81st Fighter Squadron A-10Cs caught at Nordhorn Range September 13, 2011

At the German Nordhorn Range, Warthog News contributor Thorsten Kleine Ruse from Germany had the opportunity to take shots of four A-10Cs from the 81st FS: 80-0275, 81-0962, 81-0985, and 82-0656.



A-10C 81-0985. (Photo by Thorsten Kleine Ruse)

Please note: Some more pictures will be uploaded soon.

Airmen join with community to remember

Two A-10C Thunderbolt II's from the 76th Fighter Squadron at Moody Air Force Base, GA fly over the Valdosta courthouse Sept. 11, 2011. Airmen, and community members gathered in downtown Valdosta to remember those lost on Sept. 11, 2001.(U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Paul Francis)

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

9/12/2011 - MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Hundreds gathered in downtown Valdosta, Ga. to show their support and patriotism as they looked back at that day, ten years ago and recounted the sorrow and bravery that occurred from Americans all across the country.

The ceremony, which was held at the historic Lowndes County Courthouse, began early in the morning of Sept. 11, 2011 as Airmen, police officers, first responders and community members of Valdosta and Lowndes County gathered to pay their respects and remember.

To start the ceremony the Valdosta State University mass choir sang three patriotic musical pieces, to include "God Bless America" and "America the Beautiful" after which Col. Scott Kindsvater, 93rd Air Ground Operations Wing commander took the podium.

"It's a privilege to be here today and a personnel honor to welcome you to this ceremony, I was in the Pentagon ten years ago and I will never forget that day," he said. "In the ashes ten years ago more than 3,000 people were dead or missing and countless more were devastated."

He went on to speak about what has changed in this country and what has stayed the same, like the nations purpose, community spirit and our idea of service.

After the speech, the crowd held a moment of silence that was accompanied by a local church bells ringing.

After the moment of silence, J.D. Rice Valdosta fire department chief led the group in prayer. "We were taught that prayer changes things, and when we pray we talk to God and God answers our prayers."

The Pledge of Allegiance followed the prayer sung by the St. John's Children's Choir. After which Col. Neil Robinson, 23rd Maintenance Group commander, took the microphone to provide his perspective.

"I don't want to read a speech this morning, I simply want to talk," said Robinson. "Talk to my fellow countrymen, all of us by whom we are connected and tied to a common heritage, a common core set of principles.

Robinson began his story in the A-Wing of the Pentagon where his office was located. As he began his workday, he would have no idea that only a little over a hundred yards from his office would be the impact sight of Flight 77.

His day started as most Americans had until the first plane hit the tower and news began to break. Their first thoughts were something had gone horribly wrong, that's when the second plane hit the other tower.

"When you witness something this magnifying you try to find some sense of normalcy," said Robinson. "I figured I would try to get back to work and get my mind off of what was going on."

Robinson called his wife and a few minutes after hanging up the phone with her, he heard a sound that he would never forget, the sound of Flight 77 crashing into the side of the building.

"The first thing out of my mind was that it was a construction accident because at the time they were renovating the west wedge, but it probably took half a second to figure out it wasn't a construction accident," said Robinson "I thought to myself, so this is what a truck bomb sounds like."

After the recount of his day at the Pentagon on Sept. 11 he began to talk about the patriotism and valor of all Americans and the military.

"You can rest assured that your American military is taking the fight to the enemy on his own home turf," said Robinson. "We do that on their turf so they can't come over here and do what they did ten years ago today."

"We fight them on their own turf, so you can freely gather here today without risk of a suicide bomb, without the risk of a roadside improvised explosive device," Robinson said. "We're taking the fight to the enemy. Not only do we have the 23rd Wing but the 93rd AGOW as well. When you look at what we do at Moody, our mission is simple, we save lives, we protect friendly forces and we kill the enemy."

Following Robinson's speech, the Valdosta fire department Pipe and Drum Corps played "Amazing Grace" with bagpipes and while wearing full Scottish Highland dress.

After the ending of the song two A-10C Thunderbolt II's from the 76th Fighter Squadron flew over the crowd to cheers and applause from the people below.

To wrap up the ceremony Don McArthur, an Air Force retiree performed "Taps" on a bugle to honor all those that have fallen. On Sept. 11, 2001, approximately 3,000 people died or went missing. Ten years later cities across the U.S. take time to honor these fallen with memorials and services.

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A-10 Warthog: Attack Run - An awesome vid by The Daily on YouTube

Uploaded by The Daily on YouTube on September 4, 2011



Yeah, this video is realy awesome. It pictures "Hogs" from the 23rd Fighter Group, 23rd Wing, Moody AFB, Georgia.

