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During OEF/OIF kill markings were not used as much, if they were used at all, as were mission markings. With some slight variation (face-on view of the GA-U8A V a 30mm shell) most used a 30mm round, maverick, GBU-12, and MK-82 shadows to mark their missions.

I know MA placed their marking on the left side of the jet aft of the ladder door, AK placed theirs on the left forward side above and beside the ladder door, and DM (and maybe Pope) placed theirs on the ladder doors themselves.

Couple of questions, were they placed on when the munitions was expended or when a/the target was hit? Were these marking a total of missions flown or only missions with confirmed kills?

Hawg166 you make have given me this information before but as I reorganize my files I may have misplaced it. Can you give me a run-down of the markings used by your unit IE SAM, MK-82, star, ECT?

Ugly But Well Hung

On our jets, each star represented 5 combat sorties flown. Each bomb represented one sortie where all the munitions were expended. We did this because not all combat sorties flown necesarilly ended up with expended munitions.

By this time tomorrow I shall have gained either a pearage or Westminster Abbey........Nelson

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YGBSM !

We did our after they expended. The markings were for each expended ordinance. The head on GAU-8 represented a gun shoot no matter the rounds fired. If the jet shot twice on one mission it was only one gun on the door.

You might be a "Bulldog" if: You bend over and grab your ankles when you hear: "EXERCISE, EXERCISE, EXERCISE!"

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3 Branches down... 2 to go!
Put on your tinfoil hats, the black choppers are coming, and I'm calling them in.
Former DCC OA-10A T/N 80-278

Thanks guys, good info.

Ugly But Well Hung

I'll ask when I get back to Eielson. (I'm on leave now)

They say that the only two things certain in life are death and taxes. I prefer them in that order.

<img src="http://www.kedidecals.com/images/KDN48007/kdn48007_2.jpg" border=0>

Very interesting not only for modelers:
This decal sheet, released by Kedi Decals in 1:48 and 1:32, includes OIF mission markings for five of the seven A/OA-10As which were deployed from the 118th FS, 103rd FW, Connecticut ANG. According to Kedi Decals, this sheet is "carefully researched".

Product info:
http://www.kedidecals.com/KDN48007.html

78-0707 and 81-0960 are verified by photos from Philippe Colin (and also 78-0633):
http://www.philippecolin.net/103FW/78-0707.jpg
http://www.philippecolin.net/103FW/81-0960.jpg
http://www.philippecolin.net/103FW/78-0633.jpg

Anyone, who will disclose aircraft number seven?

Regards
J.J.

_________________
Joachim Jacob
Warthog News Editor
http://warthognews.blogspot.com

<img src="http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a299/usmilobserver/A-10s%20OIF/IMG00248.jpg" border=0>

The webmaster of www.aviationpictures.nl (which is also the photographer) shared this interesting picture with me. Thanks!
It shows 79-0139, 75th FS, at Tallil AB, Iraq. In the background 78-0689, 74th FS. Look at the door art! Are that OIF mission or kill markings? Anyone, who knows the details?

Regards
J.J.

_________________
Joachim Jacob
Warthog News Editor
http://warthognews.blogspot.com

I wish we would of had sortie markings on the jets in GW1 but I guess too many Targets! you didnt have room for both.


Goose

LIVE FREE OR DIE
<img src="http://img396.imageshack.us/img396/5917/scan00020br.jpg" border=0>

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\"Live Free Or Die\"

<img src="http://www.tankkiller.com/squadrons/131/MA_ANG_EAA03_3.jpg" border=0>

This close-up photo is from the squadrons pages at www.tankkiller.com - another Warthog related website. I asked the webmaster for serial number verification and a hi-res version. I still wait for a reply. The picture was taken during "EAA 2003" in August 2003. I think it shows 78-0647 "Town of Ludlow", 131st FS, 104th FW, Massachusetts ANG, with the legendary "Let´s Roll" logo and clearly visible OIF mission markings.
For OIF, the 131st FS deployed eleven aircraft along with seven from the 118th FS, 103rd FW, Connecticut ANG. Both units teamed up to form the 131st EFS which was assigned to the 387th AEG, part of the 410th AEW. For more related infos see my replies to topic "Laser Guide Bombs". During OIF, the 131st EFS used unified mission markings: bombs and stars.

