An A-10C from the Arkansas Air National Guard’s 188th Fighter Wing undergoes a phase inspection at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, May 8, 2012.The phase is one of the most elaborate of maintenance actions, requiring the removal, inspection, and service of hundreds of parts, panels, and mechanisms. At home station, this process would take 45 days to 60 days, but it typically takes just one week at Bagram thanks to round-the-clock work by maintenance crews.There are currently 18 A-10Cs at Bagram—all Air Guard machines flown by Guard pilots. They collectively fly a punishing schedule of 22 sorties a day in three shifts. Two aircraft per flight maintain on-call close air support in the southeast part of Afghanistan, according to officials at Bagram. AFA photo by John A. Tirpak