Random Thoughts on the Mighty Hog - Part 2

[Shipwreck]

A-10s set to soar in Al Anbar province

by 1st Lt. Landon Derentz
332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

1/22/2007 - AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq (AFNEWS) -- A-10 Thunderbolt IIs assigned to the 438th Air Expeditionary Group landed one by one at their new home Jan. 17 here.

A formation of more than 200 Airmen assembled for the 438th AEG activation and assumption of command ceremony Jan. 15 as the unit is in the Al Anbar province to provide close-air support to coalition forces in the region.

"We feel extremely honored to support the Combined Forces Air Component commander's mission in Iraq and to be joining the proud heritage of the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing -- the Tuskegee Airmen," said Col. Patrick Malackowski, the 438th AEG commander.

The 438th AEG falls under the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing at Balad AB, Iraq. Brig. Gen. Robin Rand, the 332nd AEW commander, presided over the ceremony and welcomed the 438th AEG into the wing.

"Just like the P-47 Thunderbolts that provided close-air support for Marines storming the beaches of Iwo Jima 60 years ago, the modern-day warriors of this group will soon be providing close-air support in A-10 Thunderbolts for Marines on the streets of Ramadi and Fallujah," General Rand said. "Together, we will influence the course of history and help Iraq transition to democracy."

At Al Asad AB, the A-10s will join the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward), soon to be replaced by the 2nd MAW (Forward), as the primary units operating from the base. Marine F-18 Hornets, C-130 Hercules, EA-6 Prowlers, AV-8 Harriers and several types of rotary wing aircraft are currently in use here.

With the addition of the A-10s, the 332nd AEW now has five primary aircraft in its inventory, including F-16 Fighting Falcons, C-130, MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicles and HH-60 Pave Hawk combat-search-and-rescue helicopters. The addition of the A-10s greatly increases the wing's role in providing precision weapons and sensors employment.

"In my opinion there are no pilots who perform close air support better than A-10 pilots," General Rand said. "The 438th Air Expeditionary Group's mission against anti-Iraqi forces will be vital in helping to secure victory in Iraq."

The A-10s are deployed from the 74th Fighter Squadron, Pope Air Force Base, N.C. Their distinctive shark teeth nose art identifies them as direct descendants of the famed World War II P-40 fighters known as the "Flying Tigers." The original shark's teeth and eyes were designed to scare enemies during battles in Burma and China.

Link

[Shipwreck]

A-10
by Lt. Col. Michael Baumgart
Flying Safety, Jan-Feb, 2005

The past year wasn't such a good one for the mighty Warthog community. In all, there were three Class A, six Class B, 31 Class C and 64 Class E mishaps--as compared to one, seven, 21 and 54, respectively, in FY03. Unfortunately, the Class A's accounted for one fatality.

This is a rate of 2.41 Class A mishaps per 100,000 flying hours, and it is pointing definitely in the wrong direction.

Class A Mishaps

The three A-10 Class A mishaps in FY04 resulted in one pilot fatality and two destroyed aircraft.

(1) The year's first Class A mishap:

While performing the tactical portion of the mission, the mishap aircraft experienced an engine compressor stall. At that time, the speed brakes on the aircraft were extended. The combination of the extended speed brakes and the loss of the right engine, created a situation in which the mishap pilot was unable to maintain a safe air speed without descending. Upon reaching the minimum safe ejection altitude without reestablishing safe flight parameters, the mishap pilot ejected without injuries.

(2) The year's second Class A mishap:

The mishap pilot was on a night vision goggle takeoff and landing upgrade sortie. The mishap occurred just two minutes after takeoff. The mishap aircraft gradually entered into a right banking turn with no correction. The mishap pilot attempted to eject, but the impact interrupted the ejection sequence.

(3) The year's third Class A mishap:

After more than one hour of flight the mishap pilot noticed and confirmed a left engine fire. After performing the boldface procedure for engine fire, the mishap pilot made a single-engine landing and emergency ground egressed the aircraft without injuries.