It's official now: 127th Wing will replace Moody's 74th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron at Kandahar in support of Operation Enduring Freedom

According to 127th Wing Public Affairs, approximately 300 Airmen of the Michigan Air National Guard will report to active duty in September for deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

The group of 127th Wing Airmen from Selfridge Air National Guard Base will include pilots, crew members, maintenance technicians and support personnel who are slated to serve four to six month tours of duty in Afghanistan. The Selfridge Airmen will be part of a unit flying the A-10 Thunderbolt II, an air-to-ground attack aircraft, perhaps better known as the "Warthog."

The 127th Wing's fleet of A-10s and the Airmen who operate them were only recently designated operationally capable in June. The unit had originally been scheduled for deployment in spring 2012, but that timetable was moved up over the summer.

This tasking marks the first deployment of the 107th Fighter Squadron, nicknamed the "Red Devils," with the A-10 Thunderbolt II weapon system.

So far, it's absolutely clear that the 127th Wing will replace the 74th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron at Kandahar Airfield, may be as 107th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron.

In the past, Air National Guard combat deployments were declared as "Rainbow Teams", because different units shared their deployment time. Is there anyone A-10C professional who like to share some other upcoming A-10 deployment info with me?

So I think, the 127th Wing's deployment could be the first step of a longer deployment, including some other ANG A-10C units.

Anyone who can/will explain some more related details?

See:
Selfridge Airmen Prepare for Afghanistan Deployment

By the way: I already alarmed my Warthog News contributors from Portugal to take any related stopover pictures at Lajes Field, Azores. Both for incoming and outgoing A-10Cs, I would be very grateful for any new Lajes stopover shot.

451st Air Expeditionary Wing added 16 new A-10C photos to their Facebook page

Released by 451st Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs



Capt. Richard Olson, 74th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron A-10 pilot, prepares to take flight at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, Sept. 2, 2011. A-10s can go as fast as 420 miles per hour. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Corey Hook)



Members of the 451st Expeditionary Maintenance Group perform a recovery on an A-10 Warthog at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, Sept. 2, 2011. The 451st Expeditionary Maintenance Group consists of maintainers working in two expeditionary maintenance squadrons providing world-class flightline backshop, and munitions support for aircraft across eight different mission data series in the largest maintenance complex in the southwest area of responsibility.(U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Corey Hook)



Members of the 451st Expeditionary Maintenance Group perform a recovery on an A-10 Warthog at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, Sept. 2, 2011. The 451st Expeditionary Maintenance Group consists of maintainers working in two expeditionary maintenance squadrons providing world-class flightline backshop, and munitions support for aircraft across eight different mission data series in the largest maintenance complex in the southwest area of responsibility.(U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Corey Hook)

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Please note: Most of these pictures are at least currently not available as hi-res versions on 451st AEW's public website. For some hi-res versions so far check: 451 AEW August Award winners

UPDATE: Sept. 8 weather incident at Nellis Air Force Base

Released by Nellis Public Affairs

Release Number: 110904

9/9/2011 - NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- A canopy which provides protection from the elements for aircraft maintenance and support personnel on the east side of the Nellis Air Force Base collapsed when a microburst, a sudden, violent downdraft of air over a small area; hit the base at approximately 5 p.m. Sept. 8. Eight military members received minor injuries and were treated at the Mike O'Callahan Federal Hospital and all have been released.

In addition to the injured military personnel, vehicles in the area as well as the walls and the concrete pad holding the structure were also damaged. Thirteen aircraft, including 11 F-16s and two A-10s, were in individual bays were under the structure at the time of the incident. Recovery operations are ongoing, the incident is under investigation and the full extent of the damage to the aircraft and other resources in the area is currently being assessed.

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75th Fighter Squadron A-10Cs, participating in Green Flag West 11-9, caught at Nellis September 7, 2011

According to Nellis AFB Public Affairs, the 75th Fighter Fighter, 23rd Fighter Group, 23rd Wing, Moody AFB, Georgia, participated with some A-10Cs in exercise Green Flag West 11-9, which officially runned from August 12-25, 2011. Warthog News contributor Bruce Smith from the United States had the opportunity to take the following shots:



A-10C 78-0597 from the 75th Fighter Squadron. (Photo by Bruce Smith) Full size



A-10C 78-0701 from the 75th Fighter Squadron. (Photo by Bruce Smith) Full size



A-10C 79-0159 from the 75th Fighter Squadron. (Photo by Bruce Smith) Full size



A-10C 80-0140 from the 75th Fighter Squadron. (Photo by Bruce Smith) Full size



A-10C 80-0259 from the 75th Fighter Squadron. (Photo by Bruce Smith) Full size



A-10C 82-0657 from the 75th Fighter Squadron. (Photo by Bruce Smith) Full size

See also:
75th Fighter Squadron A-10Cs, participating in Green Flag West 11-9, caught at Nellis September 1, 2011

