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A-10s rescue ambushed OEF ground forces
Army News Service ^
| August 18, 2004
| Master Sgt. Andrew Gates
Posted on 08/18/2004 1:29:52 PM PDT by Ragtime Cowgirl
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To: Cannoneer No. 4; TEXOKIE; xzins; Alamo-Girl; blackie; SandRat; Calpernia; SAMWolf; prairiebreeze; ..
We could hear the A-10s come in, said Private Schloss. It was like it was Christmas -- the happiest moment of my life.
Im never going to crack another Air Force joke again, said Sergeant Osmon.
Ping!----- Q
To: Ragtime Cowgirl
Those A-10's are one helluvan airplane.
3
posted on
08/18/2004 1:34:22 PM PDT
by
snopercod
(Tipper to Al on first date: "I've got skin and you've got bark. What's the difference in the dark?")
To: Ragtime Cowgirl
When the Vulcans opened up, the enemy fire ceased, Osmon said. It was great. Technically it's a GAU-8/A Avenger, but whatever he wants to call it, I'm not surprised the enemy fire ceased. It is a hellacious weapon.
4
posted on
08/18/2004 1:42:34 PM PDT
by
Snake65
(Osama Bin Decomposing)
To: Snake65
Enemy fire did not cease, the enemy ceased. That gun will chew up some real estate.
5
posted on
08/18/2004 1:44:43 PM PDT
by
TXBSAFH
(Bandwidth is too good for these (L)users.)
To: Ragtime Cowgirl
"Grip-21, this is Maverick. This may be a bit quick, but I think I love you..." Know the feeling... Well done, zoomies.
6
posted on
08/18/2004 1:44:57 PM PDT
by
LTCJ
(God Save the Constitution.)
To: Snake65
...Technically it's a GAU-8/A Avenger, but whatever he wants to call it, I'm not surprised the enemy fire ceased. It is a hellacious weapon....In the photos at the site you linked, it looks like the gun is not mounted on the aircraft centerline. I wonder why.
7
posted on
08/18/2004 1:47:01 PM PDT
by
FReepaholic
(My other tagline is hilarious.)
To: tscislaw
I believe that the barrel that is firing is centerlined and it's like at 9 o'clock.
8
posted on
08/18/2004 1:49:25 PM PDT
by
wordsofearnest
(The smell of cheap whiskey and the sound of goodbye)
To: Ragtime Cowgirl
My 8 year old twin daaughters say "Thats a bad-ass tank killing A-10" when we see tham at the airport. I have to apologize to my wife every time so the kids don't get in trouble, but that's how I trained them. My bad.
9
posted on
08/18/2004 1:50:25 PM PDT
by
Fierce Allegiance
( "Stay safe in the "sandbox", cuz!)
To: tscislaw
It is very close to the centerline but not right on. My understanding is that it has something to do with the nose landing gear (also offset) and also the fact that the firing barrel (at the nine o'clock position) of the Gatling design would then be exactly on the plane's centerline.
10
posted on
08/18/2004 1:53:29 PM PDT
by
Snake65
(Osama Bin Decomposing)
To: Ragtime Cowgirl
Excellent story, but:
"first close air support aircraft, a B-1"
Why is a strategic bomber doing CAS? Seems we ought to have some CAS assets in the air when the good-guys are running ground patrols here and there. A-10s are beautiful, but don't we keep some F-16s up high? A couple of 250 pounders in a minute or two would have kept the bad-guys to a minimum while waiting for the A-10.
I know I'm arm-chairing here, so somebody tell me why we don't have some adequate air power nearby?
Regardless: I would love to hear a body count after 800 guys get chewn up by an A-10....
11
posted on
08/18/2004 1:56:20 PM PDT
by
Uncle Miltie
(Truth : Liberal as Kryptonite : Superman)
To: Brad Cloven
We have pairs of gray A-10s and green A-10s flying every week over the Lake of the Ozarks.
To: snopercod
Peace through superior firepower.
13
posted on
08/18/2004 2:01:33 PM PDT
by
glorgau
To: Ragtime Cowgirl
They won't print his name (Capt. Tonto), but they put his picture up?
I don't think the bad guys care what his name is -- his picture is worth more to them
14
posted on
08/18/2004 2:10:06 PM PDT
by
Ro_Thunder
(Lt.Col. Myles Miyamasu -"These guys really make us work to kill them, but in the end, they're dead.")
To: Snake65; Cannoneer No. 4; rdb3; blam; section9; Nick Danger; Travis McGee
"Technically it's a GAU-8/A Avenger, but whatever he wants to call it, I'm not surprised the enemy fire ceased. It is a hellacious weapon." Yes, and I'd like to see it mounted on an armored, ground-pounding tank in place of the main battle cannon for some models.
We need heavy anti-personnel firepower in highly armored vehicles.
5 Legislative Days Left Until The AWB Expires
15
posted on
08/18/2004 2:19:27 PM PDT
by
Southack
(Media Bias means that Castro won't be punished for Cuban war crimes against Black Angolans in Africa)
To: Brad Cloven
Why is a strategic bomber doing CAS?
Because they can. In the early/mid 90's the B1 fleet was outfitted to carry conventional bombs and few years back they added the ability to target JDAMs with GPS. Now a ground pounder can radio GPS data to an orbiting B-1 and get quick results as close as they allow those do be dropped. Dropping bombs via radioed gps data has a min safe required distance from troops and requires a highly accurate GPS fix. I use to do GPS testing. One of the coolest days in my engineering career so far was when as forward air controller came to talk about how they use our systems in Iraq. He said he knew people whose lives had been saved by use of our systems. That was pretty damn cool.
16
posted on
08/18/2004 2:20:33 PM PDT
by
TalonDJ
(got caffeine?)
To: Brad Cloven
The B-1 can carry a lot of precision ordinance, and has a very long stand by time. They can fly around in circles up high for hours, and almost instantly deliver lots of power anywhere in the AO. I guess the real reason they are kinda sorta doing CAS is that we don't have any strategic bombing for them to do.
The AF has been trying to replace the A-10 with the F16 for the CAS role. As a former tanker, I think this is a really bad idea. The A-10 is much more effective for close support, but the F16 seems much safer if there is enemy air around.
My biggest objection to the F16s is that they really just can't fly slow enough to properly identify ground targets. The F16s are in and out QUICK. By comparison, the A10 seems to float like a blimp. Maybe the difference in specs isn't as big as it seemed to me, but the pig drivers always seemed to have a much easier time identifying friendly and enemy positions because they had more time.
17
posted on
08/18/2004 2:24:39 PM PDT
by
blanknoone
(Everything is impossible to those who refuse to try.)
To: blanknoone; TalonDJ
Asked and answered. Thanks. Forgot about those JDAMs....
18
posted on
08/18/2004 2:41:18 PM PDT
by
Uncle Miltie
(Truth : Liberal as Kryptonite : Superman)
To: Ragtime Cowgirl
"Once we identified the enemies, we marked their positions and opened up with 720 rounds of 30mm high-explosive incendiary ammunition
Just like that :o)
19
posted on
08/18/2004 2:53:01 PM PDT
by
traumer
To: Ragtime Cowgirl
20
posted on
08/18/2004 2:54:35 PM PDT
by
traumer
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