Class B Mishaps

The A-10 experienced six Class B mishaps in FY04. Briefly stated are the circumstances of each Class B mishap:

* The mission was planned and flown as a single-ship air combat maneuver attack sortie. On the fourth engagement, the pilot rolled right and (momentarily) flew the mishap aircraft into the engine disturbance envelope. Preexisting damage to the compressor blades resulted in the mishap engine experiencing a minor compressor stall. The mishap pilot shut down the engine and recovered the aircraft uneventfully.

* The flight was planned as a Basic Surface Attack (SAT) mission. The mishap pilot perceived a brown streak pass by the right side of the canopy. The mishap pilot maneuvered, but felt an impact on the mishap aircraft, which turned out to be a turkey vulture, which was ingested into the engine. The strike deformed and fractured fan blades on the first-stage turbine, and the mishap pilot landed uneventfully, shut down on the runway, and egressed.

* The flight was briefed as a four-ship SAT mission. The mishap pilot was the flight lead performing instructor pilot duties. During the sortie, the outboard end of a pivot bolt broke free from the attached rib due to fatigue cracking. The mishap pilot shut down the mishap engine and performed a single-engine landing, shut down the engine, and egressed the aircraft.

* The mishap sortie was planned, briefed and flown as an SAT mission. A rivet worked loose during flight and exited the aircraft into the slip-stream. The rivet was ingested in the left engine intake, impacting a fan blade, and was then passed into the compressor section. The mishap engine sustained major damage to the compressor section, and the mishap pilot shut down the engine and flew an emergency single-engine approach.

* The mishap aircraft returned from a routine Forward Air Controller Airborne continuation training sortie. The sortie was flown as planned, with no abnormal engine indications noted. During the post-flight inspection, maintenance personnel discovered damage to the No. 1 engine fan blades. The mishap engine is still under investigation to determine the cause of fan blade damage.

* The mishap pilot flew the aircraft on a single-ship Ground Forward Air Controller support sortie. During a two-second long-range strafe burst, the pilot heard an unusual sound as the gun ceased firing prior to the gun limiter stop. The mishap pilot terminated maneuvering and placed the gun switches to safe. During landing gear extension, both engines ingested gun parts that had exited as the nose landing gear wheel well opened, and sustained substantial foreign object damage.

Lessons Learned

Don't believe the old saying, "It doesn't happen to me." Don't increase your risk foolishly. Don't jeopardize your safety to impress yourself. Stay close to system data. As you know, the laws of physics are immutable!

Fly safe.


COPYRIGHT 2005 U.S. Air Force, Safety Agency
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group

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Between Sept. 15 and Dec. 28, 2005, the A-10 of the 354th Fighter Squadron "Bulldogs" have flown more than 1,700 combat sorties, totaling more than 6,000 combat hours, and fired more than 20,000 rounds of 30 mm bullets.

“(The) 30 mm (cannon) is the weapon of choice for A-10 pilots in providing pinpoint accuracy against the enemy with ‘friendlies’ or civilians unharmed sometimes less than 100 meters away,” said the squadron commander Lt. Col. Martha McSally.

Source

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Air Force To Keep All A-10 Thunderbolts
by John A. Tirpak
Air Force Magazine
Tuesday July 11, 2006

The Air Force will keep all its A-10 Warthogs and almost completely rebuild them, according to Gen. Michael Moseley, Chief of Staff. At the July 7 inauguration ceremonies for the F-35 strike fighter, Moseley told Air Force Magazine that the 2008 program objective memoranda—the five-year spending plan—calls for thoroughly rewinging the A-10 fleet and funds the entire suite of precision engagement and structural modifications, known as the “Hog Up” program. Moseley noted that while the service originally had planned to take 95 A-10s out of service and use the maintenance savings to pay for the mods, the Air Force has decided not to reduce the fleet after all.

Money to upgrade the A-10’s TF-34 engine “fell out” of the upcoming five-year spending plan—the 2008 POM—according to the Gen. Michael Moseley. However, he said that he hasn’t given up hope. In the Chief of Staff’s words: “That modification, that upgrade of the TF-34 engine, that’s where my heart is. That’s where I want to go.”


Copyright Air Force Association. All Rights Reserved.

