Nestled in the heart of the Sonoran Desert, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, is 2,600 acres known as a “boneyard” where military aircraft go to die. The home to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group has been a place of preservation for tens of thousands of aircraft since World War II. Among hundreds of technicians at work here, one stands out: Richard Brunt is deeply attached to the A-10 Thunderbolt II, also called the “Warthog.”
Brunt’s tour in the A-10 began in 1987 following an assignment at Osan Air Base, Korea. He was part of a mixed bag of crew chiefs and pilots charged with standing up the first OA-10 forward air controller airborne unit. “We all had to learn a new aircraft; none of us had touched an A-10,” Brunt remembered. The shared ordeal created a tight team that was determined to become proficient with the aircraft.
From 1987 until 1990, Brunt and the 23rd Tactical Air Support Squadron trained incessantly for a mission that was soon to be. Operation Desert Storm. Brunt recalls one night when they intercepted the Iraqi Republican Guard on what became known as the Highway of Death. “We launched nearly 600 jets. Each one came back empty,” he said, reflecting on how the mission went so well.
Not all the moments were joyous, though, in this love affair between Brunt and the A-10. On February 27, 1991, Lt. Patrick Olson, a good friend and fellow flyer, was lost on a mission. “He was hit with anti-aircraft artillery,” Brunt remembered. Despite being hit, Olson tried to bring the plane in but unfortunately died. That was a shock for Brunt, one of the disturbing moments during his career.
After retiring in 1996, Brunt found ways to remain attached to the A-10. In 2002, he found himself at Davis-Monthan AFB again, this time to decommission the same aircraft he was repairing years earlier. “It’s hard to imagine that the very aircraft that took me to all ends of the world would soon be crushed up,” he complained. He can find peace in knowing the parts he is salvaging will keep other A-10s flying.
The 55th Fighter Squadron has a rich history to this day, tracing its lineage back to August 9, 1917. From flying the P-51 Mustang in World War II to transitioning through a string of aircraft like the F-84G Thunderjet and the F-100 Super Sabre, the squadron continued with every new era in aviation. First flying the A-10 Thunderbolt II in 1994, the 55th FS took to the skies, continuing their extensive history with close air support missions.
Throughout the 100-year history of the 55th FS, the group has been involved in so many operations. Operation Desert Storm is included, whereby they flew over 144 sorties without loss. To date, it has won so many awards for its contribution to manned flights, including the David C. Schilling Award. The 55th FS today is still distinctive and flies with pride on its F-16CJ Fighting Falcons, taking part in exercises like Red Flag and Green Flag.
That legacy, matched only by the lifelong bond between Airmen like Richard Brunt and their aircraft, speaks volumes of the dedication and resilience of the United States Air Force. Continuing his work at the boneyard, Brunt remains a living testimony to the spirit and legacy of the A-10 Thunderbolt II and the Fighting Fifty-Fifth.