The last A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft assigned to Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, departed yesterday, concluding nearly 50 years of tactical training, operational testing and maintenance at the installation.
Nearly 70 airmen lined the flight line to salute the attack jet, known as the Warthog, as it took off. The first A-10 arrived at Nellis in 1977. Over five decades, the base served as the primary proving ground for developing the aircraft's tactical employment. Nellis-based units refined the aircraft's software, avionics and precision weapons. The U.S. Air Force Weapons School's 66th Weapons Squadron trained more than 300 A-10 weapons officers across 100 classes at the base.
As the Air Force retires the A-10 fleet, close air support capability is transitioning to multirole and advanced fighter platforms including the F-15 Eagle, F-35 Lightning II and F-16 Fighting Falcon. Airmen assigned to the 757th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron are being reassigned to other squadrons and airframes.
The discipline developed by A-10 maintainers over 50 years of managing the aging airframe—including wing replacements and depot-level overhauls—is being integrated into maintenance programs for newer aircraft, according to the base. Fifth-generation platforms like the F-35 are absorbing new close air support and combat search-and-rescue roles into their operational profiles, combining stealth features, advanced sensor suites and secure data-sharing networks to conduct precision ground-support missions.
For some airmen, the transition carries personal significance. Air Force Staff Sgt. Eva Kehn, a weapons load crew chief, was being reassigned to an F-35 unit at Nellis where her grandfather now works as a civilian F-35 instructor. The transition represents an evolution rather than a retirement of capability, with the aircraft's tactical expertise being carried forward to the next generation of fighters and pilots.