<img src="http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a299/usmilobserver/A-10s%20OIF/387thAEG_01.jpg" border=0>

This private "farewell shot" shows 78-0642, 131st FS, with "Let´s Roll" logo and OIF mission markings at a still "classified" location (As I pointed out, I know exactly where there were). Note: The aircraft is prepared for ferry flights back to the United States (Sidewinders, Litening pod, centerline ferry tank and bag pods - the bag pods are visible on another related picture). I found this unique photo some months ago in an album at www.smugmug.com - together with rarely shots of F-16s, which were also deployed to the 410th AEW. Meanwhile, I think this album is completely removed from this website. I only remember, the photographer was a young military member. Unfortunately I forget his first name.

Thanks to "Dice-man" for creating this interesting and very important topic (it was one of my favorite questions before I joined this forum). And special thanks to "Hawg166" for disclosing some of the details!

Anyone, who will provide additional related photos?

Regards
J.J.

_________________
Joachim Jacob
Warthog News Editor
http://warthognews.blogspot.com

Nope...............ding dong your wrong it isnt 647. And seven of the bombs arent from OIF.
By this time tomorrow I shall have gained either a pearage or Westminster Abbey........Nelson

Edited by - Hawg166 on Sep 25 2005 10:06 AM

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YGBSM !

Thanks for your reply, "Hawg166"! Only two questions: (1) You said the aircraft on the posted picture from www.tankkiller.com is not "647". If it´s O.K., what is the truly serial number? (2) You said "seven of the bombs arent from OIF." I think, you possible means the seven bombs in the first row above (one of these bomb markings is "washed out"). But, if these seven bomb markings are not related to OIF, which other combat operations are related to these markings?

Regards
J.J.

_________________
Joachim Jacob
Warthog News Editor
http://warthognews.blogspot.com

J.J., You are a plane spotter, plain and simple. Don't expect too much help for this. I haven't seen you contribute one thing to this forum since you joined, except arrogance.

They say that the only two things certain in life are death and taxes. I prefer them in that order.

usmilobserver

Its plain as day the mistake,Do some digging of your own instead of just copying from other sites.
And who cares if you know the "Classified Location",most of us know too,but we dont brag about it.
JB is right ,you just "Mine" for info to use,probably for your own book your writing or some other project.


Goose

LIVE FREE OR DIE
<img src="http://img396.imageshack.us/img396/5917/scan00020br.jpg" border=0>

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\"Live Free Or Die\"

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>Nope...............ding dong your wrong it isnt 647. And seven of the bombs arent from OIF.<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

<b>It´s really 78-0647!!!</b>

From the webmasters of www.tankkiller.com I´ve got a hi-res version of the picture which I posted on September 25 (see above). Thanks to Greg and Carrie Rasberry for their support! Carrie told me via e-mail: "Yes, the four photos on the site are for 78647, Town of Ludlow. Greg was the photographer."

Another proof (and in this case a definite proof) is given by the following picture:
http://image10.webshots.com/11/1/10/23/ ... gzR_fs.jpg
I found this photo only yesterday. It shows the same mission markings, the "Let´s Roll" logo, the "POW MIA" door art and, last not least, "647" as the last three digits. Likely the best related photo on the web, taken and posted online by "topgunusaf".

For more photos of 78-0647 (including a nice hi-res close-up of the "POW MIA" door art - especially recommendable for "Dice-man") check out the following album:
http://community.webshots.com/album/136715540pNpkwH

And what is with the seven "surplus" bombs, "Hawg166"?

Regards
J.J.

_________________
Joachim Jacob
Warthog News Editor
http://warthognews.blogspot.com

Hawg166 is busy fixing his jet.

Goose

LIVE FREE OR DIE

_________________
\"Live Free Or Die\"

If the photo link for "78-0647" at webshots.com not works ("Forbidden...") klick http://community.webshots.com/photo/136 ... 1023EcygzR and than select "View Full Size".

If you klick
http://community.webshots.com/photo/136 ... 7003gpmPbr
you will find a second MA bird with OIF mission markings ("612"). Another shot of this aircraft in the album is dubbed "MA 79-612"). But I think that must be "78-0612". Correct or not?

Regards
J.J.

