting from its base at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. Damage appeared to be minimal and the pilot was unhurt, but one of the airport's runways had to be closed while the aircraft was removed, the magazine reported.

An associated Idaho Air National Guard photo shows the aircraft awaiting recovery after its undercarriage collapsed.

Background info:
Together with five other A-10Cs from the 66th WPS, the aircraft was participating in a two-week combat flying training, hosted by the 124th Fighter Wing (Idaho ANG). See: USAF Weapons School chooses 190th Fighter Squadron as A-10C advanced tactics test-bed

Anybody who can provide related photos and further information? I would be very grateful for your support.

Some questions about gear-up landing of A-10C 79-0118 at Whiteman

2011-12-11T02:08:00.002+01:00

By Joachim Jacob, Warthog News Editor

According to 442nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs, A-10C 79-0118 from the 303rd Fighter Squadron landed at Whiteman AFB, Missouri, with its gear up sometime in June 2011. See: A-10 lands 'code 1' in October after gear-up landing in June

Anybody from the A-10 community who can/will share the date of this mishap and related recovery pictures? I would be very grateful for any support.

Last known archived official USAF info about a similar mishap which happened before Warthog News has been launched in late October 2008:

A-10 makes wheels-up landing at Edwards

by 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

3/27/2008 - EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- An Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II made an emergency landing here without its landing gear at 5 p.m. Tuesday.

The aircraft was participating in a Green Flag sortie out of Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. The plane, which had one person aboard, was assigned to the 75th Fighter Squadron at Moody Air Force Base, Ga.

The pilot safely exited the aircraft unharmed and was evaluated by flight surgeons here before being released.

"Edwards is uniquely suited to handle these kinds of in-flight emergencies," said base officials. "Not only do we have first responders who are well-prepared and equipped to work these incidents, Edwards has the benefit of an enormous lakebed, which can provide a soft landing for any aircraft in distress."

Although a lakebed landing was an option, the A-10 performed a landing on the base's primary landing strip, Runway 22, officials said.

A board of officers will investigate the incident.

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFMCNS) — An A-10 sits on Runway 22 after making an emergency landing here March 25. The A-10 touched down with its landing gear in the up position after declaring an in-flight emergency. The pilot was not harmed. The aircraft, assigned to the 75th Fighter Squadron at Moody AFB, Ga., was participating in a Green Flag sortie out of Nellis AFB, Nev. (U.S. Air Force photo by Brad White) Hi-res

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFMCNS) — The tail section of an A-10 makes direct contact with Runway 22 after making an emergency landing here March 25. The A-10 touched down with its landing gear in the up position after declaring an in-flight emergency. The pilot was not harmed. The aircraft, assigned to the 75th Fighter Squadron at Moody AFB, Ga., was participating in a Green Flag sortie out of Nellis AFB, Nev. (U.S. Air Force photo by Brad White) Hi-res

Source

Note: Involved in this mishap was A-10 78-0600 from the 75th Fighter Squadron.

66th Weapons Squadron A-10Cs caught at Nellis December 7, 2011

2011-12-09T21:53:00.006+01:00

By Joachim Jacob, Warthog News Editor

(Updated December 11, 2011)

At Nellis AFB, Nevada, Warthog News contributor Bruce Smith from the United States had the opportunity to take the following shot, uploaded yesterday to his Photostream on Flickr:

A-10C 80-0185 from the 66th Weapons Squadron. (Photo by Bruce Smith) Full size

Update December 11, 2011:

On December 9, 2011, Bruce added the following related picture on Flickr:

A-10C 80-0200 from the 66th Weapons Squadron. (Photo by Bruce Smith) Full size

Kansas City Chiefs visit 442nd Fighter Wing

2011-12-08T22:38:00.005+01:00

By Joachim Jacob, Warthog News Editor

Pictured is A-10C 79-0123 from the 303rd Fighter Squadron. Note the "LET'S ROLL" logo (co-related to 9-11 and Operation Enduring Freedom), the "JOKER" ladder door art, and the following crew inscriptions: PILOT: CAPT LANCE ORR, CREW CHIEF: TSGT CHRIS BARTON, ASST CREW CHIEF: SRA SABRINA BERTZ. (Photo by Senior Airman Laura Goodgame, 509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs) Full size

The picture above is extracted from the December 2011 online PDF issue of "Mohawk", official newspaper of the 442nd Fighter Wing. The PDF suggests: Check out more photos of when the Kansas City Chiefs visited the 442nd Fighter Wing on our website! But sorry, at least currently I can't find any related info.

Other sources:
KC Chiefs Visit Whiteman AFB (I wasn't able to watch the full video)

I will try to further update this post...

A-10 lands 'code 1' in October after gear-up landing in June

2011-12-08T20:58:00.005+01:00

by Tech. Sgt. Kent Kagarise
442nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs

A-10C 79-0118 from the 303rd Fighter Squadron taxis to the runway, Oct. 24, for its first takeoff since June when it landed with its gear up. The 442nd Maintenance Group is responsible for the quick repair of the aircraft making it safe for flight in less than four months. The 442nd Fighter Wing is an Air Force Reserve unit. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. James Kirksey)

12/8/2011 - WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. -- Oct. 24, Aircraft 79-118 performed its first functional flight check after landing gear-up June 30.

The A-10 Thunderbolt II, assigned to the 442nd Fighter Wing here, returned from its approximate one-hour flight with zero discrepancies - a testament of hard work and dedication to the many maintainers who worked diligently for four months to repair the jet.

After taking a hard landing that day, the aircraft was lifted on a 40-foot flatbed trailer and hauled off the flightline into 5-bay A-10 hangar.

The aircraft was parked in the hangar for approximately three weeks while a safety investigation was conducted.

Maintainers in the inspection phase section; the repair and reclamation shop; and the aircraft's dedicated crew chief were responsible for unusually quick repair of the A-10.

"We basically had to start from scratch and go through every part of the aircraft with a fine-tooth comb," said Tech. Sgt. Mike Schuler, 442nd Maintenance Squadron phase-dock crew chief.

During the inspection and repair process, the maintainers were tasked with finding replacement parts, ordering and painting the components to meet Air Force regulations.

"The A-10 is unique in that each plane has its own finger print, which can make it difficult when you're taking parts from one aircraft fit another," said Staff Sgt. Christopher Yates, 442nd MXS phase-dock crew chief.

Cannibalizing aircraft components from a non-functional A-10 to one that is in need of repair allows the Air Force to save money on fully-functional components - but sometimes those parts need minor maintenance. Most of the parts that arrived for AC 79-118 had been painted green.

"Some of these components may have been sitting dormant for 25 years because the A-10 was painted gray in the mid-'80s," said Master Sgt. Tyler Bane, 442nd MXS Repair and Reclamation shop chief. "But they are all fully-functional components."

Each component, as well as the aircraft, undergoes rigerous inspection throughout the repair and reclamation process.

"It's pretty incredible when you think about it," Yates said. "It's not like a car that undergoes a 100-point inspection - it's more like a 10,000 point inspection."

There is a great sense of accomplishment and pride within the team that it took a little more than three months to get the plane flying again - and the dedicated crew chief of aircraft 79-118, Staff Sgt. Robert Bagby, is one person maintenance recognized as playing a vital role in the successful turnover of the aircraft.

"He oversaw all the maintenance performed on the aircraft to get it back to a safe, flyable condition," said Capt. Rob Mehan, Aircraft Maintenance Squadron commander. "His attention to detail was crucial during the repair process."

When the aircraft first landed gear up, maintenance supervision asked Bagby and Schuler how long it would take to get the aircraft back in the air -- they projected October.

"We were really proud to be able to do what we said we could," Schuler said.

Major malfunctions are rare on the Warthog, but when they happen, the 442nd Fighter Wing maintainers are there to get these A-10s back in to the combat-readiness status.

A-10C 79-0118 taxis to the runway, Oct. 24, for its first takeoff since June when it landed with its gear up. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. James Kirksey)

Source

Note: Hi-res photos are currently not available.

"Hot" screenshot of the news article, already published some days ago in the December 2011 online PDF issue of "Mohawk", the 442nd Fighter Wing's official newspaper. (Sreenhot by Joachim Jacob, Warthog News Editor) Full size

Original photo caption of the large background picture:

THUNDERBOLT REPAIRS / Photo by Staff Sgt. Tracy Brown. After landing with its gear up in June, Aircraft tail number 79-9118 performed a functional flight check, Oct. 24, and landed code one with zero discrepancies. While many shops contributed to its quick repair, the 442nd Maintenance Squadron Reclamation Shop worked on its removal from the flightline in June and headed up the inspection and repair process. Here, the aircraft is photographed a few months before it's gear-up landing.

Note: A-10C 79-0118 is also "called" as 79-9118 (maybe just a typo) in the caption headlines of the photos above. According to the PDF version, they are courtesy of Master Sgt. James Kirksey, 442nd Maintenance Group Quality Assurance.

Source

47th FS makes historical Pearl-Harbor flight

2011-12-07T21:07:00.004+01:00

The cover of the December 2011 online PDF issue of "Mohawk Online" with the headline "70 years since 47th FS makes history"

by Senior Airman Wesley Wright
442nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs

12/4/2011 - WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. -- The skies were partly cloudy on the morning of Dec. 7, 1941 at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The temperature was about 70 degrees with a light breeze out of the northeast. The calmness and tranquility of the morning would later prove a stark contrast to the aftermath of Japan's surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.

The Airmen of the 47th Pursuit Squadron (today the 47th Fighter Squadron, now part of the 917th Fighter Group, Barksdale AFB, La.), deployed to Haleiwa Landing Field, Oahu, Hawaii were there that day and took to the skies in P-40s to help America fight back.

Decades later, Maj. Gen. James W. Graves carried on the fight as commander of the 47th FS from July 1996 to October 1997. Graves already had ties to the events of Dec. 7, 1941: His father, grandfather and uncles had served with the Army Air Corp and his mother lived in Hawaii. Upon entering the Air Force, Graves began researching the history of the unit he would later lead.

According to Graves, two pilots of the 47th PS were instrumental in the response to the Japanese attack: Lieutenants George Welch and Kenneth Taylor. They, and a few others, were able to get to their aircraft and get airborne, where Welch and Taylor downed a combined seven Japanese planes (fighters and a carrier-based dive-bomber) after launching their P-40 Tomahawks from Haleiwa Landing Field.

"While Dec. 7, 1941 was a disastrous day for America, I feel that the symbolic losses inflicted on Japan by Welch and Taylor that day were the first steps on the long climb back toward winning World War II," Graves said.

Welch and Taylor were later awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for their actions that day.

Graves was later approached by retired Lt. Col. Gerald Wenner, who had been a first sergeant in the 47th PS at the time of the Pearl Harbor attack. The colonel was terminally ill and wanted to donate several foot-lockers full of 47th PS memorabilia including maps, mission reports, photos and a banner that now hangs in the heritage room of the 47th FS at Barksdale.

These photographs came into play later when Graves was tasked with the reunification of flightline maintenance and operations at the 47th FS. Because this was how units were structured during the World War II era, Graves used the photos of the 47th PS to drive the change while linking the unit's past to its present.

Graves said he is committed to maintaining that connection to the past.

"It is incumbent on us who have devoted our lives to defending freedom to take time,
Veteran's and Memorial Day, to talk to people about the strength and sacrifice of the greatest generation," he said.

In order to pass on the experiences and memories of past Airmen, Graves hosted a reunion banquet for the 47th PS in September 1997. A number of men who had gotten airborne, along with Welch and Taylor, spoke and passed on their experiences to the current generation of Airmen. Welch himself had perished in the 1950s in a test-pilot accident, while Taylor, who had retired from the Alaska Air National Guard as a brigadier general, was not well enough to attend.

While later serving at Pacific Air Force Headquarters and continuing to research the history of the 47th FS, Graves collaborated with an officer who would later lead the 47th Fighter Squadron as commander of the 442nd Fighter Wing, Col. Eric S. Overturf.

