The Air Force is winding down its use of the A-10 Thunderbolt II, better known as the "Warthog," but the transition is not quiet.
At Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona, the men and women who keep these close air support aircraft in the air are marking the moment with a tribute of their own.
They were spotted wearing a striking patch honoring both the 357th Fighter Squadron and the A-10 that goes "brrrrt."
The image, tied to a Halloween moment but shared publicly only on Friday, December 12, captures the newly appointed dedicated crew chiefs at the 357th Fighter Generation Squadron.
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They are the ones who keep the A-10's aloft, and the ceremony welcoming them became the last one held at the base.
The patch itself is sublime, cramming in several elements while maintaining a clear, crisp aesthetic. There’s the A-10 itself, flying low over a desert straight out of a cartoon world, with “357” marked over a cactus.
And then a dragon, somehow not out of place, balances out the patch, with "The last of the dragons" next to it. The squadron has long been known as the Dragons. A "1942-2026" note relays the history of the unit, formed during World War II, long before the A-10 entered service.
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The Air Force is working to phase out the close air support craft, hoping newer planes like the F-35 can fill the role. The A-10 is seemingly on its way out, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t going out fighting.
Even as the Air Force started winding down the aircraft, it sent several to the Middle East, in support of ongoing operations against the Islamic State and campaigns against Houthi militants in Yemen.
This weekend, after two American soldiers were killed in Palmyra, Syria alongside a civilian translator, local media reported A-10s flying over the city dropping flares in support of ground operations to sweep the area.
As it currently stands, the Air Force is trying to retire the A-10 this fiscal year. However, this year’s National Defense Authorization Act, currently making its way through Congress, requires that the Air Force keep 103 A-10s through the end of the coming fiscal year.
As of press time, the NDAA has passed in the House of Representatives and is waiting on a vote in the Senate, so the A-10 might still go “brrrrt” a little longer.
From a defense perspective shaped by supporters of President Trump and the stated approach of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, the value of the A-10 goes beyond nostalgia. They argue that close air support remains unmatched when it comes to battlefield responsiveness and troop safety.
The aircraft’s rugged durability and specialist role on the frontline have earned it a place in the U.S. military’s toolkit that newer models, for all their advanced sensors, cannot replicate in certain environments.
This is not simply about keeping an old bird in the air. It is about preserving readiness, maintaining the confidence of the troops, and ensuring that air power remains a flexible, reliable option when ground forces are in contact with hostile forces.
The patch ceremony at Davis-Monthan is a tangible reminder of that mission. It honors both a storied unit and a beloved aircraft, while signaling that the conversation about air power is far from over.
At the same time, the broader defense debate continues. There is support for modernizing the force, but there is also a clear insistence that proven capabilities should not be discarded for ideology or speed alone.
The public service behind the A-10’s maintenance and operation represents a commitment to readiness that keeps America secure.
In this context, the work of the crew chiefs, the symbolism of the Dragons patch, and the ongoing discussions in Washington all point to a single truth. Experience and innovation can coexist, and the men and women who keep the sky safe deserve both.
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