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The Battle Creek Air National Guard Base and 110th FW and was established at
The lone squadron of A-10s is operated by the 172nd Fighter Squadron, more affectionately known as “The Cereal Killers.” The squadron is assigned duties as both close air support and forward air controllers (FAC), hence the dual A/OA designation of their aircraft.
The mission skills of the 172nd FS are honed primarily at the Grayling Aerial and
In the last decade, the 110th FW has participated in numerous combat deployments, including: Operation Allied Force, Operation Southern Watch, and most recently Operation Iraqi Freedom.
My tour began with the operations building of the 172nd FS. The walls are adorned with various Warthog photos, historic paintings and event plaques. There is a definite sense of pride that radiates throughout. The decor changes from the museum like collection of memorabilia to military service and flight orientated information as you get deeper into the structure. The flight operations area is a large, glass enclosed corner office, which is the heart of the building. The daily flight schedules are posted via projector and the status of each flight is monitored by several staff members.
Several doors down from the operations office is the pilot locker room. Entrance to the locker room is protected by a cipher lock. Several Hog drivers were gearing up for the day’s sortie to Grayling. The pilots dressed while making small talk and light jokes. In the lockers, equipment such as g-suits and flight suits hang vertically, while their helmet has a separate area to rest. After the pilots donned their flight suits and g-suits, it was time to head out to begin pre-flight inspection of their Hog.
I exited with the pilots out the door of the operations building and walked a slight distance to the active flight line. The plane’s initial pre-flight checks are completed by the Crew Chief, but final inspection is completed by the pilot. Once the final inspection is complete, they climb the ladder to the cockpit. The Crew Chief follows, and helps the pilot strap in. Once belted, the pilot signals the Crew Chief and the internal auxiliary power unit (APU) is started. Some tests are conducted while on the APU, then the large turbo fan engines are started. While the engines are warming, flight control surfaces are tested, as are the radio and IFF transmitters. The landing gear pins are pulled a few moments before the aircraft begins to taxi. After a salute to the crew, the pilot closes the canopy and begins to taxi toward the runway. After final checks are completed, the Hogs taxi onto the active runway and eventually take off.
While the Hogs were on their way to Graying, I was escorted through the Wing’s maintenance hangar. Approximately 5 Hogs were inside this large hangar. Several were undergoing some sort of service while the status of the others was unclear. One aircraft was on jack stands, undergoing a very extensive overhaul. It was fascinating to see all the access panels open and the work going on around them. Workers were all over the aircraft; they were inside the cockpit, under the aircraft, and even on the aircraft.
After the maintenance hangar, I was escorted to a similar looking hanger. Inside sat one Hog, and I was told the structure was being used by one of the ordinance crews for testing purposes. The crew on hand was loading inert ordinance on the Warthog and being evaluated on their performance. Their scores are determined by accuracy adhering to written procedures and actual load times.
Before I knew it, the distinct whisper of the Warthog’s jet engines could be heard overhead. Their mission lasted approximately an hour and fifteen minutes. The returning four Hogs arrived in two tight two-ship formations. The two formations separated, and the aircraft landed one by one. After the planes taxied back, maintenance crews stopped the Hogs just short of their final resting place. There, the pins were reinserted into the landing gear. The planes taxied to their final resting place and were shut down, and the pilots deplane. Upon exiting, the pilots returned to the operations building for their debriefing.
During my visit, the unit had a heavy flight schedule. Many of the planes would be inspected and turned around for another sortie. Several of the pilots would be flying a second time that weekend.
The exemplary service of the 110th FW has earned the 172nd FS the honor of being the first ANG unit to operate the significantly modified A/OA-10C. The update is the most significant modification to the airframe in the type’s 30 year history. Improvements include two new multifunction cockpit displays, situational awareness datalinks, digital stores management, and an Integrated Flight and Fire Control Computer (IFFCC). These modifications will allow the A-10 to carry precision weapons such as JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition) and the Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser (WCMD). The improvements will also extend the Warthog’s service life until approximately year 2028.
Unlike the A-10 Warthog, the fate of the 110th FW is uncertain. The 2005 BRAC commission recommended closing the base. For various strategic and economical reasons, The Department of Defense (DoD) spared the base, but not without concessions. Sometime in 2008, the aircraft of the 110th FW are to be transferred to the 127th FW stationed at Selfridge ANGB, near