"Colonel Overturf and I worked closely on a number of initiatives concerning this chapter of Air Force history," Graves said.

The 47th FS has had notable first and last contributions during the WWII period, he added.

"We were among the first to attack Japan, which was the first step to victory in World War II, and the 47th was also part of the last major air action of war," Graves said. "That action was a raid on renegade Japanese elements who were continuing to fight after the emperor had entered into talks on terms of surrender."

At the behest of Gen. Paul Hester, Graves began preserving and supplementing the memorabilia and lore concerning the unit's history in 2006 at the 65th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attacks. Graves met and talked with other Pearl Harbor survivors, including retired Lt. Col. Kermit Tyler.

Tyler, at the time of the Pearl Harbor attack, was the air officer on duty at the command post at Fort Shafter, Hawaii.

"Tyler received a telephonic report about blips coming in from the north on the radar, but he was expecting B-17s coming in from the mainland," Graves said, "so he said 'Turn off the radar and get breakfast.'"

While Graves retired a few years ago, he still continues to speak at events and pass on the accumulated history of the 47th FS and what happened on Dec. 7, 1941 so future generations can learn lessons from the sacrifices made in the past.

"We have to remember when huge numbers of people set aside civilian jobs and volunteer to put on the uniform."

Physical reminders of Pearl Harbor persist to this day, both beneath the waters with the departed and above the shoreline where battle damage to what would later become the Pacific Air Forces Headquarters was deliberately kept intact as a constant reminder.

"There is a plaque that says, and I'll paraphrase, that the battle damage was purposely left as a reminder for constant vigilance in the defense of freedom," Graves said.

Source
Mohawk Online, December 2011 issue

Col. Mike Nolan's fini flight as outgoing 124th OG commander

2011-12-06T23:36:00.005+01:00

Released by 124th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

Out with a splash — 124th Operations Group Commander, Colonel Mike Nolan accepts a traditional dousing from fellow fighter pilots at his finis-flight reception last month on the aircraft parking ramp at Gowen Field. Colonel Nolan moves on to become director of staff—Idaho National Guard. (U.S. Air Force Photo by MSgt. Tom Gloeckle)

Note: Published as photo news in the December 2011 PDF issue of "The Beacon" — official newsletter of the 124th Fighter Wing.
Source
Archived source

124th Operations Group Change of Command

2011-12-06T22:57:00.004+01:00

Released by 124th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

Lt. Col. Paul Kingsley (left) assumes command of the 124th Operations Group from Col. J.R. Compton, Commander 124th Fighter Wing, at Gowen Field, Boise, on December 4. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Robert Barney)

Source

Note: The picture is presented here as a screen shot because the source is restricted for military members only.

USAF Weapons School chooses 190th Fighter Squadron as A-10C advanced tactics test-bed

2011-12-05T18:46:00.009+01:00

Lt. Col. Gary A. Daniel
124th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
(Published as cover story in the December 2011 PDF issue of "The Beacon" — official newsletter of the 124th Fighter Wing)

BOISE, ID. The universally recognized masters of A-10 combat flying visited Gowen Field in November and integrated with numerous 124th Fighter Wing units throughout their two-week stay. After dozens of combat training sorties, mutual respect and common dedication to excellence in the A-10 community abounded as the most noted postdeployment sentiment from 190th Fighter Squadron and 66th Weapons School (Nellis AFB) leaders.

Nine instructor pilots and four upgrade students from the prestigious USAF Fighter Weapons School at Nellis AFB journeyed to Boise for two weeks of flying in Southern Idaho military flying ranges. The 66th Weapons School Squadron also brought over 60 maintenance specialists to ready six of the squadron's A-10C aircraft that joined the Warthogs of the 190th for low to medium threat flying while operating with Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTAC) of the 124th Air Support Operations Squadron.

"They are the Top-Gun program of the Air Force," said Lt. Col. Ryan Odneal, commander of the 190th.

"It's good doing business with the Weapons School, because we know we're doing business the right way, it's nice to validate our tactics and procedures, good to have another set of eyeballs (on squadron training sorties)," Odneal said.

According to 66th Weapons Squadron (A-10) Director of Operations, Major Colin Donnelly, the combination of a fully combat capable 190FS and the airspace in Southern Idaho dedicated to military flying, the combat flying assets at nearby Mountain Home AFB, and the Army Aviation just across Gowen Field allowed for "Interaction with multiple combat platforms and assets to achieve timely ordinance in supporting the ground commander."

The Purpose of 66th WPS traveling to A-10 units and mixing their training with that of operational squadrons like the 190th is directly from lessons learned by operational combatant commanders in the current CENTCOM fight. They have clarified the A-10C mission as Close Air Support, Combat Search and Rescue, and Forward Air Control—Airborne.

"We've realigned our syllabus and this is the first time executing this new draft syllabus (of combat mission flying)," said Major Donnelly. "This is our first forward air control deployment. We chose Boise. We like the challenges of going to a new location. The ranges here provide us new challenges with unfamiliar targets, new combat scenarios; it is awesome for our instructor pilots and student upgrade pilots," he said.

As part of that upgrade process the Weapons School students proved their leadership mettle in realistic training sorties alongside 190th aviators of all experience levels.

"Our WPS students are learning the skill of taking on-scene command of the "stack" of combat aircraft to meet the ground commander's objectives," Donnelly said.

The 190th Fighter Squadron has been flying the A-10 "Charlie" variant for the past 30 months. In October the Air Combat Command Inspector General recognized them as the best A-10 unit seen to date and awarded them the of highest possible overall grade of outstanding. Major Donnelly assessed the 190th participation as "a class act."

"It's nice to be validated by who you consider to be the best of the best in the A-10 business," said Lt. Col. Odneal.

124th Intel Flight shouldered a considerable additional workload providing weapons, threat response, and tactics research and training according to Major Steve McHargue, 124 IFTU Chief of Intelligence.

"66WPS is a Class Act," he said, "Their crews participated in some world-class training of our 124 IFTU (Intelligence Formal Training Unit) students."

The 66WPS may be bringing students back through Idaho to train with the 124th Fighter Wing every six months according to 190FS Director of Operations Lt. Col. Shannon Smith.

"This was a win-win. We accomplished the kind of training that we usually need to travel for right here at our 'home drome.' It doesn't get better than that," Lt. Col. Smith said.

"We've got a history of sending successful students to graduate from the Weapons School program.'

'What's key is: to stay relevant in your (aircraft) community, you need to engage the other squadrons — everyone recognizes the weapons school in being the leaders in weapons and tactics. They also have a goal to maintain in constant contact with the CAF (Combat Air Forces) to make sure their graduates are what the flying squadrons want.'

'Another huge benefit was our participating in weapons school style preparation briefs and debriefs that we don't get to see all the time. Short of getting a new weapons officer out of the experience — we experienced a class act" Smith said.

And the 66WPS experienced some combat flying training that even an elite Weapons School instructor like Major Donnelly found worth noting as "the 266th Range Squadron and the flying ranges in Southern Idaho offer us 'smoky SAMS,' good target sets realistic targets and interaction with the Rotary Wing aircraft that operate here."

The U.S. Air Force Weapons School provides the world's most advanced training in weapons and tactics employment, and every six months, produces a new class of graduates who are expert instructors on weapons, weapons systems and air and space integration. Upon completing the course, graduates return to their home stations, taking the latest tactics, techniques and procedures for air-to-air and air-to-ground combat to their respective units.

The Weapons School traces its roots to the Aircraft Gunnery School established in 1949 at Las Vegas Air Force Base, which became Nellis Air Force Base in 1950. This organization brought together a cadre of World War II combat veterans dedicated to teaching the next generation of pilots. The Gunnery School converted to combat crew training to meet the needs of the Korean War. Today's Weapons School encompasses 17 squadrons, teaching 22 combat specialties at eight locations.

Source
Archived source

Please note: Associated photos extracted by screenshots will be uploaded soon. An HTML version of this news article and associated JPEG photos are currently not available to the public.

Maintenance group hosts holiday party before deployment

2011-12-05T02:01:00.003+01:00

Released by 442nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs

12/4/2011 - In December 2011, approximately 250 members of the 442nd Maintenance Group and Operations Group will deploy to Afghanistan. Pictured is: (bottom row, left to right) Master Sgt. Elgin Cline, Senior Master Sgt. Aaron McRoberts, (top row, left to right) Capt. James Patrick Chevalier, Tech. Sgt. Brian Bilbruck, Tech. Sgt. Darrin Rawson, Senior Master Sgt. Chuck Sampson, and Chief Master Sgt. Russell Robinson, all of the 442nd Maintenance Group. The 442nd MXG and OG is part of the 442nd Fighter Wing, an A-10 Thunderbolt II Air Force Reserve unit at Whiteman AFB, Mo. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Kent Kagarise) Hi-res

Source

Note: Maybe that marks the second leg of the "Total Force" A-10C team's ongoing combat deployment to the 451st Air Expeditionary Wing at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

ACC grounds A-10 East and A-10 West Demo Teams for 2012 airshow season

2011-12-04T23:19:00.015+01:00

By Joachim Jacob, Warthog News Editor

The following statement has been released by Air Combat Command in the ACC Aerial Events section of their public website on Thursday, December 1, 2011:

ACC statement about reduction of single-ship demo teams in 2012

We face significant fiscal constraints and are making tough decisions about the best ways to continue providing combat airpower to warfighting commanders, which is what we do as the Air Force's primary force provider.

One decision we've made is to sponsor one single-ship demonstration team for the 2012 air show season, scaling back from the six teams we've historically sponsored – A-10 East & West, F-16 East & West, F-15E and F-22.

For the 2012 season, we're sponsoring our F-22 demonstration team to perform at up to 20 shows. In addition to the F-22 demonstration team, the Thunderbirds are set to complete a full season next year, and their schedule will be announced next week at the International Council of Air Shows conference.

Reducing the number of single-ship demonstration teams will allow us to reallocate more than 900 sorties to our wings so they can maximize their flying hours for combat readiness training, offsetting some of the reduction we've seen in flying hours. Most importantly, reallocating those sorties will provide an increase in more than 25 combat-ready fighter pilots – that's a very good thing for our Nation and wise stewardship of our limited resources.

The opportunity to showcase our aircrew at air shows around the country is important – and we're confident our Thunderbirds, F-22 demonstration team and Air Force Heritage Flight Foundation will continue highlighting the extraordinary work of all our Airmen.

Source

Related info:

New US Air Force Budget Grounds Airshow Demonstration Teams

By Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren
NYCAviation
December 2, 2011

The US Air Force will cut five of its six single-ship demonstration teams for the 2012 airshow season, according to a statement released Thursday on the Air Combat Command website.

A "sad" A-10 West Demo Team pilot, sitting in the cockpit of A-10C 80-0279. (Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren)

Citing budget constraints, only the Air Force's flagship aircraft—the F-22 Raptor—survived the chopping block, subsequently banishing the A-10 Warthog East and West, F-16 Viper East and West, and the F-15E Sentry Eagle teams to the history books, at least for the 2012 airshow season.

Up in the Air

The decision leaves the success of the 2012 season up in the air only weeks after the 2011 season drew to a close. The statement projects a savings of more than 900 sorties that would have otherwise been flown by the teams—900 sorties of which will not be hitting the circuit this year. While none of the USAF's multi-ship teams, which include the iconic Thunderbirds and the Air Force Heritage Flight Foundation programs, were significantly affected by the cuts, the budget blast will leave a number of airshows without a big-ticket, high-powered performer—like the F-16 Viper—to anchor the show.

Small and mid-sized shows across the country who often "rely on these assets will experience a significant reduction in visitors and sponsors," said a seasoned airshow organizer who asked to remain anonymous in order to speak candidly.

Additionally, "for the organizations that don't have private owners to tap [to fill the show-bill], this will impart a very negative impact on not only the show itself but the community that has come to expect the economics benefits of having the show in town," the source said.

