I love the Razor Back on the Tail, thats the 188's FS trademark.
I think You guys are missing a point that was brought up awhile back.
Every A-10 unit had a Units History and Markings that always stayed with their unit, no matter what the aircraft.
The Aircraft shouldn't be the factor in \"Hey lets put this here\" .
The Razorback Tail markings looked Great and should of been kept with the A-10's you guys picked-up.
It is the 188th's Units Markings. Now if you get F-22's you going to put that \"Hog face on it's nose\"?
Then their were those first FT Smith T-Shirts that were printed a while back with the GULF WAR Score Board on the back,
Sorry but putting a Units Jet on that shirt was a real
sore spot since your jets weren't there, Too many of the units that set that record are no longer around .
It's bad enough they put the \"Peanut\" A-10 on it.
Earning Spurs, use to be what you had to do in some of the Units in order to get your \"Nose art\" on.
The 23rd TFW (The 23rd AVG) as tradition was you had to \"Prove yourself worthy of the \"Teeth\" to be painted on your Jet by accomplishing either in combat in the early years or as in the days in the early 80's when the 3 TFS (74th,75th,and 76th) a few A-10's from the 76th went to Grenada and dropped the first bombs in combat from an A-10.
Those Jets got there teeth painted before others, then you had to the most CODE 1's based on hours flown if you did you were next , so on. 75 jets to get Teeth it took awhile .
Now here is another point. Which 188 hog is that ? 9188 or 0188? Both those Jets were First sent to the 23rd TFW/ 76TH TFS England AFB Alexandria LA.in the early 80's Both Jets were Tank Killers in the Gulf War, so was 0166.
You can then go down the list to each one of those \"Hogs\" (Warthog is better) and everyone of them came from a Unit Rich in History and Combat tours in the A-10's . That earned their Spurs . Its a \"Old Timmers Term\".
So yes were all on the Same team, but you have to look at it from some of these folks points of views, They had up to 3 tours they deployed in working and flying with the same jets,
Alot of these Units were awarded OUA w Valor awards with probably their 2 or 3 cluster.
Wait until you guys start really doing heavy work on those jets and start seeing \" Scab patches\" or \" strange fixes\" in areas.
Thats more than likely ABDR patches from AAA or SA-2 and SA-4's damage from Desert Storm /Balkins/OIF.
So hopefully soon you folks can deploy to Afgannyland and give those Guys on their 2nd and 3rd tours already a break and \"Cut Your Spurs\" because we need every A-10 unit able to rotate.
Goose