The 354th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, a contingent of airmen and 12 A-10C ground-attack aircraft from Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., flew at a blistering pace to support coalition ground troops during its six-month deployment to Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, that is concluding this month. The unit, known as the Bulldogs, has already amassed more than 10,000 flight hours and 2,500 sorties. Basing at Kandahar put these A-10s, which carry Sniper targeting pods and the situational awareness data link, “much closer to the fight” than had they operated out of Bagram Airfield, said Lt. Col. Michael Millen, 354th EFS commander. His A-10s flew more sorties per day, per aircraft, than any other ground-attack unit in the war theater. This included providing critical overhead firepower and on-scene command when Combat Outpost Keating came under insurgent attack last October. (Kandahar report by Capt. Kristen D. Duncan)
U.S. Air Force F-35s and F-22s regularly deploy deep into the Pacific region from Alaska, Utah, and Hawaii. In the future, though, the head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command would like to see the Air Force permanently station fifth-generation aircraft west of the international date line—closer to China.