Chris Trobridge, a member of the Commemorative Air Force with strong ties to the airshow community, agrees. "Unfortunately…this will hurt airshow attendance and sponsorship. The draw of the demo teams was always very high and, without them, I do not know how many people in the general public will want to attend shows of [only] warbirds and aerobatics performances."

As goes the money, so go the airplanes. Without big, military-issue afterburners, sponsors will be less likely to buy into the show. Consequently, many shows will be sent scrambling to shore up enough support to drop a civilian act into the anchor slot. But private acts do not come cheap, with the crowd-drawing jet acts often running at several thousand dollars per hour.

Someone to Look Up To

It is not just the airshow circuit that will lose out as a result of the cuts, though. Indeed, the Air Force itself stands to come out on the losing end of the deal. With less presence in the public eye, the branch will lose a substantial channel by which to connect to the nation it serves.

Considered a powerful tool for recruitment, "[the single ship demo teams] make you feel directly connected to those who are fighting tooth and nail for our interests abroad. They create a fire in your gut, a powerful sense of exhilaration and patriotic defiance," says defense blogger Ty Rogoway, owner of AviationIntel.com. "They are much more real, down to earth, and approachable than their flawless Thunderbird counterparts," he said.

"Unfortunately, the result will be the USAF experiencing a reduction in new recruits," the anonymous airshow organizer said.

But while disappointed, the organizer was undeterred. "I can work with this sacrifice—if it is just for one year. Our show will go on." the source said.

Source

Please note: This post will be further updated soon. At the moment, please also check related info and discussion on:
Aerial Events on Facebook
Air Combat Command on Facebook
Thread on Airshowbuzz.com - the leading airshow website in the United States.

Gibson promoted to Chief

2011-12-04T00:51:00.002+01:00

Released by 442nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs

12/3/2011 - Chief Master Sgt. Darold Fish (left) and Chief Master Sgt. Russell Robinson (right) tack on chief's rank to newly promoted Chief Master Sgt. Kenneth Gibson during a promotion ceremony, Dec. 1, 2011. Gibson is a weapons loader with the 442nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadorn. The 442nd MXG is part of the 442nd Fighter Wing, an A-10 Thunderbolt II Air Force Reserve unit at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Danielle Wolf)

Source

An A-10C Inspection at Kandahar Airfield

2011-12-03T22:38:00.010+01:00

Released by 451st Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- Senior Airman Steve Roeper, 107th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron weapons load crew two man, performs a rack inspection and cleaning on an A-10 Thunderbolt at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, Dec. 2, 2011. The A-10 can employ a wide variety of conventional muntions, including general purpose bombs, cluster bomb units, laser guided bombs and others. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Corey Hook) Hi-res

Note: Visible in the revetment far right in the background is an A-10C from the 107th Fighter Squadron, 127th Wing (Michigan Air National Guard), Selfridge.

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- (Right) Senior Airman Ken Choate and Tech. Sergeant James Foster, 107th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron weapons load crew members, unload a Guided Bomb Unit, GBU-38 from an A-10 Thunderbolt at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, Dec. 2, 2011. The load crew is unloading weapons on an A-10 to conduct a rack inspection and cleaning. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Corey Hook) Hi-res

Note: Pictured is an A-10C from the 47th Fighter Squadron, 917th Fighter Group (AFRC), Barksdale AFB, Louisiana).

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- (Left) Senior Airman Ken Choate and Tech. Sergeant James Foster, 107th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron weapons load crew members, load a Guided Bomb Unit, GBU-38 on an A-10 Thunderbolt at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, Dec. 2, 2011. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Corey Hook) Hi-res

Note: An external fuel tank is stored at the revetment's wall.

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan --Tech. Sergeant James Foster, 107th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron weapons load crew chief, helps unload the flare dispenser from an A-10 Thunderbolt at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, Dec. 2, 2011. Crew chiefs maintain and repair aircraft and aircraft equipment, inspect and perform various functional checks and ensure aircraft are in optimal condition after flight. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Corey Hook) Hi-res

Note: Rear view of an SUU-25 Flare Dispenser

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- Senior Airman Steve Roeper, 107th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron weapons load crew two man, inspects the rocket pod attached to an A-10 Thunderbolt at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, Dec. 2, 2011. The A-10 can employ a wide variety of conventional muntions, including general purpose bombs, cluster bomb units, laser guided bombs and others. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Corey Hook) Hi-res

Note: Rear view of a LAU-131 Rocket Pod

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- Tech. Sergeant James Foster, 107th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron weapons load crew chief, documents a rack inspection performed on an A-10 Thunderbolt at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, Dec. 2, 2011. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Corey Hook) Hi-res

Note:
These are the very first official USAF photos of the "Total Force" A-10C team, currently combat-deployed to the 451st Air Expeditionary Wing at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). It consists of 18 A-10Cs from different units. According to the original photo captions, at least currently this team is designated as 107th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron. That suggests the 127th Wing (Michigan Air National Guard) with their 107th Fighter Squadron is the leading unit on this deployment's first leg.

Italian air force reps observe Moody capabilities

2011-12-03T22:16:00.004+01:00

Italian air force Capitano (Capt.) Maurizio De Guida, 74th Fighter Squadron A-10C Thunderbolt II exchange pilot, left, shows an A-10 to Colonnello (Col.) Flavio Danielis, air attaché to the Italian embassy in D.C., Tenente Colonnello (Lt. Col.) Michele Ciuffreda and Colonnello (Col.) Giorgio Foltran, Comando delle Forze da Combattimento chief of training at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., Dec. 1, 2011. De Guida explained the capabilities of the A-10, the training required to operate it and the benefits of the exchange pilot program. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Stephanie Mancha) Hi-res

by Senior Airman Brigitte N. Brantley
23rd Wing Public Affairs

12/2/2011 - MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- An Italian air force delegation visited Dec. 1 to observe how Capitano (Capt.) Maurizio De Guida is integrating into the 74th Fighter Squadron as an A-10C Thunderbolt II exchange pilot.

De Guida falls under the authority of the Comando delle Forze da Combattimento (CFC), also known as the Italian Attack Forces Headquarters.

"Being an exchange pilot and moving to another country is not easy, especially when you have a family," said Colonnello (Col.) Flavio Danielis, air attaché to the Italian embassy in D.C. "He has become one of them. That is the spirit of the exchange program, and I am proud for him."

Danielis was accompanied by Colonnello (Col.) Giorgio Foltran, CFC chief of training, and Tenente Colonnello (Lt. Col.) Michele Ciuffreda, who works at the Italian equivalent of the Pentagon. It was the first visit to Moody for all three.

"We're visiting to thank De Guida for his operations here," he added. "Moody is a great base and he's very lucky."

He added the relationship between the countries is important because, "most problems can usually be solved if you know each other."

De Guida, who arrived for his three-year tour in 2009, agreed it is good for leadership to get out and see what's going on.

"My leadership has always paid a lot of attention to this program," he said. "The fact they are here highlights this and is proof of how important the relationship between Italy and the U.S. is."

After meeting the 23rd Wing and 74th FS commanders, the delegates were given an up-close look at an A-10C before observing its capabilities over Grand Bay Bombing and Gunnery Range.

"The different training De Guida applies here is more realistic than what we do," said Danielis, who also completed pilot training in the U.S. as a junior officer. "Italy has different limitations on carrying armament over land."

Part of the reason for this is the greater availability of space for training in the U.S. compared to Italy.

Both countries have been a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization since its creation in 1949.

There are currently two other Italian exchange pilots- one at Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., and the other at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark.

"I've met guys at the squadron here who I knew in initial pilot training and Afghanistan," De Guida added. "The program is a great idea because it helps our relationship grow more and we learn a lot from each other."

That shared knowledge was put to use when he deployed with the squadron for about six months earlier this year. Recent news articles put the number of Italian troops in Afghanistan between 3,5000 and 4,000.

Italian air force Colonnello (Col.) Giorgio Foltran, Comando delle Forze da Combattimento chief of training, sits in the cockpit of an A-10C Thunderbolt II during a visit at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., Dec. 1, 2011. Capitano (Capt.) Maurizio De Guida, 74th Fighter Squadron A-10 exchange pilot, gave the tour and answered questions about the aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Stephanie Mancha) Hi-res

Note: Pictured is A-10C 80-0277.

Italian air force Colonnello (Col.) Flavio Danielis, air attaché to the Italian embassy in D.C. and Tenente Colonnello (Lt. Col.) Michele Ciuffreda, watch strafing capabilities of an A-10C Thunderbolt II over Grand Bay Bombing and Gunnery Range at Moody Air Force, Ga., Dec. 1, 2011. This was their first time visiting Moody and they got to see the A-10 capabilities up close. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Stephanie Mancha) Hi-res

Source

Video: Death of a Warthog

2011-12-02T20:09:00.003+01:00

By Joachim Jacob, Warthog News Editor

Ouch - Oh dear! WARNING: Watching this video should be horrible for every "Hog" professional and enthusiasts like me. Nevertheless special thanks to Warthog News contributor James O'Rear from the United States for linking this very sad clip on Facebook, uploaded on YouTube on December 1, 2011. Anybody who can identify this scrapped "Hog" by serial number?

104th Fighter Squadron A-10Cs caught at Nellis

2011-12-02T17:41:00.008+01:00

By Joachim Jacob, Warthog News Editor

At Nellis AFB, Nevada, Warthog news contributor Bruce Smith from the United States had the opportunity to take the following shots of A-10Cs from the 104th Fighter Squadron, 175th Wing (Maryland Air National Guard).

A-10C 78-0719 on November 29, 2011. AN/AAQ-28 LITENING AT targeting pod on station 10, MXU-648 baggage pods on stations 3 and 9. (Photo by Bruce Smith) Full size

79-0082 on November 28, 2011. AN/AAQ-28 LITENING AT targeting pod on station 10, MXU-648 baggage pods on stations 3 and 9. (Photo by Bruce Smith) Full size

As Bruce told me via e-mail, A-10Cs 78-0640 and 78-0704 from the 104th Fighter Squadron are also currently at Nellis. He wrote: Not sure what they are doing here. They may be here to participate in the ME phase of Weapons School, or not. They flew twice a day Monday and Tuesday by themselves as GUN, did not see them on Wednesday during the ME day mission, but other things like local "Hogs", "Buffs" and "Bones" did not fly either.

Bruce, many thanks for sharing these rare shots! And good hunting for taking some more!

Please note: Currently, there's no related official info on 175th Wing's and Team Nellis's public websites.

23rd MXG wins ACC maintenance trophy

2011-12-02T17:30:00.002+01:00

by Airman 1st Class Nicholas Benroth
23rd Wing Public Affairs

12/1/2011 - MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Every year only one maintenance group within Air Combat Command is chosen to receive "the crown jewel of maintenance awards."

The Clements McMullen Memorial Daedalian Weapons System Maintenance Trophy recognizes the unit that has best met the objective of providing safe, serviceable, and available equipment for sustained use in peace and war.

Moody was chosen as the best base throughout ACC and will be moving on to the next level.

All commanders within the 23rd MXG believe in their folks and in what they do.

"We think our folks absolutely deserve this award, we worked extremely hard to get where we are today," they said. "The Flying Tiger maintainers definitely bring the teeth to the fight."

"The men and women of the 23rd Maintenance Group sustain personnel recovery and precision attack airpower capability anywhere in the world," said U.S. Air Force Maj. Aaron Buck, 23rd Maintenance Operations Squadron commander. "Whether it's humanitarian relief or putting bombs on target, we are there."

Throughout the year 2011, the Flying Tiger maintainers provided 365 days of combat airpower in four separate areas of responsibility.

The group also deployed a total of 45 aircraft and 1,372 personnel. This generated 28,500 flights and 71,200 flight hours. This flight production accounted for over 1,500 lives saved and 167 enemies killed in action.

Since being chosen for the ACC award, the maintenance group will be going against all other major command winners to prove they are the best in the Air Force.

