OT: I ain't heard no fat lady singin'

Sylvrfalcn

Sylvrfalcn

Joined
Jun 4, 2002
Messages
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Excerpt from an American Forces Press Service release
“ On Sept. 20, a firebase near Lwara came under rocket and small-arms fire. U. S. personnel responded with mortar fire and strikes by Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft. DoD officials said there were no U.S. casualties in the engagement."

The bad guys are still out there, but so are we. I can tell you for sure some a$$ got kicked on this one.

Sarge
 
Glad to hear that you guys are holding up OK.

The A-10 Thunderbolt has always been one of my favourite aircraft. :cool:Coolest, meanest-looking plane on the planet.:cool: What is different about the Thunderbolt II?

Is it warm at night over there? Do the bugs come out and sing? What is it like? When I was in Australia, one of the most exciting things was looking up at night and seeing a sky full of stars I didn't recognize...

Best regards,
Phil
 
If the Thunderbolt II is anything like this old A-10, I could see why some @$$ got whupped.

a10sm.jpg


:eek:
 
Geezer,
That 30 mm gatling gun is just the thing for hunting "squirrels". Though known for it's big gun, the A-10 is also capable of delivering an awesome array of bombs and missles with "gnat's a$$" accuracy.
Don't let the "Thunderbolt II" throw you, an A-10 is an A-10, and we mostly just call 'em "Hawgs" (as in Warthog).

What's it like over here? Dry and dusty with occasional booms that ain't thunder. The air's kind of thin 'cause we're at about 5,000 feet and surrounded by mountain ranges that are considerably higher.
The night sky is awesome, no light pollution around here, so you can see every star in the sky. When the moon is full it's nearly as bright as day out. That's good and bad, sometimes you just don't want to see what all's scurrying about when you're walking to the latrine in the middle of the night.:eek: :rolleyes: :D

Sarge
 
The A10 is the A10. It's called the Thunderbolt II because most politico's believe that Warthog or Hawg isn't a very nice name to be using on the nightly news. The P47 back in WW2 was the original Thunderbolt and was, for its day, just as tough and mean as todays T-bolt. It was heavily armored, moderately fast, and a very capable fighter-bomber (8 - .50 cals tend to make any aircraft mean). But that's enough of my ramblings. Keep it up out there Syl and come home safe.
 
Originally posted by Sylvrfalcn
The bad guys are still out there, but so are we. I can tell you for sure some a$$ got kicked on this one.
Sarge
Click to expand...

Too bad for the bad guys, Sarge! :D I'm a fan of the A10's too, but I've never saw any of them here. Perhaps it'll change, it seems like my country'll be buying F 16's, maybe we'll get a Warthog as a bonus, too ;)
Yesterday another contingent of Polish sappers left for Afghanistan. And it seems like our SF were moved to the Gulf, so I think you're not gonna meet any of them in Afghanistan. Saddam should better watch his a%$:cool:
Take care and good luck!
 
Hey Sarge!

Do you have any of these bad boy toys over there?

Longbow

I saw one fly at a live fire demonstration once and I couldn't believe the power it carries. It can definitely ruin a bad guy's day. ;)

You guys are doing a great job. Come back safe! :)

Semp --
 
Semper,

I haven't seen many Longbows up close over here, mostly Blackhawks and Chinooks, but I do know they're here. Try and picture a coordinated joint strike with A-10s, Apaches, and an AC-130 gunship (which carries a 105mm laser guided, infrared capable, cannon, among other things). "Major can of whoop a$$" doesn't come close.

We've got quite a few Apache Longbows back home at Fort Hood, they pretty much made their debut there with the 1st Cavalry Division. It gives me cold chills when we're out in the range training areas and one pops up from behind a ridgeline to have a look around. Those dang things are just scary lookin'.
:eek: :eek:

Sarge
 
Good stuff from the field. Hang in, men. As already noted, "doing a hell of a job" over there and it's much appreciated.
 
It's funny you start this thread, Silver Falcon, because when I saw the story on Fox news I thought about you and wondered.

So the Thunderbolt ll is to the Warthog what the Cleveland Native Americans is to the Indians?

munk
 
Yup Munk, "a rose by any other name...."

Warthogs are like buzzards, ugly on the ground, but pretty in the sky.:D

Sylvrfalcn, or Sarge, or Master Sergeant Sikes, or Lord Robert of Yorkshire, see what I mean about names?
 
Sarge, You use a different kind of long bow when you are home don't you? And, different kind of missiles.:D :D
 
re: Longbow
Yup Pappy, I got into medieval archery about three or four years ago as a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism. Started out with store bought tackle, but I've slowly and painstakingly learned how to make it all myself. To nock an arrow you've made yourself, onto a string that you've twisted by hand, draw that 72" wooden bow you spent hours carving, and send that arrow whistling through space to strike the heart of the target, is something that can't be described it has to be experienced. If I sound a bit passionate about my bow, I am. To me it's not a stick and a string, it's nothing short of a time machine.
When I get home from Afghanistan, and take care of all my other priorities, I know a crisp clear morning will find me under an open sky with my longbow strung, 800 years away from all my troubles.;)

Sarge
 
"combat archery"
Sore subject for me, mamby pamby Anti Penetration, Anti Bounceback, arrow requirements have taken the gleam from the gold. More heavy fighters have taken twigs in the eye fighting woods battles than will ever be struck by an arrow flying backwards 'cause it bounced off something (unless they're going the wrong way running away from Ansteorrans):D

Sarge
 
I also like the A10! Do the 30mm rounds explode when the hit the target or are they "solid" and just punch through the armor?
 
Last time I checked, they were Depleted Uranium rounds. My bro, the Mechanical Engineer, says that when they hit hardened metal armor, they cause a reaction that makes the armor weaken or shatter, increasing shear. The DU is mostly to add weight to the projectile tho, and the 'depleted' uranium is not as radioactive as your standard weaponnized Uranium. Sarge may be able to add more practical info...

Keith
 
"Depleted Uranium"

DU is used for projectiles because of it's weight and density (which translates into kinetic energy). It's also used extensively in the armor of M1A1&A2 Abrams tanks. Apparently it works both ways.

Sarge
 
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