[Shipwreck]

A-10
by Lt. Col. Richard J. "Moses" Burgess
Flying Safety, Jan-Feb, 2003

From a safety perspective, FY02 was both a good and bad year for the mighty Warthog. The positive side was that mishap rates were better than historical averages, but the negative side is that we lost two Hog brethren in fatal mishaps. Over the 30 years the A-10 has been in the inventory, 96 Hogs have been destroyed in non-combat mishaps. This is an average of 3.2 mishaps per year over the life of the Hog, or a lifetime rate of 2.40 mishaps per 100,000 flying hours. In the last 10 years the numbers are slightly better. Since 1992 we've had 25 A-10 Class A mishaps or 2.5 per year, and a mishap rate of 1.86 Class As for every 100,000 hours flown. The two Class As in FY02 are below historical averages and the FY02 mishap rate of 1.72 is lower than both the 10- and 30-year averages. The two fatalities in the A-10 in FY02 were double the average--one pilot fatality per year--over the last 10 years. The Hog also experienced seven Class B mishaps in FY02. Let's take a look at some of these mishaps and see what we ca n learn from them.

Class A Mishaps

The two A-10 Class A mishaps in FY02 resulted in two pilot fatalities--one from a midair collision between fighter and FAC-A during a CAS training mission over the Arizona ranges, and one a flight into terrain mishap during a multi-national composite force interdiction training sortie.

* A-10 (fighter) midair with A-10 (FAC-A). The mishap sortie was the third sortie of a planned hot-pit surge for the mishap pilots. Upon arrival in the training airspace for the close air support training mission, and throughout the tactical portion of the mishap sortie, the A-10 FAC-A (single ship) established deconfliction measures consisting of vertical (altitude), lateral (geographic), or both with the A-10 fighter aircraft (two ship). The first two close air support attacks were uneventful. Prior to the fighters' third attack the fighter flight lead and the FAC-A had a midair collision. Both aircraft were rendered unflyable. The FAC-A successfully ejected and was recovered by search and rescue assets, and the mishap flight lead was fatally injured. Both aircraft were destroyed upon ground impact.

* A-10 flight into terrain. The A-la flight lead (mishap pilot) and A-10 wingman were part of a multi-national composite force interdiction mission and were tasked against a target in the French Polygone airspace, an electronic combat range. The mishap flight planned a low altitude ingress at 500 feet AGL with a fly-up 7 NM from the target for a 30-degree dive bomb delivery. During the planned attack the mishap aircraft (flight lead) impacted the ground. The pilot was fatally injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

Class B Mishaps

The A-10 experienced seven total Class B mishaps ($200,000 to $1 million) in FY02. This is the fourth highest number of Class Bs in the Hog's 30-year history.

* A-10 compressor stall, overtemp. During a BFM MQT sortie, the mishap aircraft was flown into a slow speed, high AOA flight regime. The MA experienced a compressor stall with high ITT] indications. The MP shut down the mishap engine and flew an uneventful single engine approach and landing.

* A-10 engine damage. During routine post-flight maintenance, inspection revealed Turbine Engine Monitoring System (TEMS) reporting. Further inspection revealed damage to high and low pressure turbine blades and was determined to be non-FOD related.

* A-10 ammo (30 mm TP) exploded in the gun during strafe pass. The mishap sortie was a 2-ship Air Strike control upgrade sortie. The mishap flight made several attacks on targets while awaiting the arrival of dedicated fighter assets. Following BDU-33 bombing deliveries, the MP set up for a two-target high-angle strafe pass. The first burst was uneventful. During the second strafe burst, a 30 mm TP round exploded in the gun housing, causing the Gun Unsafe light to illuminate. Following a knock-it-off call, the mishap wingman rejoined and found extensive damage to the aircraft. MP landed the aircraft uneventfully.

* A-10 engine damage. During an A-10 BFM engagement, the mishap engine experienced an unrecoverable stall. MP shut down the engine and diverted to an emergency airfield and executed an uneventful single-engine approach and landing.

* A-10 engine damage. Following an uneventful Basic Surface Attack mission, the MP landed the MA. MP exited the runway and at an undetermined time the MA experienced an engine malfunction causing high ITT. MP followed the boldface for engine fire on the ground, shutting down the mishap engine, then shut down the other engine normally. MP ground egressed without further incident.

