A-10s bid farewell with fini flight at Davis-Monthan AFB

TUCSON, Ariz. — The A-10C Thunderbolt II made its final pass over Davis-Monthan Air Force Base on July 29, closing nearly five decades of Warthog operations at the Southern Arizona installation as Airmen and local civic leaders looked on.

“It’s not a place. It’s not people. It’s a mindset,” said Chief Master Sgt. Dave Anderson Jr., 355th Operations Group senior enlisted leader. “Hopefully that attack mindset will continue to live on, and it will make every single Airman it touches, every single airframe it touches, every single organization it touches better.”

The farewell flight doubled as a tribute to the 355th Wing’s close air support heritage. Generations of pilots, maintainers and support personnel kept the distinctive twin-engine jets flying from Tucson, shaping the base’s identity and leaving an imprint on the surrounding community.

“The reason the A-10 flies, and the reason why our enemies are afraid of that, is because of the level of support every single Airman in all career fields gives to make sure that platform departs and comes back safely,” Anderson said.

The A-10’s departure marks a turning point for a wing that long served as a centerpiece of the aircraft’s training and operations. For those who led the mission, watching the fleet thin out in recent months carried a particular weight.

“We’ve always had A-10s on the ramp; for the last 50 years they’ve been on the ramp,” said Lt. Col. Rodney Dwyer, 355th Operations Group commander. “To see the sunshades get torn down, to see the jets divest, fewer and fewer A-10s out there … it’s definitely bittersweet.”

As the final aircraft taxied in, the moment underscored the end of an era for the base and for Tucson residents who grew up with the A-10’s unmistakable growl above their neighborhoods. For aircrew who spent their careers in the cockpit, the transition was personal.

“I got out of the aircraft and went over to him [Dwyer] and told him, ‘I don’t want to do this, man. I don’t want to,'” Lt. Col. Ryan Rutter, 357th Fighter Squadron commander, said. “It’s tough, and I think a lot of it is you’ve just spent years being part of this team and flying this aircraft all over the world and building friends and relationships in the community. So, when you shut down the jet for the last time, it’s that realization that some of that will change, some of that will go away.”

Base officials emphasized that while the A-10’s mission at Davis-Monthan has concluded, the culture and professionalism honed around the aircraft will continue to guide future endeavors on the flight line.

“Thanks for trusting us,” Rutter said. “Thanks for letting us train and improve our skills and develop the culture.”