Source

Airmen complete munition-load qualification

2011-12-01T21:35:00.003+01:00

Released by 52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs

12/1/2011 - SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany – Airmen assigned to the 52nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron take part in a mission briefing before starting a munitions-loading evaluation here Nov. 29. The evaluation ensures load-crew members and team chiefs retain their qualification to load all munitions and are ready for mission taskings. Crew members complete an evaluation every month and are required to be evaluated annually while wearing chemical-warfare gear. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Dillon Davis) Hi-res

12/1/2011 - SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany – Airmen assigned to the 52nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron slide a LAU-117 launcher onto an AGM-65 missile before loading the complete assembly on an A-10 Thuderbolt II during a munitions-loading evaluation here Nov. 29. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Dillon Davis) Hi-res

Source

A year of change: more coming

2011-11-30T21:43:00.008+01:00

By Col. Michael Thomas
127th Wing Commander
(Published in the December 2011 public online PDF issue's Commander's Call section of "Prevailing Wind" - the official newspaper of the 127th Wing)

Larger picture

Wow 2011, what a dynamic year! We all experienced significant change in 2011. We also experienced tremendous success. Bringing pride to our Selfridge community and the State of Michigan.

First the change: The year stated with Col. Augustine announcing his move to the 122nd Fighter Wing in Indiana. In March, Brig. Gen. Peplinski announced his pending retirement scheduled for June. Command Chief Edwards also retired in March. These announcements initiated massive change that we experienced at all levels of this wing.

Here are just a few of the leadership changes throughout the 127th Wing: Col. Thomas to Wing Commander, Lt. Col. Sheridan to Vice Wing Commander, Chief Master Sgt. Dobson to Wing Command Chief. Lt. Col. Brooks to Air Refueling Group Commander, Lt. Col. Krasovic to 171st ARS Squadron Commander, Lt. Col. Spehar to 127th MXS Commander, Lt. Col. Holmes to Force Support Squadron Commander, Major Dominissini to 191st Director of Maintenance, Major Hitchcock to 191st AMX Commander. This was some serious change and folks are still feeling the affects of all this change.

With all this change also came tremendous success. The Operations and Maintenance Groups came out of conversion from the F-16 to the A-10. Following a very successful Red Flag exercise in March, the unit reported their Initial Operational Capability in June. No rest for the weary! The Air Force needed our A-10 aviation package in CENTCOM six months earlier then initially scheduled. With only two months to prepare, the OG and MXG spun up for war and the wing successfully deployed ap-proximately 300 personnel trained and equipped ready to answer the call in late September. This was by far the most successful, mini-mum time, deployment I've seen to date. Thanks to all the OG, MXG and MSG folks that worked so hard to make this deployment such a success. As I write this article, let's all keep these wing members in our thoughts and prayers until their safe return early next year.

All of our wing personnel have contributed significantly to the war fight in numerous ways. Let's all thank our Civil Engineering folks for their successful, six-month deployment to Afghanistan; our Services personnel for their deployment to Kuwait; Special Operations Weather Team to unknown locations around the globe and all the Air Refueling Group folks that deployed to both CENTCOM and PACOM. The Air Refueling Group is also currently involved in a rolling mobilization to CENTCOM where we'll be deploying aircraft and airmen for 60-day rotations far into the future.

Other deployments included Logistics Readiness Squadron to Alaska, Air Refueling Group to Germany, Africa and the Pacific Rim. We stand ready to answer the nation's call. This was evident during the Libya contingency when the Air Refueling Group deployed an airplane and personnel in less than 48 hours -- with some of our maintenance folks only receiving a four-hour heads up call. Pack a bag, kiss the kids and spouse goodbye, leave a message for the civilian boss and report to the base for deployment.

You all answered the call so others could prevail. What you do each and every day is important to our state and nation. Your skills and expertise are saving lives all around the world. Keep up the great work!

Now we're looking forward to 2012. What will be in our future? Whatever comes our way, I know that you're all prepared to meet the challenge ahead. Don't be afraid of change. As I've said in the past, change leads to opportunity and opportunity leads to success. We have what it takes to be the best Wing in the U.S. Air Force and your actions and commitment prove that each and every day.

Thank you for your service. Thank you and your family for all your sacrifice. I wish you all a safe and happy holiday season and look forward to getting it done again in 2012.

Source

Official USAF biography of Colonel Michael T. Thomas

Airmen perform maintenance to keep A-10's flying

2011-11-29T21:32:00.002+01:00

Senior Airman Jeremy Fly, 442nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron weapons loader, updates aircraft forms after a gun is loaded onto an A-10 Thunderbolt II here Nov. 4. These forms are updated every three to four days. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Nick Wilson)

Hi-res

Note: Pictured is A-10C 79-0117.

by Senior Airman Nick Wilson
509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs

11/28/2011 - WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. -- As the Air Force's A-10 Thunderbolt II's climb high into the sun to fly, fight and win, Airmen from the 442nd Maintenance Squadron are on the job day and night to maintain their engines. They keep the warthogs in the skies so they can continue to provide close air support to Airmen and other servicemembers fighting on the ground down range.

One of the A-10 Thunderbolt II engines these Airmen have been maintaining recently accumulated more than 3,000 flight hours.

"That's a pretty significant accomplishment," said Chief Master Sgt. Mike Pignotti, 442nd MXS propulsion supervisor. "You won't see any other fighter aircraft in our Air Force inventory that can keep an engine on as long as an A-10 Thunderbolt II can."

According to Airmen who maintain these engines, one process that helps accomplish such a feat is the phase inspection that each A-10 Thunderbolt II is required to undergo every 500 flight hours.

"A lot of mishaps can be prevented by performing these inspections," said Master Sgt. Kellie Askew 442nd MXS phase dock flight chief.

To ensure mishaps with the airplane are prevented, technicians specializing in fuels, avionics, hydraulics, sheet metal, egress, armament and propulsion play a part in the phase process when it comes to repairing discrepancies once they are found.

"When the airplane goes into phase, that is everyone's chance to see what's going on with the airplane and to introduce reliability into it," Pignotti said. "The more you can fix during that phase period, the more problems you can prevent down the road."

"It is very important that we perform these inspections so we know that these airplanes and motors will not fail. We take these inspections very seriously," said Staff Sgt. Boyd Kempher, 442nd MXS aerospace propulsion craftsman.

Maintenance veterans who have operated in the game for more than 25 years, like Pignotti, are living proof of the experience, knowledge and expertise that assists younger Airmen in accomplishing feats such as maintaining an engine that has compiled more than 3,000 flight hours.

"Working on machinery that's more than 30 years old isn't easy," explained Pignotti. "When you've worked on something for 25 or 30 years, and then you hear the problem coming in on the radio from the pilot, you already have an idea of what it is and how to fix it."

Technicians working on the aircraft are responsible for paying attention to every detail when inspecting and troubleshooting various components. To ensure steps aren't missed, Airmen follow sets of procedures in work decks, job guides and troubleshooting guides to get the job done right.

"It's basically a checklist that tells you what you'll need to look for," said Pignotti. "When something needs to be fixed, it'll tell you what panel to open up and what components to inspect."

In spite of having these troubleshooting manuals available as a reference, Pignotti explains that there are times when even the troubleshooting manuals won't solve certain problems.

"Some guides are better than others," said Pignotti. "Some are more generalized to where the effectiveness of that troubleshooting procedure is going to merely be based on the experience of the technician that's trying to figure out what's wrong. That's where the experience comes in that makes up for the lack of what the troubleshooting book tells you. When that happens, we look at the problem to brainstorm what the problem is and identify a pathway to isolate what's going on."

As the A-10 Thunderbolt II ages, Airmen from the 442nd MXS are working with trained and skillful eyes to keep them flying while adapting to overcome to new difficulties and setbacks that will continuously arise through the years.

"We learn something new every day," said Pignotti. "We see something on these airplanes almost on a weekly basis that we've never seen before. I've worked on them since 1984. That's just a product of the airplanes just getting old; things happen."

Source

Success in 2011: Thanks to all of you

2011-11-29T21:09:00.003+01:00

Released by 442nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs

Col. Eric Overturf (left) his daughters and his wife, Karla (second from left.) Overturf is the commander of the 442nd Fighter Wing, an A-10 Thunderbolt II Air Force Reserve unit at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo. (U.S. Air Force/courtesy photo)

Note: They are posing in front of A-10C 122. A hi-res picture is currently not available.

by Col. Eric S. Overturf
442nd Fighter Wing commander

11/28/2011 - WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. -- Congratulations on wrapping up an incredibly successful year of unprecedented mission accomplishment for the 442nd Fighter Wing.

We started 2011 with an ambitious set of goals to pursue along with our mission to Train and Deploy Ready Reservists, and we achieved all of them while providing outstanding Reserve Airmen to support combatant commander tasking around the world.

We supported AEF deployments with more than 100 reservists including a full mobilization of the 442nd Civil Engineers Squadron for service in Afghanistan.

We won the ORI, and we successfully integrated geographically separated units at Barksdale, Moody and Davis-Monthan Air Force Bases into our wing procedures and
programs.

We are off to a great start preparing for our process inspections next year under the leadership of Maj. Cathy Roberts and the combined unit inspection steering group, and we continued to develop and care for Airmen and their families through education, training, promotions, career enhancement and family oriented events like our wing family day and the Yellow Ribbon program.

We faced many challenges this year, and we still have plenty of things to work on next year, but there is no doubt that 2011 was a tremendous success for the 442nd Fighter Wing thanks to YOU.

Our focus for the remainder of 2011 will be on safely and successfully deploying more than 300 of our operations and maintenance personnel to provide combat air power in Operation Enduring Freedom. Some of our 442nd Airmen will be among the thousands of American servicemen and women who will spend Christmas overseas this year, so please keep them and their families in your thoughts and prayers.

We are putting together a team of key spouses (including my wife Karla) who call the families of deployed Airmen to see how they are doing and provide advice on resources that are available to help them. Our key spouse team is looking for friendly, outgoing volunteers to join them, so if you're interested, please call Master Sgt. Nicole Willeford (660) 687-6415. To find out more about the key spouse program, you may attend the training session Dec. 4.

Next year we are beginning a new era for the Mohawk by moving to an online version posted on the 442nd Fighter Wing website. I have to admit I'm going to miss the printed magazine, but the online Mohawk will allow us to provide more up-to-date information and save more than $4,500 every month in printing and shipping costs. You'll still get the same great stories, pictures and unit information, and you can even print a hard copy if you're one of the old timers like me who likes the printed version better than a computer screen.

For those of us who are fortunate enough to be home over the holidays, I encourage you to take some well-earned time off to slow down, relax, and enjoy the spirit of the season with your families and friends. Whether you are lighting candles, opening packages or singing carols, the common themes of peace, hope and joy are shared around the world as we celebrate our past while looking forward to a bright future.

For me, this is also a time to think about what I want to do next year, and how I need to rebalance my priorities and actions to get there. A plan that includes personal and professional development on the job, strong family connections, leisure activities, and regular exercise is a proven recipe for a healthy, happy lifestyle. I hope the Air Force Reserve is a part of that plan for you. Please include the 442nd Fighter Wing in your thoughts and let us know what we can do to help you achieve your goals.

Thanks for all the amazing things you did in 2011, and here's to even greater things in 2012!

