Going down in history: 188th Warthogs fly last night training mission

Tail No. 188 taxies on the ramp at the 188th Fighter Wing’s Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith, Ark., Jan. 29, 2014. The sortie represented the final night-flying mission for the 188th. Maj. Patric Coggin (188) and Lt. Col. Toby Brallier (216) flew the mission. The two pilots conducted a flight lead upgrade certification near Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., before returning to the 188th’s Detachment 1 Razorback Range at Fort Chaffee Maneuver Training Center, Ark., to log additional close-air support training. The wing is currently transitioning from a fighter mission to an Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance/remotely piloted aircraft (MQ-9 Reaper) mission that will also feature a space-focused targeting squadron. The 188th has divested two A-10C Thunderbolt II “Warthogs” per month since September 2013. The last two Warthogs are slated to leave the 188th in June 2014. The 188th has flown A-10s since April 2007 and has had assigned aircraft on site since 1953. June will mark the first time in the unit’s 60-year history that no assigned military aircraft will be parked on the flightline at Ebbing Air National Guard Base, Fort Smith, Ark. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech Sgt. Josh Lewis)