July 11 – Fort Wayne’s 122nd sends off its A-10s
Airman 1st Class Halley Clark
An A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft assigned to the 122nd Fighter Wing performs aerial maneuvers during the “Final ATTACK!” event July 8 at the 122nd Fighter Wing in Fort Wayne.
Airman 1st Class Halley Clark
A pilot assigned to the 163rd Fighter Squadron celebrates with family and friends after returning from a fini-flight July 8 during the “Final ATTACK!” event at the 122nd Fighter Wing in Fort Wayne.
Staff Sgt. Justin Andras
A crewchief assigned to the 122nd Fighter Wing prepares for a pilot to exit an A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft during The Final ATTACK! aerial training event July 8, 2023. The event marked the end of the aircraft’s 13-year legacy at the wing and makes way for the arrival of the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff. Sgt. Justin Andras)
Staff Sgt. Justin Andras
U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Jeremy Stoner, a pilot assigned to the 122nd Fighter Wing, kisses his wife following his final flight in an A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft during The Final ATTACK! aerial training event July 8, 2023. The event marked the end of the aircraft’s 13-year legacy at the wing and makes way for the arrival of the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff. Sgt. Justin Andras)
FORT WAYNE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE — U.S. Rep. Jim Banks attended “The Final ATTACK! – A Farewell To The A-10” on July 8 at the 122nd Fighter Wing in Fort Wayne, Indiana. A display of A-10 aerial training followed.
“The Final ATTACK!” honored the legacy of the A-10, and recognize the Airmen who flew, maintained, and sustained the A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft at the 122nd Fighter Wing since 2010.
U.S. Congressman Jim Banks worked for years to bring the F-16 Fighter back to Fort Wayne and prepare the wing for a bright future. In December 2022, Congress passed the National Defense Authorization Act to officially fund the conversion from the base’s 21 A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft, paving the way for F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft to come to Fort Wayne and eventually help the 122nd Fighter Wing compete for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
While the A-10 is a ground-attack aircraft, the F-16 is capable of air-to-air combat and air-to-surface attacks.
The 122nd has deployed on many combat zone assignments include Afghanistan, Iraq, Oman, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Qatar.