A-10s spend busy summer supporting ground troops in Afghanistan
An A-10 Thunderbolt II from the 81st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, taxis to a de-arm area at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, following a combat sortie over Afghanistan. The A-10's 30-mm gun, a signature capability of the aircraft, delivers enormous firepower to support ground forces engaged against anti-Coalition extremists. This A-10 is deployed to Bagram from the 81st Fighter Squadron at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. In addition to the 81st FS, the Air Force Reserve?s 442nd Fighter Wing, from Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., contributed aircraft, pilots and maintainers to the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing at Bagram for an Air Expeditionary Force rotation. (US Air Force photo/Maj. David Kurle)