Boeing Receives US Air Force Contract for A-10 Avionics Modernization

A Boeing news release:

12-month, $2.9M task order part of A-10 Thunderbolt Life-Cycle Program Support

ST. LOUIS, Sept. 6, 2011 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] today announced it has been awarded a one-year, $2.9 million contract by the U.S. Air Force to develop and validate a modification of the A-10 aircraft's Digital Video Audio Data Recorder (DVADR). The modification will provide a near-term solution to supportability issues with a major subcomponent in the DVADR system.

The contract is a task order under the umbrella of the A-10 Thunderbolt Life-Cycle Program Support (TLPS) contract that is administered by the Air Force A-10 System Program Office. The contract announced today is the sixth A-10 TLPS contract the Air Force has awarded to Boeing.

"This task order allows Boeing to continue to enhance the performance of the A-10 and keep this invaluable asset ready to support the warfighter," said Jerry Dunmire, A-10 program director for Boeing. "The Boeing team is ready to apply its innovation and cost-saving initiatives."

The A-10 Thunderbolt II, also known as the Warthog, was introduced into the Air Force inventory in 1976. The twin-engine, single-seat aircraft provides close-air support to ground forces and employs a wide variety of conventional munitions against ground targets.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world's largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $32 billion business with 64,000 employees worldwide. Follow us on Twitter: @BoeingDefense.

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Controlling corrosion one coat at a time

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

9/9/2011 - DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- "A little to the left," says Staff Sgt. Thomas Klosky, 355th Equipment Maintenance Squadron corrosion control day-shift leader, as he supervises the placement of a vinyl decal on the back end of an A-10. He and a group of 355th EMS corrosion control members stand at the bottom of a staircase ladder looking on as their newest Airman, Airman 1st Class Nathan Burner, attempts to satisfy the contradicting directions he is being given.

"He's the new guy so you know we have to tease him," Sergeant Klosky says. "Okay, move it up. Now down. Tilt it just a little. More. Now less. No, I'm just kidding you got it."

The camaraderie in the office creates a relaxed atmosphere in which fun can foster. But that doesn't make the mission any less important.

"Here at the 355th EMS corrosion control unit, we ensure structural integrity on the aircraft and keep them looking good," said Senior Airman Morgan Jacobs, 355th EMS aircraft structural maintenance journeyman.

In short, they paint the planes. And while the paint on an aircraft may not sound too important, it serves a vital purpose.

"Most of what we do is paint; everyone knows that," Sergeant Klosky said. "But what they don't know is that paint helps protect the aircraft from the elements. And it has to be kept up because if it isn't, those elements will get in there, cause corrosion and make the planes fall apart."

A paint job can mean anywhere from one panel to an entire A-10C,.

"We do everything," Airman Jacobs said. "We do the initial prep work, then we sand the entire aircraft down and give it a completely new paint job."

The painting of an A-10 takes approximately 15 gallons of paint and 3 gallons of primer. The process is done in six stages and takes about two weeks.

"After we sand it, we wash it and give it a coat of primer," Sergeant Klosky said. "After that dries we mask it, which is when we cover all the parts that we don't want stained. Then we paint the aircraft, and the final touch is stenciling on the squadron patch.

The chemicals used during the resurfacing of an aircraft are considered hazardous, so the corrosion control Airmen must suit up before they can accomplish their task.

"Our painting gear consists of a head sock, full-face respirator, protective suit, gloves and paint boots," Sergeant Klosky said.

As a supervisor in the corrosion control unit, Sergeant Klosky takes pride in the condition of each and every aircraft they send out of their hangar and his Airmen feel the same.

"The best part of my job is painting the planes," said Airman 1st Class Clint Black, 355th EMS aircraft maintenance journeyman. "Whenever they fly by you get to tap the nearest person on the shoulder and say 'hey, I painted that.'"

Airman Black, still wearing his respirator, washes his painting tools at the cleaning station after completing work on an A-10.

"Give us the Blue Steel look," Sergeant Klosky calls. The other Airmen join in, calling for the look, which is clearly a crowd favorite.

Suddenly Airman Black turns his face towards the crowd and gives them what they want.

Laughter abounds as he goes back to cleaning his tools. No one could ever say the 355th EMS corrosion control unit is all work and no play, but between the laughs they make sure that D-M's aircrafts are ready to fly, fight, and win.

