The familiar growl of the A-10C Thunderbolt II echoed across southern Arizona one final time July 29th, as Airmen and local civic leaders gathered at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base to witness the aircraft’s final flight, marking the end of nearly 5 decades of A-10 operations at the installation.
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“It’s not a place. It’s not people. It’s a mindset,” said Chief Master Sgt. Dave Anderson Jr., 355th Operations Group senior enlisted leader. “Hopefully that attack mindset will continue to live on, and it will make every single Airman it touches, every single airframe it touches, every single organization it touches better.”
For nearly 5 decades, the A-10 represented more than a weapon system; it reflected the discipline, professionalism and commitment of the Airmen who ensured the aircraft remained ready to answer the nation’s call. Every sortie, every training mission contributed to a legacy built on supporting forces on the ground in some of the most austere operational environments in the world.
“We’ve always had A-10s on the ramp; for the last 50 years they’ve been on the ramp,” said Lt. Col. Rodney Dwyer, 355th Operations Group commander. “To see the sunshades get torn down, to see the jets divest, fewer and fewer A-10s out there … it’s definitely bittersweet.”
As the aircraft landed following its final flight, the significance of the moment settled across the flightline. The Warthog’s mission at Davis-Monthan had ended, but the legacy created by the Airmen who flew, maintained and supported the aircraft will remain woven into the history of the base and the Tucson community for generations to come.
