[DUMBGRUNT]

James said the plan to retire the A-10s would go into practice over five years, so the planes are still in the inventory for now, and it makes sense to use them.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Will she use that money to recruit transgender, lesbian and Islamic pilots?

[PAR35]

Yes, they need to be retired. They give the Americans an unfair advantage over the worshipers of Mohammid.

[Migraine]

Pound for pound the most awesome and effective close support weapon in history — the A-10 Warthog. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

[Rodamala]

I guess I missed something... I was under the assumption that the push to end the use of the A-10 was thwarted. This piece insinuates it is done in 5 years... being replaced with the F-35 monstrosity.

[DemforBush]

I think it’s a bad move to retire such a tough, effective, and relatively inexpensive attack fighter.

But then, nobody in the Pentagon asked *me*...

[arthurus]

Air Force Secretary Deborah James said she has no regrets

Well, there's the problem.

[vetvetdoug]

I wonder how the real pilots and combat airmen truly feel about this USAF Secretary?

[Jet Jaguar]

Active Duty ping.

[DesertRhino]

“Air Force Secretary Deborah James,,,”

Well, I’m sure in her time in the grunts she realized that the A-10s shortcomings were all fixed by the F-35 moonpig. I mean, surely people must realize that a cheap indestructible jet powered cropduster, with like 70 or 80 hardpoints, a gun that could shatter the Hoover Dam, and a lifespan measured in eons simply cannot help procurement officers in any meaningful way.

Bit@h. Men will die over her decision.

[Rodentking]

Of course she has no regrets, like the man who hired her, her loyalty it to whoever writes for TOTUS. She is a tool with no more loyalty to our country than the man who reads the TOTUS.

[mojo114]

Her biography:http://www.af.mil/AboutUs/Biographies/Display/tabid/225/Article/467806/deborah-lee-james.aspx

[Nachum]

The list, Ping

Let me know if you would like to be on or off the ping list

http://www.nachumlist.com/

[FlingWingFlyer]

Little Debbie thinks we don’t need the A-10. Isn’t that special. This is one former aeroscout who believes that we do. You haven’t lived until you’ve watched A-10s working over a bunch of enemy tanks and other armored vehicles.

[jz638]

In a just world, any Air Force officer associated with the F-35 fighter program who didn’t urge it’s cancellation would be tried before a court marshal.
E
Also in that just world, SecDef Allen West would allocate the CAS mission fully to the Army, transferring the Warthogs to a Branch of service that wanted them to stick around.

[Pelham]

https://www.facebook.com/savethea10

[Doug Loss]

As a former army grunt, let me say this for the entire US Army: if you zoomies don't want the A-10s anymore, we'll be happy to take them off your hands. We know they offend you, since they're not involved with shooting at other planes, but we find them pretty awesome.

Now knowing that we'd take them in a heartbeat might make you clutch them tighter, since it just wouldn't do for you to lose any fixed-wing assets to a service that actually WANTS them.

[fini]

I looked at her bio and I remembered something that happened when she was in charge of Reserve Affairs. She was famous for asking questions that were "hard to answer, but of no importance."

The Marine Corps was having some long lead times getting some repair parts for the Harrier jet. Nothing unusual, some parts have to be made as needed.

She randomly picked some part numbers and asked what they were. Somehow I got tasked to research the parts. This occurred in the days before the internet was mature, so I spent a day doing the research: finding an aviation maintenance officer, getting the reference material, double checking the part numbers and then writing up the report.

So basically her management style was to waste subordinates' time asking stupid questions.

[dalereed]

take the A-10 away from the Air Force and give it to the Marines where it will be appreciated!

[PCPOET7]

I can support the retirement of the warthog but only if there is a next generation replacement for the equipment. I remember in the gulf war one and two that these Plaines were the work horse of military close ground support and the military brass loved them because they could take a lot of combat damage and still fly and they also were a cheap weapon system to produce.

[Irishguy]

i think they are the most amazing planes ever developed. they are not only the most terrifying weapon to be on the end of but they look beautiful. a real ugly duckling. the whole look says, ‘what?, whats your problem?, huh, swept wings are for pussies, bring it’ and that gun, holy crap, any gun that goes BRRRRRPPPPP when firing says, hey i dont care what i sound like...LOL,kinda, to excuse the dodgy reference, never mind the look, feel the width...LOL, absolutely fantastic piece of kit. if i was a billionaire i would buy them...

any time i see them on a gun run, i just cant imagine what its like to be on the receiving end...it must be horrific, a bowel emptying experience to hear them inbound, knowing whats coming. i am sure the ground troops who call them in, must be smiling when they hear them.

personally i am sure there are a load of reasons for a change, some probably quite legitimate, they are obviously a percentage increase in risk for the pilot, i guess, but still, a sad day...

i realise there is some comments here on the f-35 but does anyone know the reasons they are dropped? is the role filled with say choppers and something else etc? i would love to know all the arguments. i also would like to hear from anyone here who saw them in action and what the feeling is like...i am guessing a big sh** eating grin...dare i ask what the aftermath is like, i am guessing it is not pretty...