* A-10 engine damage. Mishap aircraft experienced #1 engine fire and overtemp indications. No further information available.

* A-10 engine damage, compressor stall. During a day weapons pass, MA experienced a #2 engine compressor stall. MP shut down the engine and recovered uneventfully at an auxiliary airfield via a single-engine approach and landing.

Lessons Learned

Here are a couple of things we can take away from mishaps over the last year. First, from this year's Class A mishaps we are reminded of the importance of airspace deconfliction and visual lookout in the front quadrant of the jet. Whether it's during medium altitude CAS or a tree-top interdiction ingress, we've got to keep SA on what's in front of us, or about to be in front of us in the next few seconds. Both fatalities this year involved fully functioning A-l0s running into something: one running into another A-10 during medium altitude CAS and one running into the ground during a low level attack.

Second, pilots and their wingmen are doing outstanding jobs handling engine-related emergencies. Six of the seven Class Bs involved serious engine damage, and all six jets were recovered uneventfully. We need to continue to focus emergency procedure training on these types of mishaps and have a solid gameplan in mind every time we fly.

A single-engine approach and landing are not "normal" by any stretch, so table top, 1-G discussions about yaw rates, flight parameters and cockpit indications are invaluable. Time and gas should also be allocated for training for these contingencies whenever possible. Congratulations to Hog drivers all over the world for another year of successfully instilling fear into the hearts and minds of enemy tank drivers and ground forces. Fly safe and have a great year!


COPYRIGHT 2003 U.S. Air Force, Safety Agency
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group

[Shipwreck]

Limitations :

Even though the new capabilities of the A-10 are impressive, it is still an old
aircraft with many of the same limitations and lacks many of the capabilities of newer aircraft.

The aircraft continues to struggle with a significant thrust limitation. The A-10 was underpowered from inception, and the added weight and drag of subsequent modifications have only added to this problem.

All combat loads include the TGP and ECM and IR countermeasures pods, which greatly increases baseline drag. The proposal to acquire new engines for the A-10 has been discussed for decades, but the multibillion dollar price tag continues to rule out a propulsion upgrade.

The aircraft continues to struggle off the runway and climb to employment altitude, but new employment tactics help alleviate some of the thrust limitations in the target area.

PE makes possible the accurate delivery of all weapons (except the gun) in level flight above 20,000 feet with greatly improved accuracy. Prior to the modification, steep-diving deliveries were required to insure visual target acquisition and to achieve the desired accuracy. These deliveries exposed the aircraft to more surface-to-air threats at lower altitudes, especially
during the agonizingly slow climb back to altitude, with no excess energy available to perform evasive maneuvers. Reducing the need to perform these tactically risky deliveries has lessened the impact of the A-10’s thrust deficiency.

The A-10’s slow speed continues to provide advantages while working at low altitude and in bad weather, especially when visually identifying targets and friendlies, but this slower speed also prevents it from integrating with other aircraft in strike packages.

Source :

HANSEN, Ralph S., Major, USAF
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE A-10 ON THE BATTLEFIELD OF 2010
Thesis, Faculty of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, 2002
Pages 59-60

[B.Smitty]

It seems all i've been hearing lately is that by the time I'm flying, the A-10 is going to be heading out...and that's only in a couple years. MY guess is that NObody knows what's really goin on...

Well last I heard it won't be retired until 2028.

Of course anything can happen.

[B.Smitty]

Just after GW1 when Clinton did his level best to pull the teeth out of the Americna miltiary bite the Air Force seriosuly considered getting rid of the A-10. it wasn't flashy or high tech and budget dollars were in short supply. The Army threatened to break the interservice agreement on fixed wing aircraft and fly them itself if that happened. The Airforce backed down but has never properly supported the aircraft. It is alway the last combat jet to get magor upgrades and is now IIRC mostly a guard aircraft.

GW1 was in 1991 - 16 years ago. A lot has changed since then.

Now most, if not all, of A-10s are getting the "C" upgrade and could at some point even get new engines.

Seems like they're being pretty well supported now.

[zraver]

No, on the contrary, it's been years since we have talked about getting rid of the A-10.

