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Second pairing of Warthogs leave 188th; mission conversion continues

  • Published
  • By Maj. Heath Allen
  • 188th Fighter Wing executive officer
FORT SMITH, Ark. --  Another pair of A-10C Thunderbolt IIs roared off into the wild blue yonder Nov. 6 bound for Moody Air Force Base, Ga. Tail Nos. 0616 and 0642 departed the 188th Fighter Wing's Ebbing Air National Guard Base as part of the wing's on-going conversion from a fighter mission to remotely piloted aircraft and Intelligence mission, which will include a space-focused targeting squadron.

The two A-10s that left Nov. 6 will join Moody AFB's 75th Fighter Squadron. Two 75th pilots arrived in Fort Smith via commercial flights and flew the former 188th jets back to Moody AFB.

Over the course of the coming months, the 188th will lose two aircraft per month until June 2014, when the final two are slated to depart. Tail Nos. A0644 and A0614 were the first two to leave on Sept. 10.

"Mission conversions are never easy and it's always difficult to say goodbye to an aircraft you've flown for a number of years," said Col. Mark Anderson, 188th Fighter Wing commander. "We're embarking on the most complex and challenging mission conversion in our unit's 60-year history. While we're excited about the future, we will certainly miss the A-10. We have made a lot of history in a very short time in the Warthog. It's a great aircraft."

The 188th received its Warthogs in April 2007 and has set a number of wing deployment records in both maintenance and operations statistics while home station and also while deployed. The 188th deployed 10 A-10s and nearly 300 Airmen to Kandahar Air Base, Afghanistan in 2010.

The 188th logged the largest deployment in unit history in 2012 when it sent 10 A-10s and nearly 400 Airmen to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. While in Bagram, the 188th set deployment records in combat sorties (1,850), combat flying hours (8,000), precision guided munitions drops (375), 30mm Gatling gun rounds fired (60,000) and rockets launched (210). The 188th provided vital close-air support to nearly 500 troops in contact on the battlefield with an astounding zero air tasking orders missed.

During its last deployment, the 188th was heavily tasked, flying in three months at Bagram what would typically take two years to accomplish in a home station training environment in Fort Smith.

The 188th has also been among the leaders in the A-10 community since the planes first arrived on station more than six years ago. The 188th consistently led all five A-10 Air National Guard units in all key metrics, including mission capable and fully mission capable rates. While deployed to Bagram, the 188th maintained an 87 percent mission capable rate.


Second pairing of Warthogs leave 188th; mission conversion continues

  • Published
  • By Maj. Heath Allen
  • 188th Fighter Wing executive officer
FORT SMITH, Ark. --  Another pair of A-10C Thunderbolt IIs roared off into the wild blue yonder Nov. 6 bound for Moody Air Force Base, Ga. Tail Nos. 0616 and 0642 departed the 188th Fighter Wing's Ebbing Air National Guard Base as part of the wing's on-going conversion from a fighter mission to remotely piloted aircraft and Intelligence mission, which will include a space-focused targeting squadron.

The two A-10s that left Nov. 6 will join Moody AFB's 75th Fighter Squadron. Two 75th pilots arrived in Fort Smith via commercial flights and flew the former 188th jets back to Moody AFB.

Over the course of the coming months, the 188th will lose two aircraft per month until June 2014, when the final two are slated to depart. Tail Nos. A0644 and A0614 were the first two to leave on Sept. 10.

"Mission conversions are never easy and it's always difficult to say goodbye to an aircraft you've flown for a number of years," said Col. Mark Anderson, 188th Fighter Wing commander. "We're embarking on the most complex and challenging mission conversion in our unit's 60-year history. While we're excited about the future, we will certainly miss the A-10. We have made a lot of history in a very short time in the Warthog. It's a great aircraft."

The 188th received its Warthogs in April 2007 and has set a number of wing deployment records in both maintenance and operations statistics while home station and also while deployed. The 188th deployed 10 A-10s and nearly 300 Airmen to Kandahar Air Base, Afghanistan in 2010.

The 188th logged the largest deployment in unit history in 2012 when it sent 10 A-10s and nearly 400 Airmen to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. While in Bagram, the 188th set deployment records in combat sorties (1,850), combat flying hours (8,000), precision guided munitions drops (375), 30mm Gatling gun rounds fired (60,000) and rockets launched (210). The 188th provided vital close-air support to nearly 500 troops in contact on the battlefield with an astounding zero air tasking orders missed.

During its last deployment, the 188th was heavily tasked, flying in three months at Bagram what would typically take two years to accomplish in a home station training environment in Fort Smith.

The 188th has also been among the leaders in the A-10 community since the planes first arrived on station more than six years ago. The 188th consistently led all five A-10 Air National Guard units in all key metrics, including mission capable and fully mission capable rates. While deployed to Bagram, the 188th maintained an 87 percent mission capable rate.