250326-Z-UO452-1361

Maryland Air National Guard Lt. Col. Steven Montalvo, 175th Wing inspector general and A-10 pilot for the 104th Fighter Squadron, gestures farewell to fellow Guard members while taxiing to the runway in the A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft 705 at Warfield Air National Guard Base at Martin State Airport, Maryland, March 26, 2025. The aircraft was the first to be sent from the 175th Wing to the boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Tucson, Arizona, as part of the initial process of divesting the Maryland Air National Guard A-10C Thunderbolt II fleet.

Maryland Air National Guard divests first A-10

Maryland Air National Guard Lt. Col. Steven Montalvo, 175th Wing inspector general and A-10 pilot, Master Sgt. Christipher Kelley, 175th Command Post superintendent, and Tech. Sgt. John McCulloch, 175th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief, perform pre-flight inspections on Maryland Air National Guard A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft 705 at Warfield Air National Guard Base, Maryland, March 26, 2025, before its final flight to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. This flight is the first for the Maryland Air National Guard A-10s which are going through the process of divestment from the U.S. Air Force fleet. The A-10s will transit to the boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base where hundreds of retired aircraft are stored for final maintenance procedures and display preparation by the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group.

Maryland Air National Guard prepares for A-10 divestment

Airmen assigned to the 175th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron perform pre-divestment procedures on an A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft before it departs Warfield Air National Guard Base at Martin State Airport for Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, March 26, 2025, at Warfield Air National Guard Base at Martin State Airport, Maryland. The Maryland Air National Guard started the divestment of it's A-10C Thunderbolt II fleet, March 26, 2025, and is expected to be complete by September 2025. The Maryland A-10s will transit to the boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, where hundreds of retired aircraft are stored for final maintenance procedures and display preparation by the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group.

Maryland Air National Guard Begins Divesting A-10s

Published March 27, 2025
By Maj. Benjamin Hughes
175th Wing, Maryland Air National Guard

MIDDLE RIVER, Md. - The Maryland Air National Guard divested an A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft at Warfield Air National Guard Base at Martin State Airport March 26.

The U.S. Air Force announced in March 2024 a plan for the Maryland Air National Guard to divest all its A-10s this year and convert to a cyber wing. The 175th Wing is a dual-mission wing operating the A-10C Thunderbolt II and home to the 175th Cyberspace Operations Group, which executes offensive and defensive cyber operations and includes an intelligence squadron.

Although the secretary of the Air Force has yet to make a final basing decision, Maryland National Guard leadership and the Maryland congressional delegation remain committed to maintaining a flying mission at the 175th Wing.

“The Maryland Air National Guard has proudly flown the A-10 for decades, answering our nation’s call and serving with distinction at home and abroad,” said Maryland Army National Guard Maj. Gen. Janeen L. Birckhead, the adjutant general of Maryland. “While this divestment is part of an Air Force-wide modernization effort, we remain fully committed to fighting for a future flying mission in Maryland. Our Airmen deserve the opportunity to continue demonstrating their world-class skill in the air as well as in cyberspace.”

The divestment of the remaining Maryland Air National Guard A-10s from the 104th Fighter Squadron, which completed nine combat deployments over the past 20 years, will be completed by September.

The A-10s will transit to the boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona, where hundreds of retired aircraft are stored for final maintenance procedures and prepared for display by the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group.

“The 175th Wing has proven time and again that we are capable of adapting, leading and excelling in every mission we’re given,” said Maryland Air National Guard Brig. Gen. Drew E. Dougherty, assistant adjutant general for Air. “But our Airmen — and the state of Maryland — should not be left as the only state without a flying mission. It’s more than tradition; it’s a critical component of our national security.”