General Grunts in the Sky (A-10 documentary)

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Mix6APlix

The more you cry, the less I care.
Oct 20, 2015
12,918
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The U.S. Air Force has finally released a small official documentary on the A-10 Warthog ground attack aircraft’s contributions in Afghanistan nearly four years after Combat Camera airmen shot the footage. The service had apparently tried to suppress the film, officially known as “Grunts in the Sky,” as it pushed to retire the planes for good despite their record of “saving guys on the ground.”


The film has quickly begun to spread online after the Air Force released it in response to a private individual’s Freedom of Information Act Request in December 2017 and appeared on the unofficial Air Force amn/nco/snco Facebook group. The existence of the video first became public in September 2015, after former Air Force officer Tony Carr posted an initial version, known as “Hawg,” on his blog John Q. Public. Carr had been and continues to be an outspoken supporter of the service and its mission, but a vocal critic of its leadership and many of their decisions.

“It’s a pretty easy answer, too, in terms of ‘why are we here?’” one A-10 pilot says. “The number one priority is always saving guys on the ground,” another adds.
 

Onetrickpony

Stay gold
Nov 21, 2016
14,042
32,308
I’ve always loved those planes, they look mean as fuck. A plane built around a gun.









I remember when Dan from bushkill made loadin a knife from an a-10 barrel he procured.



Gorgeous knife.
 

Mix6APlix

The more you cry, the less I care.
Oct 20, 2015
12,918
13,449
I would have slaughtered everyone on my block for that knife.
 

Mix6APlix

The more you cry, the less I care.
Oct 20, 2015
12,918
13,449
He’s made some more. There was a lot of barrel.
Well I can't rationalize dropping a grand or more on a knife, as much as I'd like to. My coworkers, the smart ones anyways, would love if I brought that into the shop to sharpen.
 

Onetrickpony

Stay gold
Nov 21, 2016
14,042
32,308
Well I can't rationalize dropping a grand or more on a knife, as much as I'd like to. My coworkers, the smart ones anyways, would love if I brought that into the shop to sharpen.
I want to get Dan to make my dad a knife from some old tools of my grandpas but I’m a little worried about the price.
 

sparkuri

Pulse On The Finger Of The Community
First 100
Jan 16, 2015
34,427
46,565
It was a sad day when the A10 program was decommissioned.
It hasn't been.
With setback after setback surrounding F-35 progress, the AF simply couldn't afford to decommission the A-10.
And honestly, I can see it hanging around another decade.
 

BJTT_Pella

I want to go fishing.
Jun 25, 2015
2,936
4,173
It hasn't been.
With setback after setback surrounding F-35 progress, the AF simply couldn't afford to decommission the A-10.
And honestly, I can see it hanging around another decade.

Good. Im glad to hear they are still around doing Gods work.
 

Mix6APlix

The more you cry, the less I care.
Oct 20, 2015
12,918
13,449
The thing that bugs me the most is when I talked to my uncle, served in the USAF for 20-25 years, retired as a Major. When I asked him 'We still fly B52s, right? Why? Because they do exactly what they were designed to. Is that not the case to be made for the A10?'

And his response was that there is a lot of money and political bullshit behind pushing for development of new aircraft with the top military contractors having not say in it than you think.
 

BJTT_Pella

I want to go fishing.
Jun 25, 2015
2,936
4,173
The thing that bugs me the most is when I talked to my uncle, served in the USAF for 20-25 years, retired as a Major. When I asked him 'We still fly B52s, right? Why? Because they do exactly what they were designed to. Is that not the case to be made for the A10?'

And his response was that there is a lot of money and political bullshit behind pushing for development of new aircraft with the top military contractors having not say in it than you think.

I would think that is the standard for the entire industrial military complex.

The A10 is one of the most cost effective aircraft out there. It saves lives, American lives. No reason to change that. But things like planned obsolescence and like you said, political bullshit.