188th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
More than 40 local employers visited the Arkansas Air National Guard's 188th Fighter Wing at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., Feb. 22-23 to watch the Flying Razorbacks and their A-10C Thunderbolt II "Warthogs" participate in Operation Snowbird, a combat rehearsal for the unit's deployment to Afghanistan this summer in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The event was part of an Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) trip. The objective was to give employers a better understanding of how vital the Guardsmen they employ are to the mission and how they each play a key role in the unit's success. (National Guard photo by Airman 1st Class Hannah Landeros, 188th Fighter Wing Public Affairs) Hi-res
Note: Pictured is A-10C 78-0638 from the 184th Fighter Squadron.
2/26/2012 - DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- Seeing is believing.
More than 40 local employers visited the Arkansas Air National Guard's 188th Fighter Wing at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., Feb. 22-23 to watch the Flying Razorbacks and their A-10C Thunderbolt II "Warthogs" participate in Operation Snowbird, a combat rehearsal for the unit's deployment to Afghanistan this summer in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
The event was part of an Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) trip. The objective was to give employers a better understanding of how vital the Guardsmen they employ are to the mission and how they each play a key role in the unit's success.
The group flew to Davis-Monthan from Fort Smith, Ark., on two KC-135 Stratotankers from the 507th Air Wing (Reserves) and the 137th Airlift Wing (Air National Guard), both based out of Tinker Air Force Base, Okla.
The employers watched the 188th's A-10C Thunderbolt II "Warthogs" conduct aerial refueling during the trip. Once on the ground at Davis-Monthan, the group ventured to the munitions area where they viewed the sundry ordnance the A-10s dropped during Operation Snowbird and received a briefing from specialists with the 188th Maintenance Squadron.
The group also received a mission and capabilities briefing from Lt. Col. Brian Burger, 184th Fighter Squadron commander.
On the second day of the tour, the group ventured to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (informally dubbed the "Boneyard) at Davis-Monthan and then toured the flightline area where they received a briefing from Capt. Jim Garvey, 188th Maintenance Squadron commander, and viewed the 188th's A-10s up close while crew chiefs where on hand to answer questions about the aircraft.
"It puts everything in perspective what the men and women in the National Guard and Reserves do when they're activated or when they drill each month," said Chief Mike Richards, Fort Smith Fire Department chief. "The employers don't really understand the big picture until we are able to see it with our own eyes. This was a great experience and it's phenomenal to see what they do."
Richards said the Fort Smith Fire Department employs one Air National Guardsman, four Army National Guardsmen and one Marine Reservist. Richards said he now has a more keen understanding of what Guardsmen and Reservists endure.
"We understand that Guardsmen and their families make sacrifices," Richards said. "It's amazing to see the level of expertise and dedication as well as the training that they get. You can see they love what they do and they're very good at it. It was good for us to be able to see this because it makes us appreciate their service that much more."
Upon their arrival at the 188th in Fort Smith, each employer was given an American flag that had been flown in an A-10 over the skies of Afghanistan during the 188th's last deployment to Kandahar in 2010.
Source (including ten more photos)
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