The Arkansas Air National Guard’s 188th Fighter Wing has received the last two of its newly acquired A-10 Warthogs, reports the Times Record. Once on the BRAC 2005 hit list, the unit has transitioned from F-16s to A-10s, receiving its first Hogs last spring. Wing commander Col. Kevin Wear told the newspaper that the unit’s pilots are all through their basic A-10 qualification training and progressing with more advanced training. Meanwhile, the Air Guard maintainers are acquiring expertise in A-10 maintenance, which, according to CMSgt. Mike Lensing, 188th FW aircraft superintendent, require more work than the unit’s previous F-16s. The 188th FW’s A-10s are slated for avionics and precision weapon upgrades before the unit deploys in early 2010.
President Donald Trump’s nominee for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff touted his highly unusual background for the job as an asset and reaffirmed his commitment to stay apolitical during a confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on April 1.