‘Flying Tigers’ Take Mission to Afghanistan

American Forces Press Service ^ | Tech. Sgt. John Jung, USAF

[SandRat]

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, July 22, 2009 – American volunteers flying shark-faced P-40 Tomahawks protected China during World War II, and their legacy has become a fixture in the war in Afghanistan.

Air Staff Sgt. James Irvin performs an air-cycle machine inspection on Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, to ensure the A-10 Thunderbolt functions properly, July 20, 2009. Irvin is deployed from the 23rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Moody Air Force Base, Ga. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Felicia Juenke  
(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

In homage to the storied airmen of the past, the 74th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, deployed from Moody Air Force Base, Ga., has the iconic shark’s face painted on the front of its A-10 Thunderbolt II's, lovingly nicknamed the "Warthog."

The Warthogs provide daily close-air-support and precision-engagement missions throughout Afghanistan in support of coalition ground forces.

The squadron has had at least two aircraft airborne and providing support to their warrior counterparts on the ground on every day of its deployment. But the 74th Aircraft Maintenance Unit keeps the A-10s ready to fly.

"Just like the airmen that defended China in World War II, the 74th AMU is often short on resources, said Air Force Capt. James Schieser, officer in charge of the squadron’s maintenance unit. The maintenance airmen make do with what they have to maintain their aging aircraft, he added. "The strong leadership, dedication and perseverance of our noncommissioned officers, senior noncommissioned officers and officer corps, are what ensure every aircraft is fully mission-capable. The maintainers of the 74th AMU understand, with the Flying Tiger legacy they inherited, failure is not an option."

The Flying Tigers have broken records by flying more than 12,000 mission hours, expending more than 100 tons of ordnance since arriving in February. Sometime, though, all it takes is a show of force to end an engagement.

"We seek to avoid civilian casualties in all our operations - period," said Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Victor Castillo, weapons section superintendent. "We have a variety of methods we use, including loading of precision-guided munitions, monthly updates of aircraft digital maps and daily maintenance of our targeting systems to ensure the safety of innocent civilians on the ground."

But when enemy combatants don't flee after a show of force, the Warthog can deliver a precise strike to protect coalition ground forces.

Army Spc. Jason Dorsey, Company C, 178th Infantry, saw firsthand the precision and power of the Warthog.

"The A-10s were a valuable asset to us on ground missions here in Afghanistan,” Dorsey said. “Their speed and precise targeting provided great support for us and kept the bad guys' heads down during firefights."

"We have so many soldiers coming in from the field to thank us - it's their stories of desperately needing air [support] and seeing an A-10 flying overhead providing cover for them that kept us energized and motivated," said Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Thomas E. Moore, lead production superintendent for the maintenance unit. "It kept us working hard even when it seemed all we were doing was launching and recovering jets 24/7."

(Air Force Tech. Sgt. John Jung serves with the 455th Expeditionary Wing public affairs office.)

Related Sites:
U.S. Air Forces Central
U.S. Forces Afghanistan
U.S. Forces Afghanistan on Twitter
U.S. Forces Afghanistan on Facebook
U.S. Forces Afghanistan on YouTube
Combined Joint Task Force 82

A pair of A-10 Thunderbolt IIs from the 74th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, get their final weapons check before taking off on a close-air-support mission. The aircraft provide close-air support and airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance for U.S. and coalition ground troops. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jason Lake   Download screen-resolution    Download high-resolution

[SandRat]

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[DGHoodini]

The Black Sheep are already there. The 214 have been there a couple of years now. And guess what? They are also flying Warthogs too, these days.

[BradyLS]

As a young enlistee in the Army back in the mid-80’s, I loved to see the A-10 “hedge-hopping” over the field. Glad it’s still serving us well!

[BradyLS]

The Black Sheep and the Flying Tigers running an A-10 tag-team!

[DieHard the Hunter]

This thread is useless without photographs...

[This_far]

The Air Force Museum in Dayton is spectacular, but, for awhile, I was fortunate to be able to travel the country with out any destination nor timetable.

The military museums on a map often made a worthwhile destination, regardless of distance (or State).

I recall walking out of a hanger onto an abandoned field. Inside the hanger, it was air conditioned, but wasn’t so when it was crewed.

The field was cement for almost as far as I could see. (yeah, I know, cliche, but true, even to the grass growing high between the expansion cracks which seemed to be a 1/4 mile apart squared)

And it was HOT, not just from the heat rising from the field, the wind was too, perhaps even hotter, I thought.

A sign inside the hanger, just before exiting, read: Consider those that worked here.

Quiet and humbling.
God Bless our Troops and Thank You.
Past and Present.

pardon my thread drift

[tophat9000]

VMA 214 The Black Sheep is a Marine unit flying AV-8B Harrier

[tophat9000]

VMA 214 The Black Sheep is a Marine unit flying AV-8B Harrier

But Greg "Pappy" Boyington was with the AVG (Aka the Flying Tigers) and also VMF 214 The Black Sheep so there is a connection

[dalereed]

“We seek to avoid civilian casualties in all our operations - period,”

Mistake #1

There’s no such thing in a war zone.

[DGHoodini]

My mistake. I *knew* that. Must have gotten a few wires crossed in me brain.