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http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2012/ ... ut-013012/

\"The A-10 Thunderbolt II provides the type of close-air support that ground-pounders love and the Taliban dread. Although the A-10s are workhorses in the war on terrorism, the Air Force in its new budget request is planning to get rid of five squadrons.\"

\"As part of the Defense Department’s efforts to trim close to $500 billion in spending over the next decade, defense officials said Friday that the service intends to cut five A-10 tactical squadrons and two other squadrons as well.\"

\"The Thunderbolt squadrons to be stood down encompass one active-duty, one Reserve and three National Guard units. The remaining two squadrons disappearing are a Guard F-16 tactical unit and an F-15 training squadron.\"

\"While the A-10 is very good at providing close-air support, the Air Force needs aircraft that can do more than one mission, Adm. James Winnefeld, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Jan. 26 in an interview with Military Times reporters and editors.\"

What the eff? Does anybody here have any solid information about this?

That's the rumor 100 A-10 are being retired. This not only saves on operations cost but, that's also a 100 news wings that will not have to be built and installed.

Sucks but the hard facts is this might not be the only cut...

No other info to add on this. But I can't say that I'm surprised. The White Silk Scarf crowd has hated the Warthog since day one. It doesn't have a pointy nose, or afterburners, and it's so ugly it could make a bus back up to St. Louis.

Yes, it's old and growing older with each burst of that massive 30mm, and doesn't make for a good air superiority fighter. It can't get where it's going quickly and it's so big and slow that it doesn't stand a chance against other modernday fighter planes. Regardless of the fact that we currently face a foe that could not so much as sortie a sopwith camel, let alone a modern fighter.

I can not for the life of me understand why they keep wanting Air Superiority Fighters to double as CAS weapons platforms. It's like trying to use a formula 1 car for hauling manure. Take the new F-35, the DOD's latest attempt to have one air frame to do EVERYTHING. It's a great Air to Air fighter, but it's to fast for CAS, doesn't perform well close to the ground, requires too much fuel and carries so little in munitions that like the F-16, it's only good for a couple of passes before it has to RTB for Rearm and Refuel. The Marine verson, with it's massive lift fan, will be even worse.

But I'm an old ORF, and what the F$%K do I know.

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Slow is Fast, Fast is Slow
Violence may not be the best option, but it IS an option

So much for the C model upgrade that was supposed to extend service life to 2028...

This won't stop c models....

What units do y'all figure will be retired, no one is safe but I would guess the 23rd flying tigers are...but who knows...

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I would guess, Ft Smith, Selfridge, Ft Wayne, Boise, Whiteman and Spang. I dont think the Flying Tigers would go. Retrenchment is the word lately, so I can see Spang as opposed to
Korea being called home.

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YGBSM !

I don't see Osan either especially with the increased emphasis on Asia as well as stateside A-10 units have been deploying over there recently as well...

Whiteman I'd be surprised...they have many Geographically operated units they command (the 476th at Moody being one).

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Spang, Barksdale, Ft Smith, Ft Wayne and Selfridge are what I'm hearing...

Think those are good bests...

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This is what I have heard as well. Anybody with these units that can comment?

I'm wouldn't make a prediction about this if my life depended on it- I have a terrible track record at that kind of thing. Before BRAC 2005 began, I was 100% convinced that Pope and Eielson would be the last two bases to close... Anyone remember which were the only two AD A-10 bases to close? lol

We (Barnes) had a couple of our Hog drivers convert to the F15, but couldn't stand it so they went to Ft Wayne and Baltimore. I cant believe F15C's are safer than Hog's in the political scheme. This is just painfull to watch.

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YGBSM !

I read somewhere that the gossip is that the Spangdahlem A-10's goes to Great Britain. I hope so, because when it leaves Spangdahlem and return to US than we have here in Europe no Warthogs.

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73-1664

From Military.com:

Three of the five A-10 squadrons going away will be Guard units. Air Force leaders plan to eliminate one Reserve and one active duty squadron.


The Guard source said he expected the Air Force to close the 107th Fighter Squadron at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich.; the 163rd Fighter Squadron at Fort Wayne Air National Guard Station, Ind.; and the 184th Fighter Squadron at Ebbing Air National Guard Base, Ark.
The Guard source also said the Iowa National Guard’s 124th Fighter Squadron, which flies F-16s, is a target for decommissioning.
The Air Force will reduce its end strength by 10,000 Airmen to account for shrinking infrastructure, Schwartz said. It’s unclear if the service will target Airmen assigned to the lost squadrons.


Those are the Guard units that are closing or getting re-missioned, it didn't mention the AD unit.

OC

I'm guessing there will be a good swap round of airframes.......ie the high time Hogs from all the affected squadrons go to the boneyard?
Think the oldest are FY78.
That said, back in 1990, the 81st TFW and 10th TFW ended up with a handful of FY76 models and I remember the USAFE demo pilot saying they had less hours on them than some of the later production Hogs at the Twinbases.

Howdy's pretty cool.

We haven't heard anything official yet in Ft Wayne, but folks are getting nervous. We went to A-10s because our base was sure the F-16s days were numbered and the A-10 had a new lease on life...which would keep us open for at least another 20 years. Silly us.

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SoWW #2485
Cave Putorium!

Where is the BAFB (47 FS) closure rumor coming from. Anybody got a phone number for the 47th?

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Leroy
Retired Hog Driver
FWIC Graduate
Gunsmoke 83 A10 Top Gun

Ft Wayne got the news today. Looks like we're heading into yet another conversion, our 3rd in 4 years, and it might be to the MC-12 (KingAir). Oh well, it was fun for awhile.

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SoWW #2485
Cave Putorium!

Sucks....

Removes A‐10s from Barksdale AFB, LA (retires 21 and transfers three), Selfridge ANGB, MI (21), Ft Smith, AR (20), Ft Wayne, IN (20), and an Active Component overseas location (20).

http://www.af.mil/shared/media/document ... 03-027.pdf

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http://www.188fw.ang.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123288708


http://www.4029tv.com/r/30372735/detail.html

Shit is not going to be fun. Sad but I never got even one door art from FT. Wayne or Ft. Smith to help keep their memories alive.

Stay tuned Dice, two doors are in the works but I'm still Snowbirding at DM for another week. Both jets are still back in FWA. Mine's in phase and the other just finished phase.

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SoWW #2485
Cave Putorium!

Cool looking forward to seeing them.

After reading one overseas location on the chopping block...I have become totally bumbed...I just got to Spang last June and I freakin love Germany. This is going to be a nasty move. We over here for the last week plus have been expecting to hear it is us that will get slashed yet we are still holding out hope.
In my opinion it would make more sense to shut down the 357th or 358th at DM....why do you still need 2 full training squadrons if your cutting the fleet by 100 A/C?
It just sucks that this is happening again!

We have to finish training all the ANG pilots...