Lt. Col. Ron Stuewe, 81st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron commander, waits in the cockpit for the crew chiefs to do their post flight checks on the A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft upon landing at Kandahar Airfield May 11, 2010. More than 200 members from the 81st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron and the 81st EAMXS deployed here from Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. Within a two-week period, approximately a dozen jets arrived on KAF. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Nancy Hooks) Hi-res
Note: The aircraft is A-10C 81-0945. 1945 marking on the ejection seat, 10945 marking on the canopy rail.
by Tech. Sgt. Renni Thornton
451st Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
5/18/2010 - Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan -- More than 200 Air Force pilots, maintainers and crew chiefs of the 81st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron and the 81st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron arrived on Kandahar Airfield May 11 to provide close air support throughout Afghanistan.
They are taking over from the Airmen of the 184th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron who have since returned home to Fort Smith, Ark.
"The mission of the unit is to provide close air support for coalition forces," said Lt. Col. Ronald Stuewe, commander, 81st EFS.
"That is the bread and butter of this aircraft and the bread and butter of the mission here. That's what we train to do and that is what we are here to execute," he said.
The two units are scheduled to be deployed here for four months, said Capt. Kathleen Fitzpatrick, commander of the 81st EAMXS.
They are assigned to the 52nd Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany.
The units brought with them most of the support personnel, maintainers, aircrew flight equipment personnel, intelligence personnel, and medical personnel assigned to their home station, said Captain Fitzpatrick.
The average flying time for the A-10 unit has been low due to aircraft upgrades and flight restrictions at home station, said Colonel Stuewe, but the pilots were able to get phenomenal training hours in the States before coming here, he said.
Although this is the unit's first time at KAF, the A-10 unit has deployed to other locations in the area of responsibility.
"The duration of sorties is a little longer than we normally do but that's to be expected. We are extremely excited."
"One nice thing we like about the location is the proximity to all the back-shop support. It's all right here," he said.
"We are glad to be here and ready to go. We've hit the ground running. We've had a great start to what seems like a fantastic deployment," he said.
"The number one goal for our squadron is 100 percent positive impact to the battle space. That comes across in many forms. Not just pilots flying the aircraft, but our people launching the aircraft, as well," continued Colonel Stuewe.
The fighter squadron has recently completed upgrading the aircraft to the A-10C model, featuring new avionics and software systems.
The A-10 Thunderbolt II maneuvers at low air speeds and altitude and is a highly accurate weapons system. It is used to provide close air support and non-traditional intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.
The Thunderbolt IIs have night-vision imaging systems.
The aircraft can survive direct hits from armor-piercing and high-explosive projectiles.
The aircraft's self-sealing fuel cells are protected by internal and external foam.
Other upgrades include glass cockpit displays, moving map, hands on throttle and stick, digital stores management, advanced targeting pod integration, situational awareness data link, variable message format, GPS-guided weapons and upgraded DC power.
Avionics equipment includes multi-band communications, global positioning system and inertial navigations systems, infrared and electronic countermeasures against air-to-air and air-to-surface threats.
Manual systems back up their redundant hydraulic flight-control systems. This permits pilots to fly and land when hydraulic power is lost.
Members of the 81st Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron prepare to set a toe bar to the nose wheel of an A-10 Thunderbolt II to push the aircraft back into parking position May 11, 2010. Within a two week period a total of 12 jets arrived on Kandahar Airfield. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Nancy Hooks) Hi-res
Note: The aircraft is A-10C 81-0945.
Col. Peter Hunt, 451st Air Expeditionary Wing vice commander, greets Lt. Col. Ron Stuewe, 81st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron commander, upon arrival to Kandahar Airfield after a four hour flight from Spangdahlem AFB, Germany. The 81st replaced the 188th EFS from Fort Smith, Arkansas, guard unit. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Nancy Hooks) Hi-res
Note: The aircraft is A-10C 81-0945.
A crew chief from the 81st Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron gives a signal for the A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot to hold his position as the chalks are put in place May 11, 2010, on Kandahar Airfield. The crew chiefs are conducting post flight checks to make the jet ground safe. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Nancy Hooks) Hi-res
Note: The aircraft is A-10C 82-0649.
The remaining six A-10 Thunderbolt II jets from Spangdahlem AFB, Germany, arrive at Kandahar Airfield May 11, 2010,after a four hour flight. The Spandahlem team will be replacing the 188th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron from Arkansas. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Nancy Hooks) Hi-res
Note: The aircrafts (from left) are A-10Cs 82-0649, 82-0654 and 81-0945.
A crew chief from the 81st Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron relays information to an A-10 pilot from Spangdahlem AFB, Germany, here May 11, 2010. Within a two week period a total of 12 jets arrived on Kandahar Airfield. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Nancy Hooks) Hi-res
Note: The aircraft is 81-0980. Very nice zoom shot, depicting external fuel tank on center station 6 and MXU-648 baggage pods (also called travel pods) on stations 4 and 8.
The remaining six A-10 Thunderbolt II jets from Spangdahlem AFB, Germany, arrive at Kandahar Airfield May 11, 2010, after a four hour flight. The Spandahlem team will be replacing the 188th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron from Arkansas. In a two-week period 12 jets arrived on KAF. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Nancy Hooks) Hi-res
Note: The aircraft is 81-0980.
Source
Cover of The Kandahar Chronicle (May 17, 2010, public online PDF issue), official newspaper of the 451st Air Expeditionary Wing at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan.
From the Warthog News Editor: Special thanks to Senior Airman Nancy Hooks from 451st AEW Public Affairs for their outstanding arrival shots of Spang Hogs at Kandahar Airfield!!! They are very important for the A-10 history books.
Meanwhile, 52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs copied this news article to place it on their own website: Source
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Thanks for posting this article, my husband is with the Spangdahlem 52AMXS, currently in Kandahar, it was nice to see some pictures of them at work!
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