Just after GW1 when Clinton did his level best to pull the teeth out of the Americna miltiary bite the Air Force seriosuly considered getting rid of the A-10. it wasn't flashy or high tech and budget dollars were in short supply. The Army threatened to break the interservice agreement on fixed wing aircraft and fly them itself if that happened. The Airforce backed down but has never properly supported the aircraft. It is alway the last combat jet to get magor upgrades and is now IIRC mostly a guard aircraft.

[Shipwreck]

Russian Air Force to receive first six Su-25SM attack aircraft

RIA Novosti
25/ 12/ 2006

MOSCOW, December 25 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's Air Force will receive six modernized Su-25SM Frogfoot attack aircraft at an aircraft repair plant in the Moscow Region December 27, the chief Air Force spokesman said Monday.

"The reception of the machines will be hosted personally by the Air Force commander, Army General Vladimir Mikhailov," Alexander Drobyshevsky told RIA Novosti.

Drobyshevsky said the attack aircraft are the first to have undergone substantial modernization at the Russian Defense Ministry aircraft repair facilities.

The Su-25, a single-seat armored subsonic Frogfoot attack plane with a maximum takeoff weight of 19.3 metric tons and a maximum speed of 950 kilometers (590 miles) an hour, is armed with a 30 millimeter cannon and various air-to-ground munitions.

It can carry more than 4,000 kilograms (8,800 pounds) of weaponry, and can provide close infantry support in any weather or time of day.

The Su-25SM, a modernized version of the Su-25, has improved survivability and combat capability.

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20061225/57751005.html

[Blackjack]

No, on the contrary, it's been years since we have talked about getting rid of the A-10.

It seems all i've been hearing lately is that by the time I'm flying, the A-10 is going to be heading out...and that's only in a couple years. MY guess is that NObody knows what's really goin on...

[B.Smitty]

Haven't we been talking about getting rid of the A-10 for years? I really don't see it happening. And HOPEfully not, considering that's all I wanna fly.

No, on the contrary, it's been years since we have talked about getting rid of the A-10.

[Dreadnought]

So long as we are involved in the ME you can almost be certain you will see the A10. It is well suited for its missions there.;)

[Blackjack]

Haven't we been talking about getting rid of the A-10 for years? I really don't see it happening. And HOPEfully not, considering that's all I wanna fly.

[Shipwreck]

Cajun Sunet: New Orleans bids farewell to 926th Fighter Wing

by Master Sgt. Chance C. Babin
Headquarters Air Force Reserve Command

12/6/2006 - ROBINS AFB, Ga. -- In 1755, British troops, with the help of New England militia, forcibly removed 8,000 Acadians from their land and homes in what was known as the Great Expulsion, le Grand Dérangement. The area in Canada, once known as Acadia, became Nova Scotia. Their homes burned and their lands confiscated, the French-speaking Acadians were forced to pick up their lives and families and start anew elsewhere. A resilient group, the Acadians established new lives, predominantly in south Louisiana, where they became known as Cajuns.

Some 251 years later, members of the 926th Fighter Wing, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, La., a unit known as the "Fighting Cajuns," faced their own version of expulsion, this time at the hands of the latest Base Realignment and Closure Commission. In September, the 926th became the first Air Force Reserve Command unit to be closed by the lastest BRAC.

Although not as tragic as the Great Expulsion, the closure is nevertheless forcing people, who proudly embody the spirit of the Cajuns, to once again pick up their lives and start anew. For many, their lives were just getting back to normal after the destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina.

While the original Cajuns brought their skills for farming and fishing to Louisiana, 926th FW Airmen will bring their vast skills and experiences, along with a piece of the unit's rich heritage -- a heritage that stretched from World War II to the Global War on Terrorism, with a presence in New Orleans since 1958 -- to other Reserve units throughout the country.

To commemorate the closing of the unit, in the true spirit of New Orleans, the 926th FW hosted a farewell banquet and deactivation party Aug. 12, 2006, at the downtown Sheraton. The party, held a month before the unit's official closure, was named Operation Cajun Sunset.

