U.S. Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ) called on President Obama late last week to fully fund the A-10 Warthog bomber aircraft in the president's fiscal 2017 budget.
“As you finalize the Department of Defense’s (DOD) budget request for fiscal year 2017, I ask that you fully fund the A-10 Warthog in a manner consistent with congressional intent,” Rep. McSally said. “The Warthog has been instrumental against ISIS, recently as part of Operation Tidal Wave II, which destroyed 116 ISIS fuel trucks. They are also deployed to Europe to reassure and train our allies in CAS (Close Air Support) amid increased Russian aggression. They are permanently stationed in South Korea for deterrence and anti-armor capability against North Korean belligerence.”
A U.S Air Force veteran, McSally was the first female fighter pilot to fly in combat and to command a fighter squadron. Her experience as an A-10 fighter pilot and an A-10 instructor in the 358th Fighter Squadron has made her acutely aware of the A-10's unique capabilities.
After researching the proposed retirement of the A-10 in 2015, McSally found that the A-10 filled capability gaps in U.S. airpower, particularly the CAS and Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) missions. Her efforts led to full funding of the A-10 fleet in 2015's National Defense Authorization Act and Defense Appropriations Act, which included prohibitions against moving the A-10 to backup status.
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