Source

Some more 25th Fighter Squadron A-10C shots of 2011 Air Power Day at Osan

2011-11-28T21:27:00.011+01:00

The following additional photos of A-10Cs from the 25th Fighter Squadron, 51st Fighter Wing (PACAF), Osan AB, Republic of Korea (Tailcode OS), has been published on the well-recommended airliners.net:

What a great shot, taken on October 30, 2011! From front: A-10Cs 80-0283, ...183, 78-0685 and ...615 (possible 78-0615), all from the 25th Fighter Squadron. (Photo by Yunjin Lee - Korea Aero Photos)

October 30, 2011: A-10C 80-0283 from the 25th Fighter Squadron. (Photo by Chang Kyu Kim - Korea Aero Photos)

October 30, 2011: A-10C 78-0685 from the 25th Fighter Squadron drops flares. (Photo by Yunjin Lee - Korea Aero Photos)

184th Fighter Squadron A-10C inventory update

2011-11-25T04:25:00.003+01:00

By Joachim Jacob, Warthog News Editor

So far, by photos I've identified the following 18 "Hogs" assigned now to the 184th Fighter Squadron, 188th Fighter Wing (Arkansas ANG), Fort Smith, Arkansas (Tailcode FS):

A-10C 78-0583 (ex 131st FS, 104th FW (Massachusetts ANG)
A-10C 78-0613 (ex 118th FS, 103rd FW, Connecticut ANG)
A-10C 78-0614 (A10-0234) to AMARC as AC0207 8 Mar 2000; returned to service 8 Jun 2000)
A-10C 78-0621 (ex 118th FS, 103rd FW, Connecticut ANG) ("Boomer" ladder door art)
A-10C 78-0626 (ex 131st FS, 104th FW, Massachusetts ANG)
A-10C 78-0630 (A10-0250) to AMARC as AC0462 27 Jul 2005; returned to service
A-10C 78-0638 (ex 118th FS, 103rd FW, Connecticut ANG)
A-10C 78-0639 (ex 118th FS, 103rd FW, Connecticut ANG)
A-10C 78-0642 (ex 131st FS, 104th FW, Massachusetts ANG)
A-10C 78-0646 (ex 118th FS, 103rd FW, Connecticut ANG)
A-10C 78-0647 (A10-0267) to AMARC as AC0453 25 Mar 2005; returned to service; 184th FS, 188th FW (FS)
A-10C 78-0649 (ex 131st FS, 104th FW, Massachusetts ANG)
A-10C 78-0659 (78-0659 (A10-0279) to AMARC as AC0446 25 Jan 2005
A-10C 78-0696 (ex 131st FS, 104th FW, Massachusetts ANG)
A-10C 79-0129 (A10-0393) to AMARC as AC0324 22 Oct 2002; returned to service; 184th FS, 188th FW (FS)
A-10C 79-0216 (79-0216 (A10-0480) 184th FS, 188th FW (FS)
A-10C 80-0166 (A10-0516) 76th TFS, 23rd TFW (EL); Desert Storm; 184th FS, 188th FW (FS)
A-10C 80-0188 (marked as 188th Fighter Wing boss bird)

Please note: I would be very grateful for any additional info or corrections. Some of this info is re-posted from my Warthog Aircraft Database

355th Training Squadron change of command

2011-11-24T20:47:00.005+01:00

Released by 355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

U.S. Air Force Col. Samuel Milam, 355th Operations Group commander, passes the guidon to U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Kevin Eilers as he assumes command of the 355th Training Squadron on Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. Nov. 23, 2011. Before assuming command, Colonel Eilers was the 75th Fighter Squadron chief wing inspections, director of operations at Moody AFB, Ga. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Timothy D. Moore) Hi-res

Please note: If I'm right, pictured in this stand-alone news photo (titled "355th TRS CoC") is the 355th Operations Group guidon, and not a 355th TRS guidon. Question: Has been really established a 355th Training Squadron at D-M, alongside the well-known 354th, 357th and 358th Fighter Squadrons? Did I miss anything of their current wing structure?

A final tribute to fallen Airmen

2011-11-24T20:13:00.005+01:00

Released by 23rd Wing Public Affairs

11/23/2011 - U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Austin Stradala, forefront, Staff Sgt. Jason Maple, left, and Tech. Sgt. Dan Reed, 23rd Emergency Maintenance Squadron, share a few words about three Airmen who recently passed away during a memorial service at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., Nov. 22, 2011. The three Airmen were A-10C Thunderbolt II inspection section journeymen with the 23rd EMS. Family, friends and coworkers showed their respect for three young Airmen who recently lost their lives after a single-vehicle automobile accident. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Stephanie Mancha) Hi-res

Source (including 4 more pictures)

See also:
MOODY AFB News Release - MXG Airman deceased after car vehicle accident
MOODY AFB News Release- One MXG Airman dead after vehicle accident
Moody AFB News Release: 2 MXG Airmen die in vehicle accident

Condolences from the entire Warthog News community!

PRESS RELEASE: Rumors addressed with Fort Smith's 188th Fighter Wing; A-10 units among discussion of Department of Defense budget cuts

2011-11-24T03:36:00.001+01:00

by Maj. Chris Heathscott
Arkansas National Guard State Public Affairs Officer

11/23/2011 - FORT SMITH, Ark. -- The adjutant general of the Arkansas National Guard met with members of the 188th Fighter Wing Nov. 22 to address concerns relating to pending budget cuts within the Department of Defense. With DoD facing its greatest cuts since World War II, the future of the 188th - one of five A-10 units in the Air National Guard - has been the subject of multiple conversations.

"We wanted to clarify some rumors that are floating around," said Maj. Gen. William D. Wofford, the adjutant general. "The reality is, after visiting with the director for the Air National Guard, the 188th could potentially be under consideration. What we've been told is that anything and everything is on the table. At this point we don't know what the cuts are going to be in the DoD budget."

The Department of Defense is already facing proposed budget cuts of $450 billion, but with the Super Committee's deadline met without decision those cuts will potentially double. Wofford said there have been no official talks of changes to the force structure in Arkansas at this point, but added "We don't want to take anything for granted."

"We've got to show that the Fort Smith unit is the most cost effective A-10 unit in the Air Force," said Wofford. "We think we've got a good argument. With Fort Chaffee right next door, they can be on the range in just a matter of minutes. From a flying hour perspective, we've got a good argument for taxpayers."

The unit's location is not only a benefit in terms of taxpayer dollars, but also a tremendous strategic benefit in being centrally located in the nation. Following the aerial attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the unit was immediately called to deploy its force of F-16s at the time to protect America's skies from border to border.

Those fast and furious fighters transitioned out of Fort Smith in 2007 as a result of the Base Realignment and Closure Committee recommendations of 2005. The resulting spark of community and congressional support helped the 188th earn its current mission aircraft, the A-10 Thunderbolt II. Wofford assured the unit's force of 350 full-time Airmen that that same support would no doubt be there for the 188th as needed in the future. The 188th has a total of more than 1,000 unit members.

"As part of the Arkansas Air Guard's strategic plan, we've got to be looking beyond right now. What do we need 10 years from now, 20 years from now, so we can stay relevant," said Wofford. "From a long-range planning perspective, we want to keep the A-10. That's our number one priority, but we would like at some point in the future to transition to the F-35."

Wofford said the location of the base would make it an ideal candidate strategically for the F-35, as it was for the F-16. And while the F-35 is not currently an available mission for the unit, it is a possible option for the future of this unit, which has already proven its readiness to respond and commitment to serve.

"Nobody knows what's going to happen yet but whatever happens is not going to occur until after the unit's upcoming deployment," said Wofford.

The unit is slated for an Air Expeditionary Forces rotation to Afghanistan in 2012, after having already logged 2,870 combat flight hours there in 2010.

Stressing that there has been nothing official handed down reference the 188th, General Wofford said he wanted to help ease rumors in the unit while preparing the troops for that potential fight in the future.

"I wanted the people to know we were going to be up front with them," Wofford said of his meeting with the troops Nov. 22. "We've heard the same rumors they have. We've got the same concerns they do. The earliest we would probably know would be February, when the president's budget comes out. We can't wait till February to tell our story and make the case. We've got to work now."

Source

The Flying Razorback spotlight for December 2011

2011-11-24T03:24:00.004+01:00

Released by 188th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

Staff Sgt. Richard Danford was recognized as The Flying Razorback spotlight for December 2011. Danford is a member of the 188th Maintenance Group. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Hannah Landeros/188th Fighter Wing Public Affairs) Hi-res

Note: Staff Sgt. Danford is posing in front of A-10C 79-0216 from the 184th Fighter Squadron.

Source

The "Warthog" is featured in James Grady's newest novella

2011-11-23T21:21:00.005+01:00

By Joachim Jacob, Warthog News Editor

The "Warthog" and one of their (but fictional) Desert Storm A-10 pilots are featured in James Grady's newest novella "This Given Sky", published as an e-book yesterday.

James Grady is the award-winning, bestselling author of Six Days of the Condor, which became the Robert Redford movie THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR, and more than a dozen critically acclaimed thrillers.

In early October 2011, James asked me via e-mail to get a digital "in-flight" A-10 Desert Storm photo free of charge and copyrights. He told me: One of my heroes flew an A-10 Warthog in the Persian Gulf War, and though that section of the small novella is brief, I interviewed a couple pilots and I think it would be cool to include a digital photo of a Warthog in the text of the novella so readers can see that amazing plane. I've been surprised by how difficult it is to go through DOD channels to get such a photo (and the costs, as well as time), so I'm going out to experts and fans of the Warthog like you, hoping to get a "close up" digital photo of an A-10 in flight and permission to use it in my novella.

James was very happy with the following official USAF A-10 Desert Storm shot:

Yesterday, James provided me the following essay, exclusively written for Warthog News:

Ugly Is Beautiful
Writing Fiction About The A-10 Warthog
by James Grady

Verisimilitude is the watchword of my fiction.
Make it 'feel real' even though fiction is un-real.
This watchword to get it right led me to the A-10 Warthog, to good and brave men who've flown that incredible aircraft, and to this great Warthog News website and Joachim Jacob.
What a lucky journey it's been.

When I was first seized by the inspiration of THIS GIVEN SKY, a noir novella set in my small Montana hometown of Shelby, when I realized one of my two male heroes fell in love with flying as a teenager and then served in the Air Force during the Gulf War, I knew I had to "get it right." Of course, fiction is also about getting a poetic essence that goes beyond – and thus sometimes must fudge – "just the facts" to create something "true." Good fiction is as magic as a great kiss.

As I researched our pilots of the Gulf War, I stumbled on an aircraft called "the Warthog," a remarkable work of avionic engineering and a lethal battle machine. The poetry of something called "ugly" being so beautiful for its function kissed my imagination: I knew my hero Jake had to have been a Warthog pilot.

And I had to make my fiction feel real.
I'd already been lucky in imaging Jake's early flying days.
My cousin, friend, and CEO of Alpine Air Express (and former boxing champion) Gene Mallette took me for a ride in his World War II Mustang P-51 two seat trainer airplane, a wondrous, heart-pounding surreal experience that left me, who makes his living from words, able to say only "Wow!" So when I put Jake in the backseat of a P-51, I had that sky-time experience to draw on.
But I'd never even seen a real Warthog.
Yet I felt creatively honor bound to "get it right."
How lucky I am to be writing in this Internet age!
Beyond the resources of this great website, like the activists of Arab Spring, I went on line, used Facebook, posted a "status update" announcing that I needed to talk to an A-10 pilot who'd served in the Gulf War.
Within days, one such pilot had talked to me a little, linked me to others, especially to a savvy and articulate man I'll call "Zack."
Why "Zack" and not his real name? Because like the investigative reporter I've been, I wanted to give my source the "on background" freedom to open up, to share with me – and to be free of being compared to my hero Jake. That was the commitment I made, that's the commitment I honor.
My veteran pilot Zack – now flying commercially – took the time out of his busy life to share his A-10 experiences. To talk with me over the phone about what it felt like to fly that plane, the jokes he and his fellow combat pilots exchanged, the life he lived in that war, the pain of his divorce, his fears, his dreams, his perspective.
Zack gave me so much detail that I had to compress it to make that section of my novella fit into the story, so yes: there are poetic license errors in my descriptions, yes some elements of flying the A-10 in combat are not like I portrayed them.
But I did my best to get "true" and "right" the essence and heart of my story, to honor Zack and his fellow pilots, to celebrate a plane that's so ugly it's beautiful.

