Two A-10 Thunderbolt IIs from the 124th Fighter Wing out of Boise, Idaho, perform landing on unpaved landing strip at the National Training Center June 5, 2019. The Idaho Air Force National Guard’s 124th Fighter Wing is supporting the Idaho Army National Guard’s 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team’s rotation at the National Training Center. The 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team is completing National Training Center Rotation 19-08, a 29-day training event, which includes more than 4,000 service members comprised of units from 13 states and territories. The training simulates the modern day battlefield to train the U.S. military for global operations. The 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team is the largest formation of the Idaho Army National Guard.
The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is a single-seat, twin turbofan engine, straight wing jet aircraft developed by Fairchild-Republic for the United States Air Force (USAF). It is commonly referred to by the nicknames “Warthog” or “Hog”, although the A-10’s official name comes from the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, a World War II fighter-bomber effective at attacking ground targets. The A-10 was designed for close air support (CAS) of friendly ground troops, attacking armored vehicles and tanks, and providing quick-action support against enemy ground forces. It entered service in 1976 and is the only production-built aircraft that has served in the USAF that was designed solely for CAS. Its secondary mission is to provide forward air controller – airborne support, by directing other aircraft in attacks on ground targets.
