MIDDLE RIVER, Md. — Rolling up the flags of the 175 th Operations and Maintenance groups as the final two A-10 Warthogs prepared to roll off the tarmac, the 545 men and women behind them now face uncertain futures.

“Some of our pilots, some of our maintainers, they’re going to keep doing what they do, but with another unit,” said Deputy Wing Commander Dave Wright, “Some in the local area. Some not. It just depends of how it works for them.”

A-10s assigned to the 104 th Fighter Squadron have completed nine different combat deployments since 9/11.

For years, the Air Force has been phasing out the A-10s to make way for next generation fighter planes, but for decades, the Warthogs proved their worth as tank busters in Iraq and Afghanistan putting down 70 rounds per second of 30 millimet

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