James Grady's first novel became the Robert Redford movie THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR. Grady's published more than a dozen other novels and as many short stories. His literary awards include France's Grand Prix du Roman Noir, Italy's Raymond Chandler medal, Japan's Baku-Misu. His novella THIS GIVEN SKY is being published as an e-book by Open Road Media and Mysterious Press, along with three other Grady titles: his classic SIX DAYS OF THE CONDOR, it's post-9/11 re-imagining "condor.net" and a secret spy history of the Baby Boomer generation -- THE NATURE OF THE GAME.

Pit stop: Flying Razorbacks 'hot-pit' refuel Warthogs

2011-11-23T19:20:00.005+01:00

Airmen with the 188th Fighter Wing conduct "hot-pit" refueling during a Unit Training Assembly at the 188th Nov. 6. The process is required training for Airmen and is a common practice in the Unites States Central Command Area of Responsibility. The objective of the process is to increase the number of sorties by decreasing the number of thru-flight inspections required each time the engines shut down. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Hannah Landeros/188th Fighter Wing Public Affairs) Hi-res

Note: Pictured is A-10C 80-0166.

by Airman 1st Class John Hillier
188th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

11/22/2011 - FORT SMITH, Ark. -- Gassing up one's car or truck is a short, simple process that thousands of people do each day. When "hot-pit" refueling an A-10C Thunderbolt II "Warthog," however, putting fuel in the tanks becomes a much more complex exercise.

Hot-pit refueling is the process in which an aircraft's engines are not shut down during refueling. This is done so that aircraft are able to generate additional sorties without having to be taken out of service for the inspections and maintenance required upon engine shutdown, which saves valuable time, especially in a wartime scenario.

For Airmen in the 188th, the four to five minutes they spend fueling each jet requires hours of careful preparation and training, said Staff Sgt. Brian Phillips, a fuels specialist with the 188th Logistics Readiness Squadron. In addition to the laboratory testing and storage maintenance required for a typical refuel, Airmen must inspect their fuel trucks from top to bottom for any malfunctioning component, Phillips said.

There are more than 100 items on their inspection checklists, each of which must be in working order before that truck can be used for a hot-pit refuel, he said. Even something as small as a turn signal can cause a fuel truck to fail the inspection, Phillips said.

The most important item on the inspection list is to pressurize the fuel hoses and check them for leaks, Phillips said. There is hot exhaust coming from both the truck and the aircraft, and either one could ignite fuel vapors from a leaking hose, he said.

Philips said that at the refueling pit, everything is organized to minimize safety hazards, especially that of fire. Crew chiefs and ordinance specialists go over the aircraft in a staging area, before they are allowed to enter the refueling pit, said Tech Sgt. Tony Crockett, a crew chief with the 188th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. They ensure that the aircraft's weapons are disarmed, and communicate with the pilot about any issues that may have occurred in flight, Crockett said.

While hot-pit refueling is commonly accomplished to generate additional sorties in the United States Central Command Area of Responsibility, it also allows the 188th's Airmen opportunities to keep current on their required training here at home station, Crockett said.

Guardsmen must meet the same training requirements as active-duty Airmen, which can be an arduous challenge for traditional Guardsmen who only have two days per month to train, Crockett said.

In order to maintain current certifications to accomplish hot-pit refuels, crew chiefs must perform the procedure at least once every 180 days, Crockett said. If they allow the training certification to expire they must complete the entire certification process from the beginning.

Master Sgt. Haden Key said ensuring that training is up-to-date with Air Force standards is paramount as the 188th prepares for another deployment in 2012. Key is a crew chief with the 188th and is responsible for training Airmen on hot-pit refueling procedures.

Key said the quickest possible turnaround on an A-10 after the engines shut down is approximately an hour and a half. Once the engines shut down, a thru-flight inspection must be accomplished and often maintainers must wait on fuel trucks to arrive.

In a hot-pit refuel, fuel trucks are staged and awaiting the aircraft arrival. Key estimates the hot-pit refuel saves more than an hour of downtime per aircraft.

"In a combat situation we need to be able to turn these aircraft and get them back in the air as soon as possible," Key said. "If there aren't any tankers available for our pilots to refuel, this is an important process to get our jets ready to go and back to helping save lives on the ground."

The 188th completed its first combat deployment in the A-10 when it traveled to Kandahar, Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2010.

Airmen with the 188th Fighter Wing conduct "hot-pit" refueling during a Unit Training Assembly at the 188th Nov. 6. The process is required training for Airmen and is a common practice in the Unites States Central Command Area of Responsibility. The objective of the process is to increase the number of sorties by decreasing the number of thru-flight inspections required each time the engines shut down. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Hannah Landeros/188th Fighter Wing Public Affairs) Hi-res

Note: Pictured is A-10C 78-0647.

Airmen with the 188th Fighter Wing conduct "hot-pit" refueling during a Unit Training Assembly at the 188th Nov. 6. The process is required training for Airmen and is a common practice in the Unites States Central Command Area of Responsibility. The objective of the process is to increase the number of sorties by decreasing the number of thru-flight inspections required each time the engines shut down. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Hannah Landeros/188th Fighter Wing Public Affairs) Hi-res

Airmen with the 188th Fighter Wing conduct "hot-pit" refueling during a Unit Training Assembly at the 188th Nov. 6. The process is required training for Airmen and is a common practice in the Unites States Central Command Area of Responsibility. The objective of the process is to increase the number of sorties by decreasing the number of thru-flight inspections required each time the engines shut down. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Hannah Landeros/188th Fighter Wing Public Affairs) Hi-res

Airmen with the 188th Fighter Wing conduct "hot-pit" refueling during a Unit Training Assembly at the 188th Nov. 6. The process is required training for Airmen and is a common practice in the Unites States Central Command Area of Responsibility. The objective of the process is to increase the number of sorties by decreasing the number of thru-flight inspections required each time the engines shut down. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Hannah Landeros/188th Fighter Wing Public Affairs) Hi-res

Airmen with the 188th Fighter Wing conduct "hot-pit" refueling during a Unit Training Assembly at the 188th Nov. 6. The process is required training for Airmen and is a common practice in the Unites States Central Command Area of Responsibility. The objective of the process is to increase the number of sorties by decreasing the number of thru-flight inspections required each time the engines shut down. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Hannah Landeros/188th Fighter Wing Public Affairs) Hi-res

Source

Irma: Flying Tiger lady

2011-11-22T21:54:00.002+01:00

Irma Aul, an 87-year-old Pittsburg native, has had much love for the Flying Tigers ever since the days of World War II when she installed avionics on P-51 Mustang and P-40 Warhawk aircraft. Irma owns tiger earrings, tiger-stripe framed glasses and a beret with a Flying Tiger patch among other things. She attends the annual Flying Tigers Reunion nearly every year and is always eager to share her stories about Flying Tiger history. (U.S. Air Force illustration by Staff Sgt. Jamal D. Sutter) Hi-res

by Senior Airman Brigitte N. Brantley
23rd Wing Public Affairs

11/22/2011 - TAMPA, Fla. -- When the men of America were called to fight overseas during World War II, it was left up to the women to take care of things on the homefront.

Irma Aul, a Pittsburg native who is now 87, was one of 3 million women who worked at war plants. She installed avionics on aircraft including the P-51 Mustang and P-40 Warhawk.

Her work on the Warhawk and subsequent support of the American Volunteer Group have left her known as the "Tiger Lady." She attends the Flying Tigers Reunion nearly every year.

"So many people who used to come to the reunions are gone," said Irma, whose sister Maria used to accompany her before passing away earlier this year. "We love coming to them because all the people are so friendly, but it's sad to see fewer and fewer people show up each year."

As a war plant worker in Niagra, N.Y., she welded wires and installed secret radar and other electronics into planes that were directly responsible for downing enemy aircraft in multiple theaters.

Irma said she is proud to be a Flying Tiger affiliate and for her part in the war effort. Now as a Tiger Lady, she shows her enthusiastic Tiger support wherever possible.

"I cannot find another place for tigers in my house," she said as she gestured to the tiger stripe-rimmed glasses on her head. "I've got tiger earrings, piles of stuffed tigers, tiger plates, tiger jewelry, tiger clothes and Tiger1 and Tiger2 license plates. I would need an extra house to display everything I've got tucked away."

Her neighbor Pat Majeskie, who accompanied her to this year's reunion, said getting to know Irma has been an honor.

"It is unbelievable to me that history doesn't focus more on the Flying Tigers and everything they did for our country," said Majeskie. "I first met Irma because she and Maria lived next door and they were always on the go.

"Now, she is like family and it is just amazing to hear the stories she has to tell. There's so much to learn from those who served in WWII."

Irma isn't the first in her family with a military connection−her father was a sheet metalist who served in World War I.

"Back then, it was just the World War because there hadn't been a second one yet," said Irma. "Our attic was full of stuff such as my dad's trench hat and helmet. We also had an uncle who got mustard gassed and came back no good. Some things, people just wouldn't talk about."

However, Irma has no problem talking to anyone who is interested about her love for tigers and her part in Flying Tiger history.

Source

See also:
Flying Tigers reunite, honor 70 years of service

Historic 16mm A-10 film for sale on Ebay

2011-11-22T01:01:00.009+01:00

By Joachim Jacob, Warthog News Editor

I got this very hot info by my latest check of the recommended Warthog Territory Forums: Old A-10 film on Ebay

From the seller's description: Here are 2 big rolls of film (about 3,000 ft) on the A-10 "Warthog" from the FAIRCHILD REPUBLIC company dating back to the very early 1970's. These are the very last films on the A-10 in my collection so don't miss out on this auction. The footage includes scenes inside the Hagerstown, MD factory where there are some production scenes along with some great roll-out scenes, but I only looked at the first 50 ft or so of both films so there could also be some flight footage.

The A-10 assembly line at Fairchild.

YA-10A 71-1369, the first of the two prototypes.

Maybe the same aircraft - or not?

That should be a close-up view of the tail number of pre-production aircraft 73-1667 (A10-0004).

Source

Please note: If anybody is buying this item, please drop me a line to share at least some digitalized sequences on Warthog News.

Marshall High School JROTC visits Barksdale

2011-11-21T23:43:00.004+01:00

Released by 307th Bomb Wing Public Affairs

11/21/2011 - Cadets from the Marshall High School Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps look on as U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Beau Traweek, 917th Maintenance Squadron jet engine mechanic, talks about the disassembly and inspection of an engine for the A-10 Thunderbolt II. The cadets visited Barksdale and were given a tour of an A-10 and the 917th Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment shop. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Greg Steele) Hi-res

Source

One more of Mike Badrocke's A-10 cutaways online now

2011-11-21T22:31:00.004+01:00

By Joachim Jacob, Warthog News Editor

One more of Mike Badrocke's very old but still remarkable A-10 cutaways is online now as part of an article Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, posted on INFORMATION2SHARE on October 8, 2011.

It looks to me like this cutaway with full descriptions has been scanned from an older issue of "Air International" magazine. Maybe the person who did this scan deleted all of the related source info (title and page numbers). Anybody who remember the original source to give full credits? Full size

Weather-Studying Warthog: A Fixed-Up A-10 Will Fly Into Thunderstorms

2011-11-19T20:22:00.004+01:00

The National Science Foundation is refurbishing a retired A-10 warplane, equipping it with scientific instruments to study severe-weather systems. This Thunderbolt will soon be flying into thunderstorms.

By Mara Grunbaum
Popular Mechanics
November 18, 2011 2:30 PM

The U.S. military's veteran A-10 Thunderbolt II is built for battle: a titanium-armored cockpit protects its pilot from explosive projectile hits, and it can carry weapons like a 30-mm nose-mounted cannon to take out enemy tanks. Now the National Science Foundation (NSF) plans to arm a retired Thunderbolt not with bombs, but with scientific instruments, and use it to study the inside of violent thunderstorms—where winds, hail, and lightning would take down lesser planes.

