Approximately 500 airmen from Selfridge Air National Guard Base are now home following perhaps the busiest summer in the modern history of the Michigan Air National Guard.
The last of the A-10 Thunderbolt aircraft from the Harrison Township base that were deployed in April to engage in the air campaign against ISIS returned home today with little fanfare.
Most of these airmen were deployed for six months, the longest mass deployment of Selfridge air crews since the Korean War. A-10 pilots and support crews supported more than 1,600 sorties, logging more than 11,000 combined hours of combat flight time.
Airmen of the Selfridge-based 127th Wing have been filtering home over the past several weeks, with the largest contingency returning to Michigan over the past three days.
Ten jets and pilots returned on Thursday, and the majority of the airmen coming home touched down today. Most of the airmen and aircraft spent six months in Southwest Asia, supporting Operation Inherent Resolve and other missions.
“Our airmen — and their families — have been fully engaged. It is with great gratitude and respect for a job well done that we welcome them home,” said Brig. Gen. John D. Slocum, commander of the 127th Wing at Selfridge.
According to the Air National Guard, the largest group of airmen, about 350, were from the units that fly and operate the A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft (affectionately known as the Warthog), notably the 107th Fighter Squadron, 127th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and 127th Maintenance Squadron.
Warthog flies low and slow
The A-10’s role is to flow low and slow over the battlefield, attacking enemy troops and destroying tanks and other armored vehicles.
The updated version, the A-10 Thunderbolt II, features a tough, titanium skin that is able to survive direct hits from armor-piercing and high-explosive projectiles.
When shot up, it just keeps going. The aircraft is designed to fly with one engine, one tail, and half of one wing missing.
Online videos demonstrate the power of the Warthog’s Gatling gun. Each round fired by the 30 mm cannon, located at the nose of the plane, is about the size of a beer bottle.
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| A-10s get a wash down upon their arrival back at Selfridge on Thursday. |
Those airmen who have flown the A-10 refer to its four-rounds-per-second bursts of gunfire as the “brrrrrt.” The plane is also known for the distinctive whistling sound of its twin jet engines.
The 107th Fighter Squadron, known as the Red Devils, which flies the A-10s has existed since Selfridge became operational in 1917, making the site one of the oldest air bases in the nation and the squadron one of the first of its kind in the nation.
Mid-air refueling tankers also involved
Smaller contingents of air crews from the KC-135 Stratotanker units at Selfridge deployed for 2- and 3-month periods, flying some 300-plus missions, logging almost 2,200 combat flight hours. They completed their deployments earlier this month. Units in involved in the KC-135 deployment included the 171st Air Refueling Squadron, the 191st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and the 191st Maintenance Squadron. The KC-135 is principally an air-to-air refueling aircraft, though it can also be configured to carry injured personnel or troops and cargo.
According to local 127th Wing records, having 500 airmen deployed from the 1,700-member unit at a single time has not happened since the Korean War ended in 1953.
Slocum noted that while many of the Selfridge airmen were deployed, missions also continued at the base. As an example, the local aerial port unit supported 89 different missions in fiscal year 2015, which ended Sept. 30, moving a total of 2,230 passengers and 625 tons of cargo via aircraft.
While significant numbers of Airmen were still deployed, the 127th Wing also underwent a pre-scheduled operational readiness inspection, receiving an overall grade of “excellent.”
“Many of our Airmen are now enjoying a hard-earned period of rest and recovery,” Slocum said. “I cannot emphasize enough how proud I am of each one of them.”
Fighting against ‘barbaric acts’
A final group of approximately 50 airmen will complete the deployment when they return home by the end of the month.
The 127th Wing has been deployed four times to Afghanistan and Iraq over the past several years.
A-10s from other U.S. bases have also been deployed across Europe this year – in Germany, the United Kingdom, Poland and Romania – in response to Russian aggression against Ukraine.
“Today, our great nation faces new enemies in the Islamic State and al Qaeda that are true enemies of freedom and liberty,” said Congresswoman Candice Miller (R-Harrison Township). “Their barbaric acts against the innocent must be stopped, because, ultimately, this threat will expand to the security of America and our allies.
“… Today, we welcome home these servicemen and women who have just returned from a 6-month deployment in-theater to fight ISIS in Iraq and Syria. I cannot stress enough how proud we are of them for their service and sacrifice.”
