A-10 was able to RTB after her right engine had been struck by an Iraqi SAM

“This is a true testament to the combat survivability of the A-10,” Maj. Gary “Wolfman” Wolf (retired), former A-10 pilot

The then-110th Fighter Wing (FW) was operating A-10A Thunderbolt II aircraft in direct support of Coalition ground forces during the early phases of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). The A-10, affectionately referred to as “Warthog,” has a well-deserved reputation for toughness, which was strengthened by the 110th’s involvement with the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing.

As stated in the article A-10A 80-0258, History of Excellence by Tech. Sgt. Alec Lloyd of the 217th Air Operations Group, on April 8, 2003, tail number 80-0258, flown by then-Maj. Gary “Wolfman” Wolf, took off from Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base in Kuwait to support Coalition forces as they approached Baghdad. An enemy surface-to-air (SAM) missile destroyed the aircraft’s right engine as it was doing low-altitude overhead reconnaissance for a coalition convoy commander.

“Although the initial impact was substantial, the aircraft never departed controlled flight. This is a true testament to the combat survivability of the A-10.” said Major Wolf (retired), “I was fortunate to be flying the mighty Warthog on that fateful day.”

Major Wolf was able to maintain control of his aircraft, put in place defenses, and make a turn for friendly territory. He kept the severely damaged aircraft in the air despite the considerable damage for 45 minutes until he traveled 120 kilometers to Tallil Air Base in southern Iraq, where he could find shelter. Pilots, ground personnel, and even media photographers were in awe by the magnitude of the damage the Warthog had sustained while still being able to fly after he landed it safely.

The story might have ended there, but in 2011, Colonel Ronald Wilson—the 110th’s vice commander at the time—mentioned that the damaged engine had been transported back to Battle Creek Air National Guard Base after the unit had been renamed the 110th Airlift Wing by that point. In 2014, the unit underwent a second name change to the 110th Attack Wing. The second stage of the process—the restoration and reassembly of the cowling for display—began after the parts of the cowling were discovered at the base scrap yard after some searching.

“The cowling was destined for the scrap pile,” said Colonel Wilson, “we had been out of the A-10 business for some time. When I approached our maintenance folks to see if there was any possibility to save this historical piece of our heritage, they jumped right in.”

This task was unusual. The 110th Maintenance Squadron staff was accustomed to removing and replacing broken parts, but recovering war damage rather than simply repairing was new.

Tech. Sgt. David Harris from the 110th Airlift Wing Maintenance Squadron was one of many to have these very thoughts, “The first thought from everyone in the shop was, where do we start?” he said. “It was like a jigsaw puzzle. The structural repair shop got together and devised a plan of attack to manufacture parts and panels to reconstruct damage the missile had caused.”

To meet the task, Tech. Sgt. Robert Robinson, Tech. Sgt. Steven Roman, Staff Sgt. Brian Nelson and Senior Airman Douglas Powers created a thorough restoration plan.

The cowling was repaired to its “original” damaged state after more than 150 man-hours of labor. It was now prepared for both shipping and display.

The service members who put in a lot of effort to make sure that the wing as a whole and not just the A-10 were recognized as exceptional warfighters were thanked by Colonel Wilson and Major Wolf.

“This is a testament to all the great men and women of the 110th Fighter Wing who went to war in 2003, who through machine and sweat and perseverance prevailed and made a difference in the world as the 110th Fighter Wing made a mark in history forever.” Said Colonel Wilson.

“I will always think of the A-10 when I remember Battle Creek. We did some amazing things around the world in the Warthog.” Said Major Wolf (retired). “I hope you can find a good home for the cowling – well deserved after all the hard work performed by your maintenance folks. I will always cherish 258 for bringing me home… -Wolfman (callsign).”

At the National Guard Museum in Washington, DC, the A-10 cowling is currently on exhibit.

Photo by Staff Sgt. Shane A. Cuomo / U.S. Air Force and Master Sgt. Sonia Pawloski / U.S. Air National Guard