The NSF recently awarded a $10.9 million grant to the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif., a to refurbish a retired Thunderbolt for use as a storm-penetrating research plane, the journal Science reported this week. Stripped of weapons and outfitted with instruments and sensors, the extra-tough A-10 will let researchers study massive, energetic storms from the inside, increasing their understanding of how these damaging storms form and evolve, and helping meteorologists predict when and where they will strike.

"Conventional research aircraft avoid these severe storms, so they're basically outside looking in," meteorologist and veteran storm-chaser Joshua Wurman of the Center for Severe Weather Research in Boulder, Colo, tells PM. "We want to study the worst weather, but we're trying to keep the [plane] outside the worst weather. With the A-10, we don't have that limitation."

A couple of the Thunderbolt's targets will be supercell thunderstorms, which birth tornadoes, and mesoscale convective systems, giant storm clusters that can produce thunder and lightning, pounding hail, and damaging winds. Ground-based radar systems can track wind and precipitation in these systems fairly well from a distance. But to understand how temperature and humidity contribute to tornado formation, for example, researchers need to get at the heart of the storm.

The A-10 replaces a T-28, a small, single-propeller armored plane that flew into storms for 35 years before it was grounded in 2005. The Thunderbolt (also nicknamed Warthog, after its toughness and looks) can carry more than five times as much weight as the T-28, meaning it could bring heavier instruments such as radar and other remote-sensing equipment into the air. The A-10 has a far greater range, too, which will let it venture out to study thunderstorms over the ocean and the mechanics of hurricane formation. And where the T-28 had a maximum altitude of 23,000 feet, the Thunderbolt can reach nearly 40,000 feet: high enough to get above some storms, or to study the upper reaches of severe storms that stretch as high as 50,000 feet above sea level. "A lot of the important physics is happening throughout the depth of these storms," Wurman says, "so the higher we can go, the more comprehensive the measurements we can take."

The A-10 is rugged, but not invincible. It couldn't fly directly into a tornado, for example, and very high g-forces or hailstones much bigger than golf balls would probably put the plane and its pilot at risk. Scientists on the ground plan to use satellite communications to monitor the plane and direct it toward the most interesting parts of the storm, but ultimately, it will be up to the pilot to decide whether it's safe to proceed. "Doing frontier science does involve risks, but there are limits," said Brad Smull, a program director in NSF's Division of Atmospheric & Geospace Sciences, in a live chat hosted by Science this week.

The ready-to-be-refurbished Thunderbolt recently arrived at the Naval Postgraduate School's Center for Interdisciplinary Remotely Piloted Aircraft Studies, which operates several other aircraft for scientific research. The mechanics there will modify it for NSF's purposes. But since the A-10 is already hardened for wartime use, Smull said, the mechanics won't have to do too many structural modifications to make the plane stand up to intense storms (though they will remove the cannon and tweak the hardpoints that used to hold bombs to make room for scientific instruments). And because the A-10 originally was built for ground attacks, the plane can fly at slower speeds, which means it can spend a longer time inside storms recording quality data.

The NSF plans to have the plane ready by 2013, at which point scientists will submit proposals for how to use it. According to Sonia Lasher-Trapp, a meteorologist at Purdue University, researchers are already talking about commissioning the Thunderbolt to study electrical activity and lightning production, hail formation, and how thunderstorms over the ocean differ from those over land. Data the plane collects will also help refine computer models and algorithms for predicting storms based on radar and satellite observations.

And, surely, scientists will dream up entirely new uses for the Thunderbolt once it's available, Wurman says. "Once somebody has an airplane, scientists come up with all sorts of things that they want to measure."

Source

See also:
NSF to Turn Tank Killer Into Storm Chaser

NSF to Turn Tank Killer Into Storm Chaser

2011-11-17T22:46:00.003+01:00

Science 11 November 2011:
Vol. 334 no. 6057 p. 747
DOI: 10.1126/science.334.6057.747
News & Analysis
Atmospheric Science

NSF to Turn Tank Killer Into Storm Chaser

David Malakoff

Summary:
On the battlefields of Iraq, the U.S. military's A-10 Thunderbolt jet was a fearsome tank killer able to survive punishing hits from antiaircraft fire. Now, one retired Thunderbolt is taking on a new scientific mission that fits its nickname. The National Science Foundation (NSF) has given a $10.9 million grant to a U.S. Navy university to transform the warplane into an aircraft capable of withstanding stomach-churning winds, pounding hail, and lightning strikes as it probes the heart of heavy weather. The grant, made 23 September, caps a 6-year effort to replace a propeller-driven T-28 military trainer that was grounded in 2005 after 35 years of storm chasing.

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Live Chat: The Science of Storm Chasing

by David Malakoff on 16 November 2011, 12:13 PM

A flash of lightning, a clap of thunder. Big storms have long inspired awe, fear—and a lot of scientific interest. Now, researchers are getting an unusual new tool to probe severe weather: A retired warplane best known for destroying tanks on the battlefield. In September, the U.S. National Science Foundation announced that it will spend about $13 million to convert an A-10 Thunderbolt jet fighter into a next-generation storm penetrator. The heavily-armored aircraft will lug a suite of high-tech instruments into the hearts of storms to study everything from how hail and lightning form to mysterious bursts of high-energy gamma rays. What are some capabilities this new plane will have that its predecessor didn't? Will it help scientists learn to identify killer storms before they strike? And why, in the age of high-tech satellites and super-sharp radar, do we need to risk a pilot's life flying into a storm at all?

Join us for a live chat about the new storm penetrator and the science it will enable at 3 p.m. EST on Thursday, 17 November, on this page. You can leave your questions in the comment box below before the chat starts.

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Warplane Goes From Tank Killer to Storm Chaser

Nov 15, 2011 02:01 PM ET
OurAmazingPlanet Staff

One of the military's feared tank killers, the A-10 Thunderbolt, will soon start its new career as a storm chaser.

The retired plane is getting a $13 million scientific makeover so that it can fly though some of nature's biggest storms and withstand hail and lightning strikes, reported Science magazine (Subscription required). Also known as the Warthog, the Thunderbolt is not the prettiest plane, but it will gather data that will be beautiful in the eyes of storm-chasing scientists.

The Thunderbolt will replace a T-28 military trainer that retired in 2005 after 35 years chasing storms. That plane was limited by the number of instruments it could carry, and the retro-fitted Thunderbolt will carry more instruments. It will also fly higher and linger in storms longer. The plane's 30-millimeter cannon will be dismounted and replaced with scientific instruments. "Hard points" under the wings will carry sensors and instruments instead of bombs and missiles.

The U.S. Navy's Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif., will acquire and operate the Thunderbolt. Former A-10 pilots will command the planes into the heart of the storms.

Severe weather scientists have other ways to see inside a storm from afar — weather balloons and storm skirting aircraft — but the best data is found in the heart of the bad weather.

"You really have to go right into the storm to get the most useful data," meteorologist Terry Schuur told Science. Schuur works at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, Oklahoma.

The National Science Foundation, which is funding the conversion, expects to have the planes back in the sky by 2013.

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Question: Has been this A-10 already selected or acquired? If yes, anybody who can tell me it's serial number? By the way: I remember an older proposal, made by the U.S. Forestry Servive, to purchase two A-10s and modifying them as water bombers to fight forest fires.

First Osan sorties take off during peninsula wide exercise

2011-11-17T22:06:00.002+01:00

Released by 51st Fighter Wing Public Affairs

11/16/2011 - An A-10 Thunderbolt II, close air-support aircraft, takes off from Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea Nov. 15, 2011, during Beverly Bulldog 11-03, a peninsula-wide operational readiness exercise. The exercise allows Airmen to demonstrate their ability to complete the mission in a simulated hostile environment while executing their primarily duties. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Daylena Gonzalez) Hi-res

Note: Pictured is A-10C 81-0959 from the 25th Fighter Squadron.

KTAL Channel 6 highlights Green Flag exercise at Barksdale

2011-11-16T23:07:00.008+01:00

Released by 307th Bomb Wing Public Affairs

11/16/2011 - Paul Sweazy, KTAL Channel 6 photojournalist, interviews Lt. Cols. James Travis, 47th Fighter Squadron commander, and Patrick McKeever, 548th Combat Training Squadron/Detachment 1 commander, for a Barksdale Profile segment on the Green Flag exercise at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., Nov. 15, 2011. KTAL, an NBC affiliate, provides the newscast as part of their weekly military salute to Barksdale. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Greg Steele) Hi-res

Note: Pictured is A-10C 79-0147 from the 47th Fighter Squadron, assigned to pilot Lt. Col. James Travis, 47th FS commander.

11/16/2011 - U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Patrick McKeever, 548th Combat Training Squadron (CTS)/Detachment 1 commander, is interviewed by Paul Sweazy, KTBS Channel 6 photo journalist, during a Barksdale Profile segment, Barksdale Air Force Base, La., Nov. 15, 2011. The 548th CTS, along with its detachment at Barksdale, executes Green Flag East exercises, providing operational control, safe employment, and realistic close-air-support training for tactical aircrews and tactical air control parties at the U.S. Army Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, La. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Greg Steele) Hi-res

Note: This A-10C, probably 79-0147, is marked "47th" as 47th Fighter Squadron's boss bird. Please note that this "Hog" isn't marked as "47 FS" or "47th FS" as usual for some other current A-10 units.

11/16/2011 - A 47th Fighter Squadron A-10 Thunderbolt II taxis back to its parking spot after returning from a Green Flag sortie, Barksdale Air Force Base, La., Nov. 16, 2011. Green Flag exercises provide realistic close-air-support training for tactical aircrews and tactical air control parties at the U.S. Army Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Greg Steele) Hi-res

Paul Sweazy, KTAL Channel 6 photojournalist, records video of a 47th Fighter Squadron A-10 Thunderbolt II as it taxis to its parking after returning from a Green Flag mission, Barksdale Air Force Base, La., Nov. 15, 2011. Sweazy recorded flight line video and interviews for a weekly Barksdale Profile segment which highlights events happening on base. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Greg Steele) Hi-res

Note: Pictured is A-10C 80-0232 from the 47th Fighter Squadron.

Flying Tigers reunite, honor 70 years of service

2011-11-15T21:27:00.004+01:00

Past and present Flying Tigers gather next to an A-10C Thunderbolt II during the 2011 Flying Tigers Reunion at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., Nov. 11, 2011. During World World II, the original Flying Tigers famously painted shark teeth on P-40s, a tradition still followed and used on today's A-10s within the 23rd Fighter Group. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jamal D. Sutter) Hi-res

by Senior Airman Brigitte N. Brantley
23rd Wing Public Affairs

11/15/2011 - TAMPA, Fla. -- The 2011 Flying Tigers Reunion brought together pilots who have flown attack and rescue aircraft bearing the infamous shark's teeth for the past 70 years.

The remaining American Volunteer Group pilots, who were the original Flying Tigers, and supporters who defended China in World War II met Nov. 10 through 13 with pilots who have flown in conflicts from Vietnam to Afghanistan.

"It's an honor to meet with these generations of warriors," said U.S. Air Force Col. Ronald Stuewe, commander of the 23rd Fighter Group at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. "We stand on the shoulders of giants and it is distinctly humbling to be with them on Veterans Day. The legacy and heritage of the original Flying Tigers aren't lost on those currently serving."

The group's aircraft have evolved from the P-40 Warhawk, which lacked gun sights or bomb racks, to the current A-10C Thunderbolt II, which is the most-requested and sought-after air-to-ground support aircraft downrange.

Lt. Gen. Claire Lee Chennault, who formed and led the legendary Flying Tigers, gives a breakdown of the AVG's accomplishments in his book "The Way of a Fighter."

"The group that military experts predicted would not last three weeks in combat had fought for seven months over Burma, China, Thailand, and French Indo-China, destroying 299 Japanese planes with another 153 probably destroyed. All of this with a loss of 12 P-40s in combat and 61 on the ground."

These reunions have been going on since 1947 and give veterans the chance to share war stories with current Flying Tiger pilots.

