Last operational Thunderbolt mission for Bulldogs
On 21 June 2024, as expected, the 354th Fighter Squadron Bulldogs flew their last operational A-10C Thunderbolt II mission from Davis-Monthan AFB (AZ).
The 'fini flight' with DM coded A-10C 78-0670, which was flown by Lt. Col. Patrick Chapman, commander of the 354th Fighter Squadron, occurred ahead of the inactivation of both the 354th Fighter Squadron and 357th Fighter Squadron Dragons, which will take place in September of this year.
The recent months saw multiple Thunderbolt IIs being transferred to Idaho Air National Guard's 190th Fighter Squadron based at Boise-Gowen Field and the 309th Aerospace Maintenance And Regeneration Group, aka as the 'Boneyard', conveniently situated near Davis-Monthan. The 354th FS and 357th FS assigned A-10Cs will be divested off as part of the USAF's modernisation efforts and will make way for the planned arrival of the 492nd Special Operations Wing at Davis-Monthan.
The Bulldogs last deployment, as the 354th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, was to Al Dhafra Air Base (United Arab Emirates) from October 2023 to April 2024 in support of the first Air Force Force Generation (AFFORGEN) cycle and was an example in developing attack leaders and deploying combat airpower.
While an A-10 Formal Training Unit (FTU) is still needed, it is expected that the 47th Fighter Squadron "Dogpatchers", part of Air Force Reserve Command's 944th Fighter Wing, will fly a little while longer from Davis-Monthan.
Credit photos: USAF