A distinguished aspect of New Orleans culture is the jazz funeral. In 1819, architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe said New Orleans jazz funerals were "peculiar to New Orleans alone among all American cities." In his book "Bourbon Street Black," the late jazzman Danny Barker noted the funeral is seen as "a major celebration." The roots of the jazz funeral date back to Africa.

And it was with a similar approach that the Cajuns bid farewell. Although the unit was closing, the Reservists treated the occasion as a celebration of the past as well as the present.

"This party is a way to bring closure," said Col. Larry Merington, 926th FW commander. "It's a celebration, not a funeral, that goes back to the people we've worked with and for, who helped make a difference on this planet; a celebration of members who served over the last 50 years in this wing. We are closing a chapter of this book, so someone else will open a new chapter in our history."

"The significance really for tonight is to relish the relationships and friendships we've made over the years and to highlight the history of this unit, which goes a long way back," said Lt. Gen. John A. Bradley, AFRC commander. "We've got a lot of folks from many decades ago who are here with us tonight. This unit has had a long and proud history, and I'm just glad we've put together a first-class event so that people currently in the unit and those who were in the unit before can come together and celebrate the 926th Fighter Wing."

A year ago, far from being in a celebratory mood, members of the 926th were trying to get through the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, all the while dealing with the upcoming BRAC.

Of the slightly more than 1,000 people in the wing, 66 percent were negatively impacted by Katrina, with 34 percent either completely losing or being displaced from their homes, Colonel Merington said. While recovering from that terrible blow to their personal lives, they were faced with turmoil in their professional lives created by the wing's closure.

"All of these life-changing events in 12 months," Colonel Merington said. "Most people don't go through that much in 20 years. These are some resilient people, as courageous as any people I've seen."

No matter how resilient or courageous the folks of the 926th FW appeared to be on the outside, Colonel Merington said the wing's leadership was concerned about the members' mental state. The unit was recommended for closure before Katrina, but after the natural disaster, the process was expedited, causing increased stress.

"After Katrina hit, we went from (a closure timeline of) 2 1/2 years to nine months," Colonel Merington said. "It was a unique situation. People suffered disparaging harm from the hurricane, and then they had to go through BRAC. We became very concerned about what to do."

Wing leadership tapped into available Air Force and AFRC programs and brought in some counselors to help members cope with all the issues going on in their lives.

"We decided to go above and beyond to conduct what many called 'feel-good sessions,'" Colonel Merington said. "It was to let people know we cared about them deeply, never forgetting our obligation to take care of the physical and mental health of our people. We wanted them to know there was a lifeline."

Part of the stress came from the fact that the unit closure was sped up due to the hurricane. There are varying opinions of whether this was a good or bad thing. For Col. Steve Arthur, who was 926th FW commander at the time of the BRAC announcement and during Hurricane Katrina, speeding up the closure was a good thing. The colonel knows something about base closures as he was at Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas, when it was closed in the early 1990s.

"Having been through one before, you know where the pitfalls are," Colonel Arthur said. "I knew two of the things that would be good about closing sooner rather than later would be the availability of lots of jobs and lots of money. These really helped us out and proved to be an advantage."

Once the A-10s left New Orleans for Whiteman AFB, Mo., and Barksdale AFB, La., Colonel Arthur moved on to Whiteman as commander, and Colonel Merington took the reigns in July for the wing's final months.

"There will be debates about how fast you should close a unit under BRAC," Colonel Merington said. "From my seat, the faster the better. No lingering death, and no hacking off bits and pieces. The acceleration was a blessing as far as helping our people out was concerned."

Not everyone shares the two commanders' opinions about closing the wing early.

"Had we closed a year later, it would have been easier on everybody because so many people's houses were not back in order from Katrina, which made BRAC much harder," said Tech. Sgt. Richard Smith. "Everyone was just getting their lives back in order, and then they had to sell their houses due to BRAC."

Sergeant Smith, an air reserve technician and New Orleans native, took a job at Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla.

"I'm glad to have a job," Sergeant Smith said, "but I hate leaving my family and friends and uprooting my kids from their school, friends and family. But we are in the Air Force, and we know situations like this can happen. We make the best of it. It's not the end of the world, just a major inconvenience."

