A-10 squadron at Bagram melds active duty, Reserve

  • Published
  • By Maj. David Kurle
  • 455 AEW public affairs
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan --  This summer's rotation of A-10 pilots here is almost a half-and-half mix of active duty from the 81st Fighter Squadron based at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, and Air Force Reservists from the 303rd FS at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo.

Both sets of pilots have come together as a single team to employ the A-10 in the close air support role it was made for, protecting U.S. and Coalition forces on the ground in the fight against extremists in Afghanistan.

The active-duty pilots tend to be younger, with less time in the A-10, while the Reserve pilots are more seasoned.

"I relied heavily on the Reservists' experience to help my younger pilots gain combat experience," said Colonel Keith McBride, the commander of the 81st EFS, and also a squadron commander back at his home base of Spangdahlem.

To foster a single team, he added the two units' numbers together and took to calling the unit the 384th EFS.

"It doesn't really matter if you're an active-duty guy or a Reserve guy," said Colonel Tony Johnson, the 455th Expeditionary Operations Group commander here and a reservist from the 442nd. "An A-10 pilot is an A-10 pilot no matter where you go."

Another common trait to all A-10 pilots is the extensive training in the aircraft, the only one of its kind, specially designed for its primary mission of close air support.

"It's amazing how the training we do back home has been validated by the execution of the mission here," said Capt. Rick Mitchell, a pilot from the 442nd. "Our training back home is so intense that it really serves us well here."