Source

Selfridge Airmen Prepare for Afghanistan Deployment

An A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft fires its primary weapon, a GAU 30mm Gatling gun, during a training flight. The aircraft is flown by the 107th Fighter Squadron, part of the 127th Wing, Michigan Air National Guard, at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich. The Selfridge-based A-10 unit is preparing to deploy approximately 300 Citizen-Airmen to Afghanistan. (USAF Photo by MSgt. Terry Atwell)

by TSgt. Dan Heaton
127th Wing Public Affairs

9/9/2011 - SELFRIDGE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Mich. -- Approximately 300 Airmen of the Michigan Air National Guard will report to active duty in September for deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

The group of 127th Wing Airmen from Selfridge Air National Guard Base will include pilots, crew members, maintenance technicians and support personnel who are slated to serve four to six month tours of duty in Afghanistan. The Selfridge Airmen will be part of a unit flying the A-10 Thunderbolt II, an air-to-ground attack aircraft, perhaps better known as the "Warthog."

While the September deployment is the largest single movement of personnel for the Air National Guard at Selfridge in several years, more than 200 Airmen from the base have been deployed so far this year alone. Last week, as one example, some two dozen construction specialists from the 127th Wing returned home from a six-month deployment in Afghanistan. Currently, one of the wing's KC-135 Stratotankers is deployed to southern Europe in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn in Libya.

"Michigan's Hometown Air Force is headed out to support the Soldiers and Marines on the ground in Afghanistan who may need top cover as they encounter the enemy," said Col. Leonard Isabelle, 127th Operations Group commander, referring to the close-air support mission the A-10 is so well known for. "We are fully trained and have proven we're ready to go whenever called."

The 127th Wing's fleet of A-10s and the Airmen who operate them were only recently designated operationally capable in June. The unit had originally been scheduled for deployment in spring 2012, but that timetable was moved up over the summer.

"The men and women of the 127th Maintenance Group and the 127th Operations Group have done a marvelous job rising to the challenge and the milestone we passed on June 30 proves they have what it takes to operated this weapon system, as they are now called to the fight," said Col. Gregory S. Holzhei, 127th Maintenance Group commander. The group had been in conversion for the past 18 months since the 2005 BRAC mandated trading the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft for the A-10.

A large percentage of those deploying are traditional status guardsmen, meaning they still have jobs in the local community, but volunteer their time and service in support of the nation's Air Force, when called.

"We know when we deploy like this, it's not just our military families who experience a loss. Our community corporations, organizations, and small businesses also carry the burden of these patriotic men and women serving so far away. We couldn't do this mission without the continued support of our communities," said Col. Michael Thomas, 127th Wing commander.

This tasking marks the first deployment of the 107th Fighter Squadron, nicknamed the "Red Devils," with the A-10 Thunderbolt II weapon system. For more than a decade, the 107th FS has been tasked routinely in support of overseas contingencies:
· 1997 to Kuwait for Operation Sothern Watch
· 1999 to Incirlik, Turkey, in support of Operation Northern Watch
· 2001 to Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia for Operation Southern Watch Spring 2003 to Incirlik, Turkey, in support of Operation Northern Watch -- which marked the first time since World War II the unit dropped weapons (over Iraq)
· 2004 for Operation Iraqi Freedom as the first USAF F-16 unit based in Iraq, at Kirkuk Air Base (the unit participated in the Battle for Fallujah)
· 2007 for Operation Iraqi Freedom based at Balad Air Base

The 107th FS is one of the oldest flying units in the Air Force, tracing its history back to the World War I era.

The 127th Wing has deployed numerous units and personnel on a smaller scale, but almost continuously over the past decade, including personnel from the wing's Security Forces, Civil Engineers, Communications, Force Support and Logistics squadrons. The wing's KC-135 air refuelers have been deployed almost continuously since completing their transition from flying C-130 Hercules aircraft in 2009. Most recently, that unit completed a two-week trip in July in which the 171st Air Refueling Squadron supported the casualty evacuation mission out of Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan; the tankers also have supported NATO missions over Libya and were deployed for four weeks to Guam, as well as other assignments.

In all, since September 11, 2001, the 127th Wing has supported deployment taskings with roughly 3,800 personnel.

"As our nation pauses to remember the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, it is important to remember that the events of that day continue to impact our service personnel and so many others in public service," Thomas said. "The people of Michigan can be rightly proud of the work their sons and daughters are doing and continue to do not only here at Selfridge but while forward deployed to where ever their country needs them."



Airmen from the 127th Maintenance Group perform a series of pre-flight checks on an A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft at Selfridge Air National Guard Base. Maintainers, pilots and other personnel from Selfridge are preparing for a deployment to Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force photo by John S. Swanson)

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