For units on the closure list, AFRC set up several programs, including a BRAC guide, member tracking codes, two clearinghouses, e-mail boxes and an archive, all designed to assist those affected.

"For me being a DOD (Department of Defense) civilian employee, placement was good," said Master Sgt. Norman Bailey, a member of the 926th Security Forces Squadron. "I was glad we were the first ones in the system. I applied the first week we could and had a hit in the first week.

"As far as my Reserve job was concerned, I wasn't as fortunate. I went through the clearinghouse, which showed me some hits, but there were some problems. We were told the units had to take us, but they said they didn't."

Another person who experienced some difficulties with the clearinghouse was Chief Master Sgt. Gary Hornosky, 926th FW command chief master sergeant. He ended up retiring in August.

"They made it sound like the clearinghouse was the answer, which was not the case for everyone," Chief Hornosky said. "I put my name in the clearinghouse and got no response whatsoever. I don't know if they received it or not. We started having supervisors call other units to help find jobs. That proved to be the most effective way."

Despite the problems, Colonel Merington said AFRC should maintain the clearinghouse.

"We are the first unit to use the traditional Reservist clearinghouse," Colonel Merington said. "With all new programs, there are always glitches, but it is a valuable tool, and we need to continue using it."

Although it's now closed, the wing's history book includes a stellar record during wartime. Dating back to the D-Day invasion of Normandy and continuing through the peacekeeping mission over Bosnia, Desert Storm and now the Global War on Terrorism, the unit has carved out an impressive record.

"This wing has always risen to the challenge of war and peacekeeping," Colonel Merington said. "I'd rather go to war with them than anyone else. The Cajun mentality is if there is no danger, let's party; but if there's danger, they are warriors and do their job very well."

As the first Reserve fighter unit recalled to active duty during Operation Desert Storm, the Cajuns became the most decorated unit during the war.

"They (active-duty people) were looking at us as if to say, 'What are you doing here?' We proved to them that we belonged," said Master Sgt. Ron Steib, an aircraft hydraulic technician, who recently retired. "All of our training paid off, and we rose to the occasion.

"After that it was like a drug to me. Anytime the unit deployed, I needed to go. They were my family."

In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on 9/11, the Cajuns were once again called to duty, as the unit deployed to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan.

"I was a little nervous because everyone's emotions were real high right after 9/11, and I'm thinking, 'Geez, am I up to the task here? Can we go over and do what needs to be done?'" said retired Lt. Col. Neil McAskill, former commander of the 706th Fighter Squadron. The colonel led the Cajuns in Bagram during Operation Enduring Freedom.

"The team was so fantastic," he said. "The guys were so motivated. We flew an enormous amount of sorties and didn't lose any to maintenance or logistics problems. They pretty much put the Air Force A-10 community on track for doing night operations with NVGs (night-vision goggles). For me it was the most special time in my military career, those four months at Bagram."

A lasting memory of the Cajuns is on display for the entire world to see. An A-10 Thunderbolt II known as "Chopper Popper" lives on at the Air Force Academy. The "Warthog," flown by then Capt. Bob Swain, now a colonel, was part of the first air-to-air kill during Operation Desert Storm.

Colonel Swain, an academy graduate and former 926th FW commander, is currently 22nd Air Force vice commander. And although he has moved on to bigger and better things, he will always be linked to the 926th FW.

"I owe a lot to New Orleans," he said. "I showed up as a captain and learned a lot about core values and got to work with some great personalities there."

But it was during Desert Storm in 1991 that the Cajuns made their mark by setting the bar for total-force integration. Colonel Swain's shooting down of an Iraqi helicopter was just lagniappe, a Cajun term that means something extra.

"It was just another mission, but the first is always a good thing," Colonel Swain said. "That airplane will be there long after we leave the Earth. It reinforces total force and is a great honor for the unit to have it on display at a great institution where we train future leaders."

For all members past and present who have served in the 926th FW, the colonel said the aircraft serves as a reminder that "when called, we served."

(Sergeant Babin is a traditional Reservist who served in the public affairs office of the 926th FW. He wrote this article while on a temporary duty assignment with Citizen Airman.)

http://www.citamn.afrc.af.mil/news/s...p?id=123034157