"I've looked up to these guys since I was a little boy, so to actually meet them and hear their stories is truly, truly humbling," said Capt. Matthew Cichowski, 75th FS pilot. "As soon as I heard about this reunion, I said, 'Sign me up.'

"I've always wanted to be an A-10 pilot and my first time flying one with the shark's teeth is something I won't forget," he added. "It's something I had been waiting decades for and to be a part of the Flying Tigers now is an honor."

There were five original Flying Tiger pilots in attendance, and another handful are thought to still be alive. Also in attendance were original supporters of the Flying Tigers such as maintainers, intelligence and medical staff.

This year, there were two guest speakers. Retired Lt. Col. Dale Storr, an A-10 pilot, spoke about his experiences as a prisoner of war when he was shot down during Desert Storm.

The other was Retired Chinese air force Maj. Gen. Fred Wu-O Chiao, who trained and flew with Chennault. Like many of the other remaining Tigers, he is in his mid-90s.

"It almost made me cry to see how proud you all are," he said during his address. "There aren't a lot of us left. We don't have much time left and we hope through your efforts to make the world a better place to live."

The spirit of camaraderie runs deep between the current and veteran Flying Tigers. In June, a group of 75th FS (Attack) member led by current squadron commander Lt. Col. David Trucksa, rented an RV and traveled to Arlington National Cemetery to attend the funeral of Maj. Gen. John Alison.

A WWII ace, Alison was hand-picked to demonstrate the P-40's abilities to Chennault and Chinese officials. He was also a former 75th FS commander and the father of Air Force Special Operations- NBD.

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. David Trucksa, 75th Fighter Squadron commander, shakes hands with retired Col. Frank Epperson, World War II era 75th FS pilot, during the 2011 Flying Tigers Reunion at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., Nov. 11, 2011. The reunion was a three-day event which included briefings, static displays, guest speakers and a dinner. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jamal D. Sutter) Hi-res

A banner for the 2011 Flying Tigers Reunion hangs in the lobby area of a hotel in Tampa, Fla., Nov. 11, 2011. The history of the Flying Tigers dates back to 1941, when Lt. Gen. Claire Lee Chennault created the first American Volunteer Group. The group comprises of three squadrons which fought with China during World War II against Japanese forces. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jamal D. Sutter) Hi-res

Note: Please take a closer look on the Devil Woman nose art, later also used by Flying Tigers A-10As during Operation Desert Storm.

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Elementary school welcomes members of the 917th Fighter Group

2011-11-15T20:38:00.004+01:00

Released by 307th Bomb Wing Public Affairs

11/15/2011 - Members of the 917th Fighter Group gather for a group photo at the Phoenix Magnet Elementary School, Alexandria, La., Nov. 10, 2011. The school hosted a group of 917th Fighter Group personnel, who visited all 675 students, answering questions about themselves, their jobs and the Air Force Reserve. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Greg Steele) Hi-res

11/15/2011 - U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Mike Thornton, 917th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron production superintendent, signs a photo for a group of students at the Phoenix Magnet Elementary School in Alexandria, La., Nov. 10, 2011. The school hosted a group of 917th Fighter Group personnel, who visited all 675 students, answering questions about themselves, their jobs and the Air Force Reserve. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Greg Steele) Hi-res

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Nellis holds 2011 Aviation Nation

2011-11-14T22:46:00.001+01:00

Released by Nellis Public Affairs

A U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II, simulates its air to ground capabilities during the 2011 Aviation Nation Open House Nov. 12th, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Aviation Nation celebrates 70 years of airpower in Las Vegas and the Air Force's accomplishments in air, space and cyberspace. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Bob Sommer) Hi-res

An F-4 Phantom, A-10 Thunderbolt II, and F-86 Sabre perform the Heritage Flight during the 2011 Aviation Nation Nov. 13th, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Aviation Nation celebrates 70 years of airpower in Las Vegas and the Air Force's accomplishments in air, space and cyberspace. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Taylor Worley) Hi-res

The "Hog" caught at Nellis during Aviation Nation 2011

2011-11-14T03:55:00.006+01:00

Updated November 14, 2011

At Nellis AFB, Nevada, Warthog News contributor Bruce Smith from the United States had the opportunity to take the following shots:

November 11, 2011: Heritage flight with A-10C 80-0279 of A-10 West Demo Team from the 355th Fighter Wing, Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona. (Photo by Bruce Smith) Full size

November 11, 2011: Another related heritage flight shot. (Photo by Bruce Smith) Full size

November 11, 2011: May be this impressive shot of A-10C 80-0279 is very special and probably more interesting for the A-10 "hard core" community. (Photo by Bruce Smith) Full size

November 12, 2011: A-10C 80-0279. (Photo by Bruce Smith) Full size

November 13, 2011: A-10C 80-0238. (Photo by Bruce Smith) Full size

November 12, 2011: POW-MIA You Are Not Forgotten ladder door art of A-10C 80-0238. (Photo by Bruce Smith) Full size

VETS: John Marks still living his boyhood dream

2011-11-12T21:57:00.011+01:00

By Sarah Moore
for the Digitalburg - A Warrensburg community news service of the Muleskinner at The University of Central Missouri
Nov 11, 2011, 10:09 AM
Photos submitted by Col. Marks

Devil Woman is painted. Note the absence of the canopy. (Courtesy photo by Lt. Col. John Marks)

WARRENSBURG, Mo. -- It's rare that a 14-year-old boy, putting together model jets with a buddy, gets to grow up and fly those same jets. But that's exactly what Lt. Col. John Marks of the U.S. Air Force gets to do.

About a year before graduating from the University of Kansas, Marks went to an Air Force recruiter and said, "I want to fly airplanes!" And the recruiter told him "Yeah, yeah, you and everyone else."

Initially, Marks was turned down by the Air Force, he said, so he pursued the Navy. A couple of days after being accepted by the Navy, Marks said the Air Force recruiter called and told him a pilot position had opened. And since he really wanted to fly a fighter airplane, and the idea of being on a ship for six months at a time "wasn't as exciting" to Marks, he pursued the Air Force.

Maj. Raymond Laffoon, II, a retired Air Force navigator, said that Officer Training School, by itself, could take "a little more than three months" to finish. After that comes Undergraduate Pilot Training, which is "very rigorous" and can last a year for pilots. According to Laffoon, the whole process of becoming an Air Force pilot could take between two and two-and-a-half years to finish.

In 1987, Marks joined the Air Force and started his training. He was able to pick the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, or "Warthog," for short, as his specialty. This was the same jet that he and his buddy had put together as a model.

After completing his training, Marks was then assigned to the 76th Tactical Fighter Squadron, which was a part of the 23rd Fighter Group, and was stationed in Alexandria, La.

The "Flying Tigers" was the nickname for the 1st American Volunteer Group (AVG) of the Chinese Air Force in 1941-1942. In July 1942, the 23rd Fighter Group replaced the AVG. The shark-faced fighters of this group remain among the most recognizable of any combat aircraft of World War II, although the A-10s of today do not have the shark painting.

While he was based in Louisiana, the Cold War was still going on. But the United States was not involved in any conflict at the time. So it was a shock to Marks' unit when it was told, "You're deploying to Kuwait."

This was a time before 9/11, when deployments weren't an every-day thing for the military. Nobody had heard of this "Kuwait" place. Marks said they pulled out a "big map," and saw the "tiny little" state of Kuwait.

Before being told this, according to Marks, everyone had thought if they were deploying, it would be "World War III or the Soviets," not the Middle East.

Marks said that "everybody was shocked" when they taxied down the runway at the King Fahd International Airport in Saudi Arabia, a civilian airport. He hadn't seen this kind of environment before. Marks remembered that after landing in Saudi, upon opening the canopy, there was a "wall of hot air hitting you, just like opening an oven door." This country was "very dry and amazingly hot."

According to Marks, a lot of the "Army guys" were in tents, but he and his unit got to stay in small trailers that made up the airport workers' quarters. The trailers had air conditioning units in the rooms. Four men to a room. Very close quarters.

Before Desert Shield became Desert Storm, Marks and his unit stayed in Saudi Arabia for six months, flying a few missions for training, but mostly trying to find something to do to pass the time.

They didn't have the Internet during Desert Storm, so the men had to write a lot of letters. They also built gym equipment out of stuff they had lying around. According to Marks, "The communication, and the ability to stay in touch with people, was completely different" than it is now.

Marks and his unit had six months to get to know each other before flying out to combat, so the question of trust wasn't really there. The men flew their A-10's in formation for a reason. They HAD to trust each other. Marks said the question that was really in the men's minds was, "How am I going to react to this?" The generalizations that had been made about who was going to react a certain way in combat, and who was going to act the opposite, "weren't necessarily true." Marks said in his experience, for combat, "You can't judge by your impression" of people.

Marks said he can "clearly remember on the way back." He was flying his A-10, on which he had painted the "devil woman" that was painted on the WWII fighter planes. He was on the last leg of the journey home, "feeling depressed, even angry" that what he "figured would be the biggest adventure" of his life was over. But at the same time, he was excited to return to his parents, his brother and his sister.

For Marks, the feelings that every combat deployment brings out are "hard to explain to someone who hasn't experienced it." But he tried, saying that a soldier "holds two completely opposite thoughts at the same time." They are excited about the possibility of combat, "but at the same time the self-preservation part" doesn't want to go at all, because of all the preconceived thoughts one has.

"It's great to be home," Marks said, "but at the same time, you miss the excitement and adrenaline rush of combat."

Marks was not married when he deployed for Desert Storm. But for the eight months he was deployed in 2003 for Operation Iraqi Freedom, he had a wife, who is also a lieutenant colonel in the same unit, and three kids who were very hard to leave behind. Marks also deployed to Afghanistan in 2006 and 2008 for Operation Enduring Freedom.

Hearing Marks' boyhood story could make one wonder what a young man imagines while putting the last swipe of paint on the model A-10. Does he imagine the flights of war? Does he understand how small the cockpit of the one-man fighter jet is? Can he smell the gunpowder in the cockpit?

Marks can remember the A-10 clearly, because he still gets to fly them. He said that he will wait until he is 60-years-old to retire, and will "try to find a way to fly one after that."

Airmen are posing for a group shot. The A-10 belongs to the 76th TFS (red fin caps with white stars). (Courtesy photo by Lt. Col. John Marks)

(Courtesy photo by Lt. Col. John Marks)

Partial view of the trailer park at King Fahd IAP. (Courtesy photo by Lt. Col. John Marks)

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Comment: Special thanks to Sarah Moore for this excellent Veterans Day news story about an experienced A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot and his Desert Storm memories. Currently, Lt. Col. John Marks is assigned to the 303rd Fighter Squadron, 442nd Fighter Wing (AFRC), Whiteman AFB, Missouri.

Note: The associated four pictures are downloadable only from the printer friendly page! And I'm still in the process to edit related photo captions. Joachim Jacob, Warthog News Editor

Warthog News linked now much better on Italian Fighter Combat Sims Website

2011-11-12T06:57:00.006+01:00

By Joachim Jacob, Warthog News Editor

Thanks to Andrew Heater, Warthog News is linked now much better to the Italian Fightercombatsims website

(Screenshot by Joachim Jacob)

A nice special color skin by Andrew. That should be A-10 78-0610 "City of Boston" from the 131st Fighter Squadron 'Death Vipers', 104th Fighter Wing (Massachusetts ANG), Barnes ANGB, Massachusetts, Tailcode MA

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Warthog News now linked on DCS A-10C Virtual Italian Community

451st AEW celebrates Veterans Day

2011-11-11T21:06:00.003+01:00

Released by 451st Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

11/11/2011 - Members of the 451st Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron adjust the American flag hung on the 451st Air Expeditionary Wing headquarters building at Camp Losano at Kandahar Airfield Nov. 11, 2011. The flag is 25 feet by 40 feet and was placed in honor of Veterans Day. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman David Carbajal) Hi-res

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Please note: Currently, the 451st AEW is U.S. Central Command's single unit which hosts an A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft package in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.