You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Submit your comments on this article
Iraq
A-10's welcomed back to the Air Force family.
2014-09-25
The Pentagon is deploying 300 airmen and 12 A-10 combat jets to the Middle East in early October, according to the Indiana Air National Guard.
Bless them and their families.
"I don't know of a time in Blacksnake history we have taken this kind of aviation footprint forward," said Col. Patrick R. Renwick, 122nd Fighter Wing commander, in a statement. "The A-10 'Warthog' is uniquely suited for the Combatant Commander's needs, and the Blacksnakes are the right team to bring that capability to combat."

"We have the best training, equipment and aircraft in the world; we've been preparing and training for this deployment for the past few months; and I am fully confident in our ability to deploy one of the country's most lethal fighting forces to support and defend US efforts abroad," Col. Craig E. Ash, 122nd Fighter Wing Maintenance Group commander, said in the statement.

The 122nd Fighter Wing will send 303 airmen, and the Terre Haute Air Guard base will send five as part of the mission, The Journal Gazette reported.

"The Airmen of the 122nd Fighter Wing are trained and ready to answer our nation's call to duty," said Renwick. "The Air National Guard and the Blacksnakes are a proven choice in combat, I have no doubt we can accomplish any mission assigned!"
Posted by:rammer

#15  I'm still waiting for the Navy to demand a squadron or six to support the Marines. Can you imagine a carrier-based A-10? There wouldn't be enough toilet paper in the world...
Posted by: Old Patriot   2014-09-25 22:07  

#14  Martha McSally who is running for congress in Arizonia against Daffy Giffords picked replacement was a Warthog pilot.
Posted by: bman   2014-09-25 18:09  

#13  Mikey, wrong. Bosnia was all about ground troops - crossed the Sava river. Look up Operation Joint Guard. Lots of patrols. lots of mines cleared, lots of weapons cache seazures, force protection, etc. Plenty of ground troops. Even a little town nicknamed "Buy A Vowel" -- Brcko. Some folks here may have even been there back in 97-8 ;-)
Posted by: OldSpook   2014-09-25 18:00  

#12  No boots on the ground

Don't kid yourself Mr. President. US troops are already in combat.
Posted by: frozen al   2014-09-25 16:43  

#11  Was playing golf at Westover AFB in MA many years ago and a flight of A-10s came over the ridge behind 6th(?) tee at little more than twice tree-top level.

Scared the crap out of all of us but DAMN they were cool.
Posted by: AlanC   2014-09-25 16:10  

#10  A modern Sturmovik...

The A-10 is really and truly a large gun with wings attached.
Posted by: Bill Clinton   2014-09-25 15:42  

#9  Saw one at an air show as a youngster. Didn't know anything other than F-16! I thought I had seen a dragon...*then it did an ordinance demonstration. It was stupid-wow.

*don't know if pyrotechnics were already placed - can't remember seeing bombs drop but was so young I wouldn't not have been looking. Logic tells me yes, pre placed pyrotechnics. However, I am not sure how one would pretend the cannon other than blanks. I don't remember seeing any puffs on the ground, but again I was watching a dragon so my vision was elsewhere.
Posted by: swksvolFF   2014-09-25 15:10  

#8  Airman 1st Class Vanessa Dobos
Posted by: Mullah Richard   2014-09-25 14:56  

#7  Saw an A-10 at an air show at Nellis AFB. I am a drooling fan-dork for life.
Posted by: Anice Nim   2014-09-25 14:49  

#6  Not sure where we believe airpower worked in Bosnia. We had troops on the ground. They came very late to the show, long after the Serbs were near complete with their genocide.
Posted by: 49 Pan   2014-09-25 12:15  

#5  A-10s and Ac-130 Stingers make my cockles warm
Posted by: Frank G   2014-09-25 11:08  

#4  Airpower MIGHT work, if one is willing to accept the immense collateral damage that would occur if enough airpower was applied to actually accomplish the mission (see, e.g. Dresdan, Tokyo.) And the cost of buying all those bombs and rockets - but at least that would put people to work.
Posted by: Glenmore   2014-09-25 08:31  

#3  ..of course we still have Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo. Wonder why? See - boots on the ground.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2014-09-25 07:52  

#2  airpower by itself worked for us in Bosnia/Kosovo and the other nearby areas, in the 90s.

the area in Iraq is mostly desert.
should be easy to monitor with drones to keep those targets of interest coming.
Posted by: Mikey Hunt   2014-09-25 03:14  

#1  No US ground troops = offset by bringing out the heavy or heavier airpower.

Glad to see the A-10's being used but I still would like to see the BUFFS + B-1's + B-2'S.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2014-09-25 00:16  

00:00