Fellow Air Force retiree Tony Carr writes the John Q Public blog which keeps the Air Force on its toes. He has been keeping tabs on the Combat Camera-produced, unreleased doumentary, ‘Grunts of the Air’ depicting an A-10 Squadron deployment to Afghanistan in 2014. For some reason, the Air Force hasn’t released it officially. Naturally, Carr wants to know why.
I have no interest in stealing JQP’s thunder, so please read the background story here.
Tags: John Q Public
Excellent post! The day before the Canadian National Exhibition was due to close, a friend invited me to attend the annual Air Show. I declined and when asked why, I responded simply – “I’ve watched the best air show there is in the world – live and in Afghanistan, Apache’s, A-10’s – all of it Live-fire”. His response was immediate: “Dude, colour me envious”…
What’s the deal w/the pilots identities being obscured? This is a documentary and not some secret squirrel training video.
Many thanks for a Block Rockin’ drop, Mr. SSD.
Strange…seems to be a pre-edit version.
Some of footage is on another (different?) video posted on JQP’s article:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_L_TjXXx7eQ
Go Chiefs! Go Royals!
The Air Force’s treatment of the A10 does it no honor. It is another example of a disingenuous and self serving culture at the highest levels.
The same sort of shenanigans accompanied the C27J program. The Army needed responsive intratheatre airlift. The Air Force forced itself into the program and even funded it out of hide when Congress felt it was a waste for the Air Force. The Air Force then promised to fly the plane for the Army under the Army’s command. Once the USAF got the plane the Air Force shortly thereafter canned it citing budget cuts and a niche aircraft (sound familiar?). Brand new airframes went to the boneyard until the Coast Guard picked them up. The Army could not because by that time it had assumed the Air Force would fulfill its promise and the Army was already going to cut 20% of its manpower.
The Air Force kept fixed wing aircraft out of the Army’s clutches. Mission accomplished.
Want to keep the A10 flying? Have Congress offer it to the Army with the funding, pilots and maintainers and watch the tune change…
What Rod said.
Hell, why add in all of AFSOC and let the F’ing zoomies worry about air to air and strategic bombing. Not that I’m a huge fan of the Army BS Machine, but Christ are these AF guys such nerds that all they care about is getting the latest and greatest technology and not about actually winning wars. And BTW AF guys when was the last time anyone in a modern air force got an air to air kill that was NOT Beyond Visual Range, so screw your precious dog fighting skills. You are all going unmanned anyway and, when you do, you all really will be fat desk jockeys that we laugh at.