Two A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft prepare to take-off during a light rain at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich., Aug. 10, 2012. Airmen from the 107th Fighter Squadron, who fly the aircraft, and the 127th Maintenance Group, who maintain the aircraft, participated in a surge operation, launching and recovering a higher-than-usual number of aircraft, as part of a series of readiness training exercises taking place at the base in August. (Air National Guard photo by John S. Swanson)
Seen from the air traffic control tower on the opposite side of the air field, three A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft taxi out of the parking ramp area toward the active runway at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich., Aug. 10, 2012. An orange glow can be seen under the structures at left, where Airmen were using work lights in an early morning rain to prepare for the day’s flying missions. Airmen from the 107th Fighter Squadron, who fly the aircraft, and the 127th Maintenance Group, who maintain the aircraft, participated in a surge operation, launching and recovering a higher-than-usual number of aircraft, as part of a series of readiness training exercises taking place at the base in August. (Air National Guard photo by John S. Swanson)
Ground crew personnel perform the final maintenance checks and adjustments as three A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft wait at the “last chance” holding area just prior to take off in an early morning rain at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich., Aug. 10, 2012. Airmen from the 107th Fighter Squadron, who fly the aircraft, and the 127th Maintenance Group, who maintain the aircraft, participated in a surge operation, launching and recovering a higher-than-usual number of aircraft, as part of a series of readiness training exercises taking place at the base in August. (Air National Guard photo by John S. Swanson)
An A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft takes off during an early morning rain at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich., Aug. 10, 2012. Airmen from the 107th Fighter Squadron, who fly the aircraft, and the 127th Maintenance Group, who maintain the aircraft, participated in a surge operation, launching and recovering a higher-than-usual number of aircraft, as part of a series of readiness training exercises taking place at the base in August. (Air National Guard photo by John S. Swanson)
TSgt Ashane Curtis from the 127th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron connects to a communications system on an A-10 Thunderbolt II prior to at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich., Aug. 10, 2012. Communications between the pilot and maintenance crew are vital during launch, recovery and turning of the aircraft. (Air National Guard photo by TSgt. David Kujawa)
TSgt Recardo Perez, a crew chief from the 127th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, marshals an A-10 Thunderbolt II to the flight line for a lunch during flight operations on Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich., Aug. 10, 2012. The 127th AMXS crew launched, recovered, and turned A-10s throughout the day, during a surge operation. (Air National Guard photo by TSgt. David Kujawa)
Airmen of the 127th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron load an AGM-65 air-to-ground training missile on to an A-10 Thunderbolt II as part of flight operations at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich., Aug. 10, 2012. The 127th AMXS crews launched, recovered, and turned A-10s throughout the day, during a surge operation. (Air National Guard photo by TSgt. David Kujawa)
8/14/2012 - SELFRIDGE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Mich. -- The only aircraft in the Air Force inventory carrying the "A" designator for "attack," the A-10 Thunderbolt II brings a tremendous amount of firepower to any combat scenario. These A-10s, flown by the 107th Fighter Squadron and maintained by the 127th Maintenance Group, are based at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich. The two units spent the last part of 2011 and the early part of 2012 forward deployed to Afghanistan in support of U.S. and allied ground forces there.
As part of a readiness exercise in August, the units conducted a surge in flight operations for several days, simulating the operating tempo that could be required to support a war fighting mission. Over a two-day period, the units conducted more than 70 sorties of A-10 aircraft at Selfridge.