_________________
Joachim Jacob
Warthog News Editor
http://warthognews.blogspot.com

Spend some more time with surfing the web to collect related photo proofs. Look at http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=91934 for MA bird "216" with OIF mission markings (only four stars and few bombs). According to another photo of this aircraft at airliners.net, it must be 79-0216 "City of Holyoke".

Regards
J.J.

_________________
Joachim Jacob
Warthog News Editor
http://warthognews.blogspot.com

<img src="http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a299/usmilobserver/A-10s%20OIF/missionmarkingsclose-up.jpg" border=0>

This is a close-up cutting from the hi-res version which I`ve got from the webmasters of www.tankkiller.com. It shows highly detailed the OIF mission markings of 78-0647 "Town of Ludlow".

Regards
J.J.

_________________
Joachim Jacob
Warthog News Editor
http://warthognews.blogspot.com

Give it up usmilobserver, to use a phrase from the Air Force you have pretty much been "placed on disreguard" by most members of this forum. It's likely you don't know what that means but the other memebrs do, and they will get "my drift". <img src=icon_smile_evil.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

Ugly But Well Hung

I know abso-friggin'-lutely nothing about OIF marking procedures, but I'd assume from every other picture I've seen of an aircraft involved that has their ordinance/sorties painted, they're marked one row at a time, evenly spaced (most that I've seen are meticulously spaced to get them perfectly aligned), starting at the bottom and moving left to right, then up as rows are needed.

The picture you've found shows faded (possibly painted over?) markings for the 7 bombs that Dice is referring to. They're not aligned with the two regularly-spaced (and IMHO legitimate) rows of bomb markings, they're either faded or painted over, and in that hi-res section photo they even look like they might be a different shade of black.

Don't know if these were Photoshopped in (don't see the reason they would be) or if they're just mistakes... but I'd think that they're obviously not from OIF, and I'd also take Dice and Co.'s words over some "webmaster photographer"...

"The first thing you learn in life is you're a fool. The last thing you learn is you're the same fool."
- Ray Bradbury

Hey guys - New here & walking into this chat somewhat blindly here, but please help me understand. You think I Photoshopped mission markings on the MA ANG photo from tankkiller.com? I run the site & am totally lost on this string.

If I'm misunderstanding, I apologize

- C

hey...maybe those seven mystery markings are older. Say, 1999 or so?

Just a thought.

Coack

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
Hey guys - New here & walking into this chat somewhat blindly here, but please help me understand. You think I Photoshopped mission markings on the MA ANG photo from tankkiller.com? I run the site & am totally lost on this string.

If I'm misunderstanding, I apologize

<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

schatzi, first welcome to the forums, nice to have another Hawg supporter around.

yes, you are misunderstanding what the thread is all about. Our "cut-and-paste" friend, usmilobserver, is trying to make a point that he was right on the tail number after Hawg166 told him he was wrong.

Kingfrogger was just making the point that because observer gets all his info from Google, with little knowladge of the aircraft itself, he could be getting fooled by "pictures on the net."

I know your picture has not been "retouched" because I have a number of photos of this aircraft and it's markings during OEF and OIF. Coach, and most of the people who are in the A-10 community, know what's he's talking about when he says..." hey...maybe those seven mystery markings are older. Say, 1999 or so?"

usmilobserver is a "planespotter" who thinks he knows more than people who were involved in the above operations and work the aircraft every day. he started posting here begining with a lie, trying to tell everyone he was a freelance journalist but when called out on this calm...he couldn't back it up. It's just be going down-hill from there.

Hope you still around and post more because, we have a great bunch of guys and gals here.



Ugly But Well Hung

Let this thread finally die and listen to the words of coach. If anyone is good at google. The magic clue to this mystery is "rainbow". I was TDY with this jet when it was photographed in the summer of 03 at Osh Gosh WI. Or we might just mess with the public and atart marking the jets for bird strikes and ground aborts!

kungfu

As I'm sure the "regulars" can discern from my post (and history of posts) I wasn't trying to imply that I thought someone had deliberately fabricated fake pictures or anything like that. As Dice said, I was just suggesting that the pictures might not have been what they appeared to be.

People can make damn near anything they want on the internet, and a lot of 'em can make the stuff look authentic if they try; knowing something and "seeing it on the 'net" are miles apart.

"The first thing you learn in life is you're a fool. The last thing you learn is you're the same fool."
- Ray Bradbury