Stories of the A-10

A-10 Story – Lt. Col. Ed Riehle  April 2005

I saw my first A-10 in action at a fire power demonstration at Fort Knox, Kentucky almost 20 years ago. In the demo, we saw some of our militaries most lethal tools,  the claymore mines, impressive at any distance, 105mm and 155mm howitzers hitting targets you could not even see, Abrams tanks and the Bradley Fighting Vehicles roaring down a ‘live fire lane’ supported by Apaches that seemed to pop up out hide positions behind tree and terrain. Finally as if it were a grand finale on the Fourth of July, A-10’s,  two of them, would come streaking out of the blue, rolling, juking and engaging an imaginary Soviet Tank Company with that distinctive burrrrrrruppppp of that 30mm GAU-8.

Assigned to West Germany, with an Armor Battalion, I continued my casual observation and appreciation of the Warthog, looking up as they flew over the German country side, at the training ranges in Grafenwoehr and maneuver exercises at Hohenfels- low and fast with all the devastating effects we have come to expect from our Air Force.

Flash forward a couple of years, and I am in the Saudi Desert prior to crossing into Iraq, it was always a comfort to see a pair of A-10’s moving north at a high rate of speed knowing they were about to hit ground targets, Iraqi T-62 Tanks or their BMP’s dug deep and partially hidden in dangerous fighting positions- If they were spotted from the air the A-10’s would make quick work of the Iraqi vehicles and we would see nothing but burned out hulls with turrets blown clean off (better to give then to receive)

Finally as we ‘crossed the berm’ and moved up to our initial objectives, it was always good to know when we would have A-10 support on station above our heads if we needed the help. Even better to see them overhead and hear those turbine engines scream as they darted in for a quick kill, on targets of opportunity just to our northeast- It’s a sight I won’t forget, the killing power of a flying howitzer providing fires when called

Things have changed a great deal since Desert Storm, but I can imagine that the soldiers fighting the Global War on Terrorism in Iraq or Afghanistan feel the same sort of admiration and appreciation for the Air Force A-10, especially, when they look up, after hearing the distinctive sound of the turbine engine and 30mm canon, scan the horizon and